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Our first ferret, Zoro, was a prize won at a local pet store. This Marshal ferret was older, three or four, and came complete with a cage! Unfortunately, he stopped eating one week after we got him. The Vet was not sure what was wrong. She ended up doing surgery to try to remove some kind of "blockage". But Zoro did not have a blockage. It turns out he had a faty liver from incorrect diet. The Vet said that cats get this sometimes. However, Zoro was too weak from not eating and the surgery. We were so sad when he did not make it.
After sharing our vet bills with the pet store, they gladly gave is another ferret, Taz.
Taz, another Marshal ferret, was indeed a surprize. We walked out of the store with him asleep. Half way home he woke up in a box and was quite eager to get out! His head went up through the top where the box was folded closed, but he was unable to get his head back inside!
Once he was home we realize what a bundle of energy we had. We quickly named him after the cartoon character. We loved playing with him, but he had lots of energy, was constantly curious, and really needed to learn not to bite! I remember discovering how well he could hold on with his teeth...he was dangling from my wife's ear!
Taz has since mellowed out considerably. Most neutered males do eventually settle down and are great with kids and other pets.
Soon after getting Taz we realized he needed a playmate to help get his energy out. We looked into a ferret club in Seattle, Ferret City Fan Club. They invited us over with Taz and we had a ferret party. They told us more about ferrets than we learned from the Vet and the pet store combined. Not long after our visit, we had a beautiful female, who was fixed, but not decented, Sierra.
Sierra came to us like a princess. She was gorgeous, and she knew it. When She met Taz for the first time, she was totally indifferent to him. He wanted her attention and would follow her around like a loyal subject. Gradually they came to play together until they were the best of friends.
Unfortunately, Sierra grew a tumor near her stomach. She lost energy and played less. When we discovered the lump, we took her to the local vet, who refered us to a specialist in Seattle. After trying time with Zoro, we were very reluctant to do surgery. The specialist could not elaborate as to the cause without surgery or some tests. After taking a portion of the lump and a blood test, the vet was fairly sure the cause of the tumor was lymph node cancer. Being so extensive meant surgery would not do much. We opted for medication to try and bring the tumor down, but we realized it was only a matter of time.
I am so glad we had four more months with Sierra. As I gave her food and medication our bond grew. She taught me to love even when it was difficult. I do miss her....
Pepper is our newest addition. He came a month after Sierra passed on. We got him as a buddy for Taz. Taz is now learning to be friends again. It is difficult at times, but they are learning to get along.
We named this Marshal ferret Pepper because he sneezed quite a bit when he came home. At first he was so mellow and calm. Then we realized that he had a cold! One week later he was a "normal" ferret with lots of energy. We are glad that he is playful and we hope he will learn to play with our 1 1/2 year old Yorkie Poo.