Post by kpaz on Jan 7, 2013 23:48:45 GMT -5
I know this is really long, it's mostly for me to just get it out there. I want to thank Katt for filling everyone in while I've been away. And thank you all for your support.
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I met Pippin in March of 2011. I went to PetCo to check it out for the first time. They had a bunch of kits, and I really wanted a third ferret to complete my family; I already had Ellie and Goomba and three just sounded like a good number. One of the workers asked me if I was interested in purchasing a ferret, and I told him I was interested, but I was planning on adopting one. He told me, "Well we actually do have one for adoption. Follow me." So he led me over to a SuperPet cage that was absolutely filthy and disgusting. He said that the previous owner got engaged and they moved into a new pace that didn't allow pets. He also said that no one was interested in the ferret since he was already getting too big (he was only 5 months old), and that they were going to try and send it back to Marshall's since they didn’t really do ferret adoptions (whatever that means ). I told him I would take the ferret. I paid the adoption fee and the guy loaded my new little one into the car. I realized the cage wouldn't fit unless we turned it sideways, and I was going to get a cardboard crate for Pippin, and the idiot worker was like "oh no, we can make it work," tilts over the entire cage with food, water, crappy bedding fluff, and MY NEW BABY still in it. It was the first time I heard a ferret scream, and I was beyond pissed. But I got him home, gave him a bath, and cleaned out his cage. Under all the fluffy bedding stuff, the bottom was caked with feces and urine, it was horrible.
From the first evening, I knew he was a gentle boy. He was calm, curious, and a power sniffer at its finest. However, we did notice something odd…his legs didn’t work right. I really don't think he'd been let out hardly at all. He came with everything the previous owner had, and that included one single toy, one hammock (nothing fancy, just a material square with clips), and a blanket. It was like his legs had two settings: all the way tucked in, or sticking straight out. There was no in between. So we massaged his legs every night, stretched them slowly, and let him run around all day. The first time we put him in the middle of the floor and gave him some toys he just stood there. He didn’t know what to do, or how to play. But after lots of encouragement, he was on his feet (although he was always on his tippy tip toes ) and exploring everything.
When it came to introductions Ellie, my alpha, was not excited. She was used to Goomba, who always let her flip him on his back despite being twice as big, and never putting up a fight. When she tried to flip Pippin, he played back, trying to scruff her and bouncing around. He was delighted to finally have a playmate. She was so frustrated that he was having a good time when she meant business. She would hiss constantly while he war danced around her and thoroughly enjoyed wrestling. I wasn't sure what would happen, I was worried she would hate him forever, but eventually the hissing died down, she started seeing him as a playmate rather than an intruder, and just like that, they were attached at the hip. They would do everything together. Pippin would follow her around, they would groom each other, eat together, play together, nap together, and get into trouble together (Ellie was still the alpha and the troublemaker, Pippin was just her accomplice). Pippin was the missing link to the business. Ellie and Goomba never really had a great bond as kits. Ellie wanted to wrestle, Goomba didn't put up a fight and was not interested in playing rough. It was difficult to get them engaged with each other. When I brought Pippin home he was a hyper kit who would wrestle Ellie, but gentle with Goomba and was content with just playing chasing games, which Goomba preferred. He was younger than them so he was full of energy.
Pippin was very much a unique ferret, with lots of quirks. He never got along with humans much, and while he played with the others, he was much content to be alone. A plastic bag would serve him days of enjoyment. He would throw it in the air, jump on it, hide in it, sleep in it, carry it around with him…hide his toys in it, probably tell it his secrets ;D… Eventually it would get gross and full of holes, so we’d trade it out and he’d be thrilled yet again. It was through his plastic bag obsession that we learned he had come to trust and feel comfortable in his new surroundings. Ellie and Goomba always sleep in their hammocks, or on the bed, or in some sort of corner. Wherever Pippin got tired, that’s where he fell asleep. One day I walked into the room and smack dab in the middle was Pippin’s plastic bag, with him sleeping on top of it, belly up, happy as a clam. That’s just how he was. We’d find him on the carpet, on the tile, half way on the bed, and then occasionally, snuggled up with the others. ;D
He was also very particular about his toys. With Ellie, every toy was her toy. With Goomba, he only hid things he didn’t like (like nail clippers, brushes, occasionally me, etc. ). Pippin had VERY specific toys that he wanted stashed. And if he saw Ellie take them (which she would) he would sprint across, yank it away from her, and carry it back to his spot while she hissed and chattered at him for being a jerk. Goomba tried to take his favorite toy, a purple, spiky squeaky ball ONCE. And that was the first time I heard Pippin hiss, and lash out at Goomba, nipping him on the face. Goomba just stood there in shock, he looked like his feeling had been terribly hurt. I was angry at Pippin and sad for Goomba, it was quite a sight ;D . But after a few hours the incident was forgotten.
Pippin also liked to move his stash, because he couldn’t trust Ellie. I’d come in the room and see him dash across the room with a toy while the others were sleeping. Then I’d see him run across the room, go under a shelf, and come out with another toy, hurrying to move it to the new stash. We had a running joke that he had a bottomless bag of tennis balls somewhere. He found a tennis ball soon after we brought him home, and he chewed the thing until we had to throw it away. So we threw it out, and not a day later he had another tennis ball. He seriously went through at least 10 balls. We searched high and low and could not figure out where these balls were coming from! When we were preparing to build the ferret room we finally did find them, there was a bag FULL of them wedged behind two boxes. He never did chew all at once, just one at a time, until it was unchewable. When we moved them into their new room a pet shop had just opened. We checked it out and found three ferret-sized tennis balls that squeaked. He absolutely loved them, but there is one in the corner that is obviously the one he preferred to chew.
We found out Pippin had cancer just as Goomba was getting better from his first round of seizures. It was devastating news. He was the baby of the family, and already we knew that we would have to say goodbye much too soon . A few months later, even more unexpected, Ellie suddenly passed. His soulmate . After her passing, his health got significantly worse and he was not the same Pippin. But every now and then we’d see a glimpse of his old self, throwing a toy across the room, moving a toy to a new spot, the familiar sound of gnawing on tennis balls. Her loss changed both of my boys, but it brought them together. It was always Ellie and Pippin cuddling, Ellie and Goomba cuddling, or all three of them cuddling, but never really Goomba and Pippin. But time passed, and Pippin sought out a friend. He sought out Goomba for comfort, and Goomba, who has always been more of a loner, accepted him. We spoiled him rotten before we had to say goodbye, and he passed peacefully, with his favorite toys in his favorite blanket, with Daniel and I giving him kisses and telling him how much we loved him.
I miss my gentle boy, who was always more difficult to understand, but who loved us in his own way. I am so happy that he found his way into our home, that he wasn’t sent back to MF, that he was able to add joy to our lives, and that we could give him a chance to enjoy his life outside of a dirty cage, with toys and friends and love. Goodbye Pippin, my sweet.
Here's a slideshow. I forgot a lot of pictures.
s202.photobucket.com/albums/aa170/kizzypazdizzle/Pippin/?albumview=slideshow
-------------------
I met Pippin in March of 2011. I went to PetCo to check it out for the first time. They had a bunch of kits, and I really wanted a third ferret to complete my family; I already had Ellie and Goomba and three just sounded like a good number. One of the workers asked me if I was interested in purchasing a ferret, and I told him I was interested, but I was planning on adopting one. He told me, "Well we actually do have one for adoption. Follow me." So he led me over to a SuperPet cage that was absolutely filthy and disgusting. He said that the previous owner got engaged and they moved into a new pace that didn't allow pets. He also said that no one was interested in the ferret since he was already getting too big (he was only 5 months old), and that they were going to try and send it back to Marshall's since they didn’t really do ferret adoptions (whatever that means ). I told him I would take the ferret. I paid the adoption fee and the guy loaded my new little one into the car. I realized the cage wouldn't fit unless we turned it sideways, and I was going to get a cardboard crate for Pippin, and the idiot worker was like "oh no, we can make it work," tilts over the entire cage with food, water, crappy bedding fluff, and MY NEW BABY still in it. It was the first time I heard a ferret scream, and I was beyond pissed. But I got him home, gave him a bath, and cleaned out his cage. Under all the fluffy bedding stuff, the bottom was caked with feces and urine, it was horrible.
From the first evening, I knew he was a gentle boy. He was calm, curious, and a power sniffer at its finest. However, we did notice something odd…his legs didn’t work right. I really don't think he'd been let out hardly at all. He came with everything the previous owner had, and that included one single toy, one hammock (nothing fancy, just a material square with clips), and a blanket. It was like his legs had two settings: all the way tucked in, or sticking straight out. There was no in between. So we massaged his legs every night, stretched them slowly, and let him run around all day. The first time we put him in the middle of the floor and gave him some toys he just stood there. He didn’t know what to do, or how to play. But after lots of encouragement, he was on his feet (although he was always on his tippy tip toes ) and exploring everything.
When it came to introductions Ellie, my alpha, was not excited. She was used to Goomba, who always let her flip him on his back despite being twice as big, and never putting up a fight. When she tried to flip Pippin, he played back, trying to scruff her and bouncing around. He was delighted to finally have a playmate. She was so frustrated that he was having a good time when she meant business. She would hiss constantly while he war danced around her and thoroughly enjoyed wrestling. I wasn't sure what would happen, I was worried she would hate him forever, but eventually the hissing died down, she started seeing him as a playmate rather than an intruder, and just like that, they were attached at the hip. They would do everything together. Pippin would follow her around, they would groom each other, eat together, play together, nap together, and get into trouble together (Ellie was still the alpha and the troublemaker, Pippin was just her accomplice). Pippin was the missing link to the business. Ellie and Goomba never really had a great bond as kits. Ellie wanted to wrestle, Goomba didn't put up a fight and was not interested in playing rough. It was difficult to get them engaged with each other. When I brought Pippin home he was a hyper kit who would wrestle Ellie, but gentle with Goomba and was content with just playing chasing games, which Goomba preferred. He was younger than them so he was full of energy.
Pippin was very much a unique ferret, with lots of quirks. He never got along with humans much, and while he played with the others, he was much content to be alone. A plastic bag would serve him days of enjoyment. He would throw it in the air, jump on it, hide in it, sleep in it, carry it around with him…hide his toys in it, probably tell it his secrets ;D… Eventually it would get gross and full of holes, so we’d trade it out and he’d be thrilled yet again. It was through his plastic bag obsession that we learned he had come to trust and feel comfortable in his new surroundings. Ellie and Goomba always sleep in their hammocks, or on the bed, or in some sort of corner. Wherever Pippin got tired, that’s where he fell asleep. One day I walked into the room and smack dab in the middle was Pippin’s plastic bag, with him sleeping on top of it, belly up, happy as a clam. That’s just how he was. We’d find him on the carpet, on the tile, half way on the bed, and then occasionally, snuggled up with the others. ;D
He was also very particular about his toys. With Ellie, every toy was her toy. With Goomba, he only hid things he didn’t like (like nail clippers, brushes, occasionally me, etc. ). Pippin had VERY specific toys that he wanted stashed. And if he saw Ellie take them (which she would) he would sprint across, yank it away from her, and carry it back to his spot while she hissed and chattered at him for being a jerk. Goomba tried to take his favorite toy, a purple, spiky squeaky ball ONCE. And that was the first time I heard Pippin hiss, and lash out at Goomba, nipping him on the face. Goomba just stood there in shock, he looked like his feeling had been terribly hurt. I was angry at Pippin and sad for Goomba, it was quite a sight ;D . But after a few hours the incident was forgotten.
Pippin also liked to move his stash, because he couldn’t trust Ellie. I’d come in the room and see him dash across the room with a toy while the others were sleeping. Then I’d see him run across the room, go under a shelf, and come out with another toy, hurrying to move it to the new stash. We had a running joke that he had a bottomless bag of tennis balls somewhere. He found a tennis ball soon after we brought him home, and he chewed the thing until we had to throw it away. So we threw it out, and not a day later he had another tennis ball. He seriously went through at least 10 balls. We searched high and low and could not figure out where these balls were coming from! When we were preparing to build the ferret room we finally did find them, there was a bag FULL of them wedged behind two boxes. He never did chew all at once, just one at a time, until it was unchewable. When we moved them into their new room a pet shop had just opened. We checked it out and found three ferret-sized tennis balls that squeaked. He absolutely loved them, but there is one in the corner that is obviously the one he preferred to chew.
We found out Pippin had cancer just as Goomba was getting better from his first round of seizures. It was devastating news. He was the baby of the family, and already we knew that we would have to say goodbye much too soon . A few months later, even more unexpected, Ellie suddenly passed. His soulmate . After her passing, his health got significantly worse and he was not the same Pippin. But every now and then we’d see a glimpse of his old self, throwing a toy across the room, moving a toy to a new spot, the familiar sound of gnawing on tennis balls. Her loss changed both of my boys, but it brought them together. It was always Ellie and Pippin cuddling, Ellie and Goomba cuddling, or all three of them cuddling, but never really Goomba and Pippin. But time passed, and Pippin sought out a friend. He sought out Goomba for comfort, and Goomba, who has always been more of a loner, accepted him. We spoiled him rotten before we had to say goodbye, and he passed peacefully, with his favorite toys in his favorite blanket, with Daniel and I giving him kisses and telling him how much we loved him.
I miss my gentle boy, who was always more difficult to understand, but who loved us in his own way. I am so happy that he found his way into our home, that he wasn’t sent back to MF, that he was able to add joy to our lives, and that we could give him a chance to enjoy his life outside of a dirty cage, with toys and friends and love. Goodbye Pippin, my sweet.
Here's a slideshow. I forgot a lot of pictures.
s202.photobucket.com/albums/aa170/kizzypazdizzle/Pippin/?albumview=slideshow