Our Ferrets

Discovering Ferrets

In late 1992, my spouse and I attended an event offered by our local shelter, the Ottawa Ferret Association, to find out more about ferrets. We decided to foster a ferret in the summer of 1993. Dynamo came into our home in July 1993 and stole our hearts as well as many of our belongings.

Pépée La Pew

Sex and colour

Female. Sable.

Date of birth

1993

Likes

Raisins, licking drops of soapy water on the bathroom floor. Playing with us.

Dislikes

Playing with other ferrets: she screams when the other play fight with her. The vacuum.

Habit

Following Marc's parents whenever they go in the kitchen in the hope, we think, to get her raisins before our supper instead of after.

Achievement

Climbing to the top of our patio screen door. Being the second smallest ferret at two Ottawa Ferret Frolics (that was before she gained weight in summer 1996).

Nicknames

"Le p'tit cochon" (Little Pig). Fu Man Chu. Pasta Pépée. "Le p'tit paquet de troubles" (Little Troublemaker). Puzzled? She had a pink nose when we got her and long whiskers. Marc likes to give her a strand of spaghetti which she loves. I do not have to explain the last nickname if you own a ferret. Formerly named Suzie.

Health

Got operated for adrenal disease and an abscess on her torso.

Mukluk

Sex and colour

Female. Sable mitt with two white spots on top of her head.

Date of birth

Summer 1994.

Likes

To fight or play run and hide with Marc as well as sliding a carboard tube. To jump in the fridge: she is good enough to win this discipline if it is ever accepted at the Olympics. To nip Lorraine whenever she tries to refill the bowls and clean the litter boxes of the three cages. Lorraine's knitted slippers: she now owns them. Her sister Sanka & Snoreau that she used to dislike.

Dislikes

To have her ears cleaned. The vacuum. Boum Boum, her sister Presto, Pépée La Pew, Piccolo and Qannik.

Nicknames

Member of the Garbage Dump Gang (nickname given by the shelter coordinator to a mother and her litter abandoned in a garbage dumpster). The Monsters (Sanka and her were biters). Mukmuk. Formerly called Spot.

Health

Sanka

Sex and colour

Female. Sable.

Date of birth

Summer 1994.

Likes

Her sister Mukluk, Snoreau. Is starting to like Boum Boum. To run in the hallway.

Dislikes

The vacuum. Her sister Presto, Pépée La Pew, Piccolo and Qannik.

Nicknames

Member of the Garbage Dump Gang. The Monsters. We called her "le p'tit caniche" (Little Poodle) for several weeks when she shed hair almost overnight and was left with very short hair on the body.

Looks

She is almost as light as a feather.

Health

Presto

Sex and colour

Female. Sable.

Date of birth

Summer 1994.

Likes

To speedbump between a wall and a piece of furniture.

Dislikes

Strangers, strange places and to be picked up in the bathroom. The vacuum. Her sisters Mukluk and Sanka. Will fight or tolerate Qannik & Piccolo.

Nicknames

"Le phoque" (Seal) as she is rotund. "Patate" (potato). Like other French speakers, we give pet names like "mon chou" (my cabbage). It sounds different than honey for sure. Member of the Garbage Dump Gang. Formerly called Shadow.

Looks

She has the longest coat and is plump: she is gorgeous and more cuddly than a teddy bear!

Health

Snoreau

Sex and colour

Male. Silver mitt.

Date of birth

April 1995.

Likes

To sleep in dark places. The kitchen drawer full of rags is his favorite snoozing spot.

Dislikes

The vacuum. Qannik & Piccolo. Is not fond of bananas.

Achievements

Climbing into a plant hanging from the ceiling. Climbing on the top shelf of the closet and throwing shoes down.

Nickname

No nickname. Formerly called Mickey. Snoreau is a french canadian word for brat.

Health

Boum Boum

Sex and colour

Male. Dark eyed mostly white

Date of birth

April 1995.

Likes

Pop corn and almost anything edible. To destroy things by scratching and pulling with his teeth or biting them: especially the rug and the tape near the front door. Supervising the vacuuming of our apartment. His comfort: he carries clothing to places where he likes to sleep.

Dislikes

Will fight or tolerate Qannik & Piccolo.

Achievement

Winning at the local level the 1996 photo contest "Best Friends" in the exotic category. A photograph, Steve Caluori, shot the photo.

Nickname

Mr. Wrecker. "L'affreux" (Horrible): he is gorgeous but has annoying habits... Formerly called Pharoh.

Health

Deaf: he had the panda color pattern when he was younger. I think his ear loss is due to the Waardenburg syndrome.

Piccolo

Sex and colour

Female. Sable

Date of birth

Unknown.

Likes

Only gets along with her mate: Qannik.

Dislikes

Sometimes fight but mostly tolerate Boum Boum, Pépée La Pew and Presto.

Nickname

"Le p'tit rat" (little rat): before she was operated. Formerly called Feline.

Health

Got operated for adrenal disease.

Qannik

Sex and colour

Male. Light silver

Date of birth

Unknown. Is an older ferret with translucent top canines roots.

Likes

To sleep in comfortable places. To be hand fed: to encourage him to eat often, since it help control his blood sugar, I dip dry food in water and give it to him.

Dislikes

To have her ears cleaned. Sometimes fight but mostly tolerate Boum Boum.

Nickname

Qanqan. Formerly called Tyler.

Health

Has adrenal disease and takes medication for pancreas problems.

Dynamo, Our First Ferret: 1989? - December 1994

Sex and colour

Female. Sable.

Liked

A fearless ferret, she was very active when exploring the outdoors and enjoyed digging holes very much. In the apartment, she liked to sleep.

Achievements

A friendly ferret, she was great ambassador of "ferretdom". She won two years in a row the contest of ferret with the shortest tail at the Ferret Frolic: no wonder she won paws down... part of her tail had been amputated before we adopted her.

Nickname

Dr. Jekyll and Mrs. Hyde (she was an angel with humans but attacked any ferrets within biting distance). Formerly called Bandit.

Health

Got operated for adrenal disease and was once covered with ticks after an outing.