CRI
Registered Chooser
Thanks! She's really quite expressive and I think those whiskers and ear tufts add alot the expressions. She's a joy to photography to be honest and infinitely patient.
Self-indulgent pet thread
- Thread starter ShiftyBagLady
- Start date
OK. Here's a start. Millie and the misfits. These guys were excess from the ferret rescue. Here "temporarily" with us since May. All difficult. Millie is the mom/foster mom for three young ferrets and a polecat. Millie is a beautiful silver girl but very inbred and she's had a couple of litters which have all died except one. She's also had a hard life. Not instantly trusting of humans. Bit of a nipper at first. I called her Millzebub. But once you have earnt her trust she is lovely. Now she's just Bub. Anyway Bub:
Now this is Sergio, Millie's only surviving kit. He's now about 2 and he's even more inbred than his mom. He's a silver-sandy hob with wonky back legs. When we kept him outside he was very excitable but now he's calmed down. He's named after Silvio Berlusconi because he likes bunga bunga parties - alright the fella at the rescue doesn't pay close attention to names. When he first arrived he was heavily mothered by both Millie and the polecat you are about to meet. They would drag him everywhere and wash his ears. One would grab him him and pull him up his tube to his bed while the other one pushed. Sometimes he didn't fit and his head would go dunk dunk on the side. He suffered in silence. Poor boy.
This is Braveheart. She's another only surviving kit of a sickly litter. She's the runt too, and the one that was least likely to survive. Hence the name. Hand reared after her mother gave up on her. She's an albino jill and doesn't she look cute? Also evil. Actually evil. Perfectly used to humans and not afraid and never mistreated, but she nips out of a sense of twisted humour (only ferret we have who does this). Little waddling bundle of bite.
For some reason this photo has come out very small and you can't see her devil pink eyes.
For some reason this photo has come out very small and you can't see her devil pink eyes.
This is Gale the polecat. She was part of a breed and release program but she was the runt of the litter and deemed not suitable for release or breeding. Her aunt killed all her sibblings, saw them as a threat. Polecats can be bastards. They are much more skittish than ferrets and tend to avoid being handled. They'll do this using flight and fight ie. they'll nail you good and proper if their evasive action fails. Gale is amazingly sweet and has never bitten us. She's got used to us and has always let us hold her, even if she avoids getting picked up in the first place. She's small and muscular like a little tank. Nobody messes with her. When she frolics she runs on the spot like a rocking horse.
This is Houghton Regis (renamed Sally). So called because she was found wandering the streets of Houghton Regis, a few weeks old. Non of her photos came out well I'm afraid. She's Sergio's best scamper buddy. Highly intelligent and a real looker too. A bit of git to ferrets, though. Surreptitious nipper of sleepy bobos. Thinks she can get away with it too.
And that's the last of the misfits and enough for tonight.
And that's the last of the misfits and enough for tonight.
Chick Webb
Countryfile and a can
Aww, I love ferrets. I never realised polecats were a different thing. I just thought that was what the ones with that colouring were called.
When I was a kid the old man across the road kept ferrets. I thought they were cool and was allowed go look at them sometimes. You couldn't pet them though. They were working ferrets. Even their man had to handle them wearing leather and metal gauntlets.
When I was a kid the old man across the road kept ferrets. I thought they were cool and was allowed go look at them sometimes. You couldn't pet them though. They were working ferrets. Even their man had to handle them wearing leather and metal gauntlets.
The standard colouring for a ferret is called polecat (or sometimes fitch). So you get ferrets with "polecat markings" and that creates a lot confusion as a lot of people just call them polecats. However true polecats have different markings and are darker. They are a closely related wild cousin and aren't so easy to handle. There are two subspecies of polecat (European and Steppe) and one of ferret. You do get European polecats in the wild in Britain, whereas ferrets are too domesticated to survive in the wild long.
Chick Webb said:
The reason you couldn't handle them is because they are being handles with gloves. They wouldn't be used to human smell and touch. Most (99%) of ferrets when handled regularly from a young age won't bite. Even our polecat won't bite now.
Chick Webb
Countryfile and a can
Oh no, I don't mean they were vicious at all! It was just that the man used them for work. When a local restaurant or bakery had rats they would rather have him in, quietly, with the ferrets than have the business-killing Rentokill van parked up outside. And he treated them as working animals, not pets, so he didn't handle them without the gauntlets. I'm sure they would have been lovely if they had been raised differently. They looked lovely.
This same man also had a sitting room with the walls covered with tiny cages containing finches. That was depressing. He gave me one, since I showed an interest in his animals, but shortly afterwards my mother "accidentally" dropped the cage and released it. I wonder was he ok. He was a goldfinch, which live in the wild in Ireland, but who knows how long he had been caged.
This same man also had a sitting room with the walls covered with tiny cages containing finches. That was depressing. He gave me one, since I showed an interest in his animals, but shortly afterwards my mother "accidentally" dropped the cage and released it. I wonder was he ok. He was a goldfinch, which live in the wild in Ireland, but who knows how long he had been caged.
CRI
Registered Chooser
It was actually all I could do to keep Malcolm from running up to her and getting in her face. He's like that - has no idea of their respective places on the food chain. With Herbie (RIP), he would just make a face and back away from the pigs. Breeze? Possibly fine, but taking no chances!
Here's some pictures of Bill and Ben, two seven year old brothers (fitches/polecat marking). We've been fostering them since November 2011. In their former lives they used to go touring the country as racers/PR ferrets. Lovely boys but totally unused to other ferrets when they arrived. It took us a year and half to integrate them and its only recently that the others will play with them. Ben is still stand offish. Ben is a ham. Sits in your arms and bats his eyes at you. Bill is an explorer and great on walks.
Ben:
Bill:
Last year Bill escaped and picked a fight with next door's terrier. He lost. I had to prize the terrier's jaws apart to let him out. He had massive bruising and a hernia and I really thought we were going to lose him. But he's recovered and is back to his old self. He's actually gunning for a rematch. If we'd let he'd march straight back over there.
Ben:
Bill:
Last year Bill escaped and picked a fight with next door's terrier. He lost. I had to prize the terrier's jaws apart to let him out. He had massive bruising and a hernia and I really thought we were going to lose him. But he's recovered and is back to his old self. He's actually gunning for a rematch. If we'd let he'd march straight back over there.
Here's Thea. She was found wandering outside Luton town hall in April last year. We think she's high percentage wild pole cat. Not very playful, very serious, a real hunter and socially oblivious. She gets picked on a lot despite the fact that she is hard as nails.
Sorry to hear that Cassie is poorlyMy beautiful Cassie is poorly.
Hope the vet has her back to normal ASAP 
Schmetterling
I saw something nasty in the woodshed!
Yes; have a look at the TikkiB posts.My beautiful Cassie is poorly.
I'm so worried about her, she's has vomiting and diarrhoea. I stayed with her all night, just couldn't sleep. I've got an appointment for the vets at 1pm. Any reassuring advice urbs?
All the best!
Puddy_Tat
happy mew year
Poor Cassie. No real advice I'm afraid but I've no doubt she will be fine. You are taking her to the vet and they will pick up anything serious.My beautiful Cassie is poorly.
I'm so worried about her, she's has vomiting and diarrhoea. I stayed with her all night, just couldn't sleep. I've got an appointment for the vets at 1pm. Any reassuring advice urbs?
Stanley was shitting and puking blood a few weeks ago. Got dehydrated, taken in to vet hospital, pumped full of anti biotics and hooked up to a drip, and is now back to his original weight, and his normal self.
Might be an idea to get a faecal sample for them. Apparently shit in a tissue won't do but if you get a blob into some tupperware (that you dont want to keep..) that might be useful.
Also, keep an eye on her gums, if they start getting sticky then apparently that's a sign of dehydration, in which case it might be worth trying to get an earlier appointment tomorrow.
And, don't let her drinks lots and lots of water all in one go. That's what S did, only to throw it all back up shortly afterwards. Water in large volumes is a bit of a shock in a poorly stomach.
She looks like a gorgeous dog. ((Saffy and Cassie))
Saffy
Under the duvet..
Aww thank you. Well she's had bloods done and now looking a bit bald around her neck. Bloods look fine, she is dehydrated, so have come home with special food, rehydration sachet, probiotic. She's also had an antiemetic and a couple of other injections. She also tested negative for lung worm. (Phew)
She did a rather spectacular shit in the waiting room to shouts of 'thar she blows!' by the receptionist.
I have to take her back tomorrow to re-evaluate her hydration, if not great she's going to pop her on a drip.
She is absolutely gorgeous, I can't imagine the home without her now.
She did a rather spectacular shit in the waiting room to shouts of 'thar she blows!' by the receptionist.
I have to take her back tomorrow to re-evaluate her hydration, if not great she's going to pop her on a drip.
She is absolutely gorgeous, I can't imagine the home without her now.
CRI
Registered Chooser
Thea just looks so sweet (despite being so badass!)Here's Thea. She was found wandering outside Luton town hall in April last year. We think she's high percentage wild pole cat. Not very playful, very serious, a real hunter and socially oblivious. She gets picked on a lot despite the fact that she is hard as nails.
Poor Cassie - hope will be okay and good news at least nothing untoward found so far (fingers crossed won't.)My beautiful Cassie is poorly.
I'm so worried about her, she's has vomiting and diarrhoea. I stayed with her all night, just couldn't sleep. I've got an appointment for the vets at 1pm. Any reassuring advice urbs?
Oh she is very sweet. With ferrets and humans. She once stole a day old chick from the misfits and they all jumped on her and she just shrugged them off, no retaliation, no fear, no pain. Independent and difficult to make a connection with. She went through a phase of mothering Gale. Much to Gale's bemusement.
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OK I'm still on The Photobucket. As I typed that Toby ran past into the kitchen with full intent to cause MAYHEM. So him next. He was found as a kit wandering the streets of Hemel Hempstead in July. He's now a huge stinky hob and a bundle of fun. He's the baby and everybody loves him.
Here's me holding him with Gale:
You see how comically small Gale is.
Worrying story. Toby volted the barrier and got into the spare room where ferrets aren't supposed to go and worked his way under the boiler and under the floor boards where he couldn't work out how to get out. This was a couple of weeks ago. I had to take the morning off work pulling up floorboards to get him.
Here's Monster Tobe again:
Here's me holding him with Gale:
You see how comically small Gale is.
Worrying story. Toby volted the barrier and got into the spare room where ferrets aren't supposed to go and worked his way under the boiler and under the floor boards where he couldn't work out how to get out. This was a couple of weeks ago. I had to take the morning off work pulling up floorboards to get him.
Here's Monster Tobe again:
