Animal Antics: The Hairy Theif.

Apparently, the Hub has no ability to say no to pets. That's how we ended up with so many. He's a dog person, I'm a cat person, but, there's one pet we agree on wholeheartedly. The ferret. Oh, my word and all that is good in the world, the ferret. That hairy little thieving BASTARD! The only pet we have that we can just sit and watch for hours on end. He is entertainment personified. Or, animalsonified. Whatever. He's funny. Gwin was a runaway, found on the side of the highway. I can see how. He's a nosy little butt. And, on occasion, not the sharpest tool in the shed. Little Mr lazy will eat from his hammock, which means he eats hanging upside down. Have you ever tried to eat upside down? What do you think would happen if you did? That's right. *retch gag retch* He can't keep it in. Does he learn from this? HELL NO! He still does it. A year of vomiting and he has yet to figure out that being lazy is what's causing it!

My Gwin-y poopoo!

Lets start with sleep. It is true that a ferret can sleep for up to 18 hours a day. I'm so jealous! That lazy little bugger can pass out absolutely anywhere. He does have his favorites, though. At present, his favorite in the front of the house is in the drawer at the bottom of the stove. You can always tell when he's in there, too. He's not a still sleeper. It sounds like a band of really bad drummers hanging out in my kitchen! Now, in the back of the house his favorite is in the towel basket, under the bathroom sink. This isn't good when you have to creep into the bathroom in the middle of the night. If you startle him awake while he's in the basket he goes spastic. He'll launch himself out of the basket, scratch, then toe attack. Not. Fun. Not at all at 2a.m. He loves his hammock, but he loves his pirate ship hammock even more. He's so spoiled.

Oh, the dancing! It's hilarious! If you've never been around ferrets and see one dance for the first time you'd think there was something wrong with him. Like he's epileptic. Or crazy. Or about to launch into an attack. Or all three! The ferret dance is an amazing display of areal acrobatics,contortionist antics, and flat out spazzing I've ever seen. Thank God it means he's happy! I'd be worried, otherwise. As soon as he's let out of his cage the dance starts. If I put him on the bed the dance starts. If he sees a cat...you get the idea. It's very entertaining. He starts the dance when he wants to play with the Hub, then dives under the covers to find his toes, then back out to attack his hands, then falls off of the bed backwards. Yes, very entertaining.

He won't leave my mop bucket alone!

This isn't Gwin, but this IS what we face when he sees TOES!

Play time is just a thing of joy. I've never seen a creature put so much joy into playtime, besides Dolphins. It's sheer childlike pleasure! He's just so...happy. And mischievous. He's our only ferret, so the cats are his only wrestle mates. They aren't too happy about this, but he loves it! Before my dog, Buddy (Jack Russell) passed away, Gwin and he were wrestle mates. I'm betting you can guess that Gwin won. Little turd. He doesn't play fair. He uses his size and ability to disappear under EVERY piece of furniture to his advantage. I once had a ferret that would entice our lab puppy into chasing him through the house, running at full speed, then diving under the dresser at the last second. The poor pup would plow headlong into the dresser. Mean ass hair ball. And THIEVES! If Gwin sees something he wants, he takes it. My toothbrush has been stolen more than once. I've had to zip shut every bag in the house to prevent theft of important items. He has some weird addiction to my sicks and bras and the Hubs undies. O.o Perv. And plastic bags. If he hears a bag rattle, he comes running. I've found him curled up, asleep in a grocery bag many times. Oh, and just TRY to vacuum. I can't vacuum if he isn't safely locked in his cage. He chases the vacuum cleaner, barking at it, just like a dog would. He's so small, I'm afraid of running over him. I mean, he's the largest ferret I've ever seen, but still. Smaller than a Dyson! He grabs the bars of his cage and shakes them, barking at the vacuum. It's crazy! But when he gets into his favorite position, I just can't resist him. That would be the Rock a Bye Baby. He likes for me to hold him like a baby. Can you say AWWWWWW???

I love my Gwin. We could just watch him play for hours. Or play with him. He likes to wait for the Hub to fall asleep, then creep in to bite his nose. Can you see why I love him? We're looking for a playmate for him. He has a buddy, a cute little girl ferret named Bella. But, he doesn't see her often. I want another ferret to live with Gwin. Keep him company. If you've never owned a ferret, I highly recommend them. They are amazing little animals. Please watch the attached video. It'll tell you all you need to know about whether or not ferret ownership is worth it!