by debferret

2013 Christmas Ferret Frolic

Every year the Manitoba Ferret Association holds an annual Christmas party. Although this post is from a few years ago, and it’s not the season, currently Winnipeg is cold and windy so close enough!

Santa

Christmas 2013 was both Turnip and Radish’s first. They met Santa, learned snow was cold and enjoyed playing with their brothers and sisters at the shelter. Radish and his brother were adopted out to two members, I adopted Radish and another member adopted his brother, because of this they hadn’t seen each other since late October/early November.

Don’t be surprised by their short attention span, ferrets are very intelligent animals, there was a posting I read on Reddit the other day of someone’s ferret who escaped and ended up at her work (she took them to work often).

During the frolic I placed Radish in the baby room, at this point he was maybe two months old, immediately his brother came directly for him and played for hours. It. Was. Adorable.

Brothers

Starting out Radish was half the size of his brother, last time they met he looked to be about twice his size!

(Animal safe) Packaging peanuts

The MFA Winnipeg branch is run out of a lady’s home where she has a room set aside for ferret play, pictured above, it has multiple cages surrounding secured on shelves. Below the shelves have ferret hanging beds, along the walls venting is secured for ferrets to run through. There’s multiple litter boxes, tons of toys and right in the middle for the party they placed a kiddy pool with (animal safe) packaging peanuts. (I would just like to say again, these are not just any packaging peanuts they are specifically made to be safe for animals).

Mommy cuddles

The frolics go for a few hours and at times Bandit and Turnip get a little tired from all the action, Radish… he never gets tired. Ever.

All my babies

One of the ladies husband dresses up as Santa and we all get pictures of our Monsters with him. If you are lead to believe ‘Bird People’ are strange – here’s a quick reminder they aren’t alone.

12.19.14

by debferret

2014 MFA Christmas Party

20 ferrets and their humans came out to the members only Ferret Christmas Party. Our Christmas party has always been a very low key affair. There are no organized games. This is an opportunity to visit with other members, share your silly ferret stories and be with like minded crazy ferret people. All the ferrets get a chance to meet other ferrets on neutral ground and territorial disputes are confined to “get out of my pet carrier”!

Every year Andy willingly (that’s what we tell ourselves) dresses up as Santa. Members are welcome to take pictures of their ferret(s) with Santa. This is free! Every year several ferrets want to see what’s under that long hair and beard. Really, Andy is a very good sport because some ferrets seem to have a personal grudge against Santa. Maybe they didn’t get that extra large bottle of Ferretone for Christmas last year!

picture with Santa!

After picture taking, we all enjoy the delicious spread of pot luck finger foods and sweets that members brought. The hot apple cider provided by Deb is always the first thing to go! Bridget always spoils us with an assortment of homemade finger foods and homemade pickles!

Once our tummies are full, it’s time for the gift exchange. Everyone that wants to participate brings a $10.00 gender neutral wrapped gift.
We have had to limit the Christmas gift steal to “once” only as that bottle of Ferretone can change hands multiple times and cause some teeth gnashing! This year the candles, ferret paws blanket, ferret bed passed hands as did the Ferretone, the bottle of wine and candles, cookies and treats.

Our president Danial choosing a gift from under the tree

Once the gift exchange was done; we had a very special visitor.
Ferret Santa aka Newton pulling his specialized cart arrived bearing a sack full of treats for all the ferrets in attendance. I’m not sure but I think Santa Newton was strutting his stuff for all the girl ferrets and I think I saw a wink or two exchanged! Much thanks to Fred for creating the whole ferret Santa event. Trouble is, now he has to do this every year! We all loved it so much.

Look mom, it’s Santa Newton with presents!

Every year, we take a group Christmas picture. Some years back , folks picked out a paper sack that might contain a dress, pantyhose, a lumberjack shirt, a bra, you name it. You have to put the item on for the picture. The wardrobe of assorted clothes was starting to look like Value Village so we changed course a few years ago. Now, you match your number to the “silly hat”. Much easier to put on and I must say as I house all the MFA stuff in my spare bedroom, it is much easier on me too!

Merry Christmas 2014

The party wound down at this point. Those of us that hadn’t left early due to other commitments were spoiled with a very special movie. Sharon purchased Santa’s Little Ferrets DVD. There are 3 short stories on the DVD. This movie with ferrets is professionally done. The outtakes after each set were hilarious! Trust ferrets to bring their own version of how things should be done. Sharon has left her DVD with the shelter and we will host another viewing at our upcoming annual Valentine’s Party!

Kathy and Bridget each won the raffle of a beautiful split hammock, Christmas red with glow in the dark eyes. Fred S. made these hammocks and donated them to raise money for the shelter. The ferrets get to watch for Santa on Christmas Eve.

Glow in the dark eyeball hammock sewn and donated by Fred S.

The draw for the StryxNB basket was won by Chantal L.

Please check out all the pictures from the party. Go to Manitobaferrets.ca and click on the flckr icon.

12.18.14

by debferret

Looking Good for Santa!

I need to take a break hence I stuff certain ferrets in a gift bag and leave them under the tree for Santa! I have spent the whole morning changing litter boxes and putting fresh hammocks and blankies in all the cages.

Next on the agenda was nail trimming time! Nail clipping is easy so long as you have your trusty bottle of Ferretone. I have a special Ferretone stained towel that I set on the counter. I dribble some Ferretone on the tummy area and while the ferret is busy taking care of his Ferretone addiction; I do the nails. I used to sit on the floor and do it until I got fed up chasing down the Ferretone bottle as it thumped down the hall behind a ferret; leaving an enticing trail that the other ferrets out playing were skidding through!

Now you would be thinking that bath time was next so that everyone would be sweet smelling for Santa. The first year I had ferrets, I bathed them every 3rd month. Then I smartened up and to the ferrets immense relief I only give them a bath in the Spring when they are shedding their winter coat and again in the late fall when they are shedding their Summer coat. The bedding gets changed every second day or third at the very latest. I stopped having itchy ferrets and my ferrets and home smelled much better. The ferrets were over compensating the oil production when I was stripping their coats every 3rd month. The oily residue from their coats is deposited on the blanket/hammock and that is changed often enough that the smell does not have a chance to make stinkies. ** To keep their bedding smelling fresh and clean always add one cup of Vinegar to the wash water. The vinegar sterilizes and deodorizes the bedding!

Back to wanting to let Santa have the brats. I figured I was all done, litter boxes washed and refilled, fresh hammocks and bedding and everyone had a manicure – time for a well deserved cup of coffee. I ran downstairs to put the washing into the dryer. Upon my return (sob) I discovered Dwight, Snip, Ginger and Peaches rolling, yes, rolling in honey!!! I do not know which one opened the pantry, I do not know which one pushed the honey off the second shelf or the little bugger that got the tuperware lid off; all I know is that I had four very sticky ferrets licking as fast as their little tongues could go before mommy took the honey away! Okay, I can understand licking the spilled honey, but weasel war dancing through it!!! That was done just to spite mommy!

So, I put all four in my soaker tub and let them play/get clean. Have you ever tried to towel dry your ferret? Do you know what wet ferrets do? I had four psycho ferrets jumping and bouncing and – nuts how can you stay mad when you are almost peeing yourself laughing.

So, I have four very tired, fluffy, clean fuzzbutts all ready for Santa. I hear whispering coming from the shelter room. I think the others want to get in on the fun – they honey is now on the top shelf and I am heading off to Wal Mart to buy baby cupboard locks!

here are the 4 brats (no, I was too busy grabbing ferrets to take a picture of them coated in honey, these portrait shots will have to do)