Fuzzball II
by Donna Matthews
You may recall from the last edition of NFWS News that I acquired Bobby Fuzzball via Ashburton Police. He had a keeper, but lived in a box under a garden shed and was allowed to come and go as he pleased and generally run riot. As you can imagine he found it hard to get used to living in a hutch here at Kingsteignton Ferret Welfare.
However, after a couple of days Bobby seemed to have settled into his new environment; he was affectionate and happily played with his toys whilst being quarantined and awaiting his trip to the vets for his "bitz off" operation.
Three days after his arrival I thought he would like to meet Kerrie our border collie and generally stretch his legs inside the house. In theory a good idea. Bobby and Kerrie got on fine, however he was fascinated by Kerrie's tail which she gently wagged from side to side in all its plumed glory. Well this was just too much for Bobby, it was an open invitation to pounce, which he did! He hooked his claws into her fur and he was off like a bullet out of a gun. Little back legs splayed out behind him loving the feel of the carpet under his tummy. Kerrie did not mind in the least, she thought it was great fun as she ran around towing Bobby and demolishing everything in her way. After one last sweep which saw Kerrie's water bowl and contents go flying, I called a halt to the proceedings.
Bobby then decided to explore the rest of the house, attacking the stairs in leaps and bounds and, finding the bathroom door slightly ajar, went in to create chaos. Loo rolls of course are meant for ferret fun, he made the Andrex puppy look like a novice when it came to unravelling loo paper!
I cleared up the debris and left the room thinking there should be no problems unless he wanted a shower or bath and went back downstairs. Suddenly all was quiet. Time to see what was the cause of such peace and quiet. Reason, simple: no Bobby! He'd vanished. Mine is a very small house and the bathroom is minute. I looked behind the sink and loo, then I looked down by the bath and saw the gap, only a small one, but still.... Yes, Bobby had gone to explore. He'd gone down the sewage pipe which runs down inside the house to the kitchen, all boxed in, of course! Surely no self-respecting ferret would thake such a route; Bobby is obviously not one for self respect. I called him, waved a bit of loo paper soaked in Ferretone around the hole. No Bobby. Hoping he would soon return the way he'd gone I decided it was time for another coffee. Whilst putting the kettle on to boil down in the corner of the kitchen came a scratching noise. So that's where the little devil had ended up. Not good. I had visions of demolition work on my kitchen. The cost! Roger would go mad!
Time to calm down and think. Poor Bobby stuck in the recess. Poor Donna having to explain to other half why half the kitchen had to be demolished asap. Lost in deep and dire thoughts I wandered off with my coffee and sat down. All of a sudden there was a blur of fur as Bobby charged down the stairs at top speed as if the hounds of Hell were after him, an almighty leap and Bobby was rolling around in my lap, dusty but dooking happily as he relayed his adventures.
Needless to say the bathroom door will now remain tightly shut at all times until Roger can be persuaded to block the gap.