Message Number: YG14219 | New FHL Archives Search
From: Trish Black
Date: 2002-06-26 13:39:00 UTC
Subject: Amazing Mommy / Toy Hazard Warning

My four year old, neutered MF sable male Pippin is the mother hen
of our business. Pippin was a rescue so I’m not sure when the
behavior began or at what age he was neutered. Pippin’s “baby” is
the Riki Tiki snake toy. He moves it daily, sometimes two or three
times. He is very protective and will always check out the room to
make sure no one is watching, then he’ll dash across the floor with
his “baby” in tow. If I speak to him while he’s in this process he
stops dead in his tracks and retreats to the hidey hole he just took
Riki Tiki from. It’s so funny because an hour later he’ll peek out
again to make sure he’s not followed and here he comes with Riki
again. I am amazed at how respectful they are of each other’s toys
– they never move or play with someone’s special toy.
Pippin is also the one who welcomes any new ferret sweetly with
lots of sniffs, dooking and he herds them around for a week or so.
The first couple weeks that Zira was introduced he dooked like mad
constantly, especially if he couldn’t see her and it would get
louder and faster until he found her. Since Merry came home from her
surgery we have her separated and she stays upstairs. I let Pippin
see her for a moment because you could tell he was worried about
her. He kept nipping at our ankles for the week she was gone. Now
that he knows she’s home he’s stopped nipping, but often sits at the
bottom on the stairs in flat ferret mode and wistfully looks past
the barricade. He’s our little mom, always worried about his girls.
FYI – A WARNING to anyone who owns the Riki Tiki snake toy – One
day I found that Pippin had crushed the rattle that is inside the
tail and little plastic pieces were loose inside. Since it was his
favorite toy I removed the rattle and all the plastic completely
from the inside and gave it back. This toy is labeled a ferret toy
so I never thought that it was dangerous.
Trying to keep 'em safe, Trish ~ Merry, Pippin & Zira




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