AZ Heat

Okay so we made it to Blog Paws Thank you for having us. We got to meet Marjorie from @DashKitty and attended a couple of interesting sessions. Marylin was part of Pawject Runway and rocked the Elizabeth Taylor Diva look. We didn't win but we had a lot of fun.

This was a first conference for the kitties both of who did wonderful to the point that Boyd was happy to perch on top of the stroller as we wandered the exhibit hall and made some great connects.

I promise as soon as I have more than a few minutes of internet I will get all the logs ins done.

Was planning on being in Washington state as of this writing but the Universe has other plans for me one of which is Jury duty so that means I need to find a way to keep my fur kids safe. The first option that came to mind was a hotel room for two nights. Granted that would make sure I had a shower so that I don't stink and a soft bed and wifi but it also means a pet deposit and dipping deep into funds that are already getting low.

The other option is a pet sitter or boarding we will have to see how that prices out.

So that leads me to the main reason for this post.

We've been camping at a place called Snyder Hill and for the most part have the place to ourselves. Meaning there is the occasional over niter and then there is the wildlife. We've seen coyotes, birds of all sorts, ground squirrels that look like miniature prairie dogs, lizards, but thankful no snakes.

Camping is great when the temps are around 80 degrees (26.6 C) but that is even too high for ferrets who do okay up to 78 degrees.

So how does one get around temps that soar to above 100 degrees (37.7 C)?

First and foremost is the van has all the doors open while this would normally drain the battery I have a solar battery maintainer that is doing a great job of keeping the battery where it should be and second the interior lights are off.

Next is to put a tarp over the ferret's side of the van with the silver side out. Believe it or not it does help to drop the interior temps a few degrees.

Then WATER and plenty of it. If I have bought a bag of ice I make sure they have a few cubes in their water dish and a bowl of just ice.

I keep a close eye on them and if I see they are panting too much I give them a dip in a tub of water. Think how much you love going for a dip when it is hot outside. While Marylin isn't overly fond of it. Messes up her perfectly groomed hair. Marcuz loves his pool time and will roll over into a semi sitting position and just chill for a few minutes.

Normally I do the squeeze the extra water off maneuver but not on days like this. I get them to drips before putting them back in their fan cooled cage. Yes they have their own fan, spoiled much? You bet.

Instead of hot blankets for them to lay on they have a product called a FrogTogg(r)it is made for humans and is for keeping cool. A friend gave me one and I cut it into three pieces two of which are just the perfect size for ferrets and one larger one for me. Although I think they have gotten the most use out of all the pieces.

Last night (July 7) I was worried about Marcuz as he was having a hard time with the heat and hadn't been sleeping well. I made a platform out of the cage door with some fabric on it for him to lay on and then putting the soaked FrogTogg(r) on top of him like a blanket. Marcuz faced the fan and fell asleep with a smile on his face. I just wish the lighting had been better for pictures.

Needless to say I didn't sleep well as I kept a watchful eye on him until he woke up and went to his hammock and pulled himself into it and went back to sleep breathing a lot easier than he had been earlier.

While it isn't the greatest set up it is working for now. But once I can get solar power I will have an AC unit that can be turned on to keep the heat at bay.

The cats are liking the fact they can be outside the van more like under it during the day and Boyd likes to be on top of it just after sunset.

More to come:

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo and the Furry Crew

The New Enlightened Ferret

As I said the blog is going to take a new direction. While I am not completely sure of that direction it will deal with living on the road with pets. One of our great inspirations is Go Pet Friendly. They have some awesome links and go a lot of different places with their dogs. So we are hoping we can be like them in some ways but because of the uniqueness of my pets it will be different.

If you are new to my blog this is the highlights.

Started in June of 2009 as a way to share what I was learning about being owned by ferrets. These are great pets for the right people. I will admit I made a lot of mistakes with my first 9. Yes I said 9. I got Bandit first and then he needed a buddy so then came Creamer. By October of 2008 ferret math hit remember the Lay's potato chip motto? “You can't just eat one” well it seems if you aren't careful you feel you can't just have one ferret and so on.

One of my 9 had a cute stripe down his head like a skunk and was name Lancelot. What I later learned was that he was deaf and I learned that the hard way. Lance was a baby and babies bite until they learn not to. He bite me on the webbing between my finger and thumb and didn't let go when I screamed. He also didn't react to the vacuum cleaner.

By the time he passed Lance knew about 20 different signs. Yes they can be taught signs just like a dog and some cats. I learned about the gene that caused his deafness. I also learned about the common diseases that often shorten a ferret's life. Average lifespan is 7-10 years but they can live longer.

Then in 2010 I joined twitter and found an awesome group of pet people collectively called the anipals as most adopted their pet's persona online. From there a founding team of three individuals decided to organize the first Blog Paws in Columbus, OH and as they say the rest is history.

Enlightened Ferret took on a life of it's own now fast forward to 2015 life took an unexpected turn and I ended up living in my vehicle with my ferrets and my two cats. Needless to say that took some getting used to and figuring out just what my life was about. The blog was the last thing on my mind and I have lost readers but that is okay. I am on a new journey and that includes my fur kids.

The Fur Kids:

Marcuz: Dark eyed white ferret who is now considered a senior at the age of 6 ½ he will be 7 in November. He is my adventurer and loves to explore everything. He has Adrenal disease which is not the same as cushings. He has an enlarged spleen and last year was going bald. At the time of this post he has a full body of hair and I believe that is due to the natural light cycle he gets since we are in our mini mini RV. 

Marylin: Dark eyed white ferret. She is the Diva of the group and the only female. Believe me she rules the roost in her own sweet way. She loves to give kisses and will try to clean your nose for you. Don't let her petite fool you she thinks she is as big and strong as a Great Dane. She also knows she is a cutie and will use that to get you to awe and oooo over her.

Boyd: Domestic Grey Tabby. He is a rescue from being a barn cat. I guess his age to be around 7/8 years of age and is my stringaholic. He is leash trained and we go hiking together. He would love it if I would allow him off lead to go hunt. But is contented with hiking. At night he sleeps under the covers with me when it is cool otherwise he sleeps on the dashboard.

Dood: Domestic Grey Tabby. He is a rescue from my ex that was going to take him to the pound when she moved. He will be 2 in August. When we started this journey he was afraid of basically everything he has come along way while still a bit timid he does try some new things and is also leash trained but is also my lazy boy. When we are on the road he hides under my driver's seat and for his large size that is a feat into itself. He is learning to sit and do some other tricks.

Then there is me, Jo, the Hooman, the staff, the driver, and food giver. I will be hitting the 50 mark in July and have a completely different life than I had ever planned and at first scared the crap out of me has become who I am and I am enjoying the ride now. 

So the blog will incorporate the ferret's facebook blog, posts about ferret care, post about cat care, places where we have been or will be going and the challenges of it all while living in a van.

Jo and the furry crew.

Nomadic Life with Pets

I know it has been awhile since our last update and for that I am sorry. Things don't always go as planned but most of the time it has been surprisingly happy mishaps.

Since the last post we have traveled to Kentucky back to PA and then to Ohio and landed back in Kentucky for a bit. After the last day of work in Eau Claire, PA the crew and I headed to Kentucky to see my friend C. It was nice to see him and just catch up with him.

C has rats named Fred and George so there was some trepidation about the cats being inside the house but after a close call in the van, the cats were slowly introduced to Fred and George and there was no issues at all.

Nope I didn't hold them as chisel teeth and I don't mix well. Fred is the darker one. They are cute and make C smile.

After two weeks I made the trek back to PA to pick up some mail and spent the month hanging out at the local park in Grove City and boondocking between Wal*Mart and the TA. Boondocking is dry camping in a parking lot. Wal*Mart allows you one night in their parking lot and then you have to be gone for 24 hrs before you can do it again. The TA is a truck stop so overnighters are normal there.

The park was great because at the front of the park was a pavilion that had free wifi so I was able to stay in touch with friends and family...at least until my computer decided it was going to have some problems staying on. Typing on a smart phone can be difficult as the keyboard is small and even with my small hands I often hit the wrong button.

At the back of the park away from the crowds was pavilions that had outlets so I was able to do my sewing and stock up my inventory of ferret clothing and other items to sell. So my day was get up and go to the park after feeding and watering the crew and if I had enough change I'd get a coffee from Sheetz for a $1.00.

Believe me rewards cards are great. Once you get ten cups of coffee or soda you get a free one from Sheetz along with three cents off of gas.

Spend an hour online checking emails and conversing on Face Book, occasionally updating my GoFundMe campaign then to the back of the park where I would set up the playpen for Marcuz and Marylin inside the pavilion  
 and at first the cats would go in their crate since they had the run of the van at night. But after I started getting them use to being on leashes I was able to make a small run from the pavilion to the van, which Boyd thought was great as he prefers to hang out in the van and come out on his own terms. Dood on the other hand thinks he is a dog and will run back and forth while learning some tricks for a treat.

                              Boyd has the white paws. Hanging out in Wal*Mart's parking lot.

Don't let anyone ever tell you that this life is glamorous it has it's moments but there are days when everything just goes wrong and I had one of those days. It was a tuesday and nothing went right from the computer shutting off seconds after it loaded up, the phone acting up, it raining so badly that I couldn't sew, ate half cooked zucchini since I couldn't keep my fire going long enough to get the water to stay boiling. Boondocked at Wal*Mart routine was to walk the ferrets, then Dood, and lastly Boyd. I put my phone, keys down on the floor board just inside the door and took Boyd out closed the door and we went for our walk. once back at the van Dood came over and locked the door. Yep he stepped on the lock, normally he unlocks the door. I tried to get him to come back and unlock the door to no avail. 

The driver's side door wasn't closed all the way but I had nothing long enough to hit the button to unlock the door. Two girls came and tried to get the door open as well. At one point I must have leaned just enough on the door to shut it the rest of the way. The stress of the day came to a head at that moment as the frustration welled out and the tears flowed down my face.

Those two girls stayed helping me find a way to open the van at one point one of them went and found two guys and a girl in jacked up truck. It was them that got the van opened using a fence post and an antenna to hit the button. Needless to say that one set of keys is always attached to my hip now so that will never happen again.

Then thanks to the generosity of two very awesome ladies I was able to go to the Ferret Buckeye Bash, which is considered the largest ferret show on the east coast, as a vendor. These same two ladies made sure I had a place to stay for two nights and the crew loved being in a hotel room with Craig who Boyd decided to adopt as his human for the time period. 

My table at the Ferret Buckeye Bash.

I had a lot of fun again and got to meet Travis Livieri in person. I interviewed him via email back in 2009 regarding the Black-Footed Ferret when I first started this blog.

After the Bash the crew and I have landed once more in Kentucky at C's and the crew got a vacation from us as we went camping, a neighbor pet sat for us. The trip was suppose to be for two nights but rain dropped it to one night.

We were going to hike a trail that was 13 miles one way but after hacking for 4 hours to make it only 2.5 miles and not being able to see the trail markers we returned to camp. Which was a good thing for me as my feet were covered in what are called seed ticks. These things look like strawberry seeds and are tenacious about hanging on. Thankfully C had a scrapper and knew what I needed to do to get rid of them. Only problem I've had is that my psoriasis has flared so badly that is has shown up on my legs which it has never done before but at the same time I am wondering if maybe I brushed up against some poison ivy and when I took my shower I spread the oils. Either way I am scratching badly.

So that is where we are at now. I am running low on ferret food and at the moment no one is buying anything on the auction site that I have some items listed on. We also need some gas money so we can get headed west to Oklahoma where I am hoping to meet up with my dad for a bit and help him out somehow on the apartments he owns there. I owe him a lot since he did buy me the van so I would at least have a roof over our heads.

The plan after that is to head towards AZ where I plan to find a place for the crew and I to land, but as I said plans can change quickly in the nomadic life.


Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo and the Crew

New Adventures Await

For those that follow us on Facebook you already know what adventure I am talking about but for those that don’t know. As of June 30th the kids and I will be Home Free.

We will be living a non traditional life as nomads in a van until I am able to get us back into a non moving home if that should be the case. I should say that I am not one to do much of anything traditionally but this is even new for me.

The van or Ferret Chariot 2 is pretty much outfitted for travel and pets it seems as all of the normal places a pet might try to hide has been closed off. 

So I will be putting into long term use the knowledge I have gained over the years of traveling to Blog Paws and who knows maybe this will add a different dimension to the blog.

I do know that Marcuz and Marylin will be updating their travel blog on Facebook more often now.

If you would like to donate towards us either getting a solid home or just some gas money you can do it one of two ways. You can donate using the donation button here on the blog or you can donate through the Go Fund Campaign.

I have a week of work coming up and then we will be headed to Kentucky to see a friend or two before heading towards D.C. Want us to stop and see you leave a comment below. Sorry we can’t come to California.

Jo

30 Days to Blog Paws

Marylin: Wowzerz just one month until wez get to see all of our friends and make some new ones at Blog Paws in Nashville, TN.
Marcuz: Yep and while wez haven’t sold enough Music City Ferrets to really do the contests wez wanted wez have decided to post the Scavenger list for the those that have bought them.
Marylin: Does that mean wez can change the rules a little bit?
Marcuz: Yepz it is our contest. The first change is that unless wez sell more Music City Ferrets there will be no piccy contest. The second change is that all of those that have bought a Music City Ferret and are having them hand delivered can participate in the Scavenger hunt. So while wez wanted to have three shipped ferrets before starting this contest wez do have enough to start the contest. The original rules were:
1. You have to have a mobile hidey hole. Be creative as each ferret has his or her own space to hide stuff in.
2. Do take pictures of the found items but only post a portion of the found item to make others wonder what the item could be. NO DESCRIPTIONS! just the photo *chitters*
3.Your ferret MUST travel with you and may be in the photos
4. Have fun if it isn’t fun then why doz it?
The hooman who has collected all or most of the items will be eligible for the prize.
Each hidey hole will be inspected by Hooman and ourselves to determine the winner at Blog Paws.

Marylin: The Changes are to number 3 Your Ferret MUST travel with you if it has been shipped other wise you just need to follow rule #2 exactly.
So what is a Music City Ferret? This is a Music City Ferret
Each one is numbered and there will only be 30 made. Each ferret cost $20 with a shipping fee of $6 US or $25 International. For those that are hand delivered there will be no shipping cost.
To get your ferret just drop Hooman an email with Nashville Ferret in the subject line toz enlightenedferret@hotmail.com and she willz get back to youz on howz toz order one.
Orders will be taken until May 15 to make sure your ferret arrives in time for the fun. Date is subject to change.
Marcuz: Soz to those that already have a ferret the scavenger hunt will begin. Remember the first thing is a photo of your mobile Hidey hole. It can be no bigger than a large shopping bag but it does not have to be a shopping bag. This just gives youz an idea of the size.
Remember the idea is to think like a ferret.
Scavenger list:

Blog Paws is Coming

Marylin: This will bez my third Blog Paws and Marcuz’s fourth but it will be the first one without Manny. Hooman really thought about not going this year but wez talked her into still going.

We also talked her into making 30 of these adorable stuffed ferrets to sell to make the trip easier on all of us. Each ferret is numbered on it’s rear paw and has a 2015 charm collar and the word Nashville and paw prints ironed on their bums.

Each one is $20 and if you have hooman hand deliver your ferret there will be no shipping charge but those that do get one shipped (US$6 International $25 shipping charge) to them they are eligible to participate in two contests.

The first one will be a scavenger hunt. You will have to get into the mind set of being a ferret but wez think it could be fun.

The rules for the scavenger hunt are

1. You have to have a mobile hidey hole. Be creative as each ferret has his or her own space to hide stuff in.

2. Do take pictures of the found items but only post a portion of the found item to make others wonder what the item could be. NO DISCRIPTIONS! just the photo *chitters*

3.Your ferret MUST travel with you and may be in the photos

4. Have fun if it isn’t fun then why doz it?

The hooman who has collected all or most of the items will be eligible for the prize.

Each hidey hole will be inspected by Hooman and ourselves to determine the winner at Blog Paws.

Once wez have sold three shipped ferrets wez will post the scavenger list.

The second contest is still in the works but it will deal with photos with your ferret.

To get your ferret just drop Hooman an email with Nashville Ferret in the subject line toz enlightenedferret@hotmail.com and she willz get back to youz on howz toz order one.

Orders will be taken until May 15 to make sure your ferret arrives in time for the fun.

Haz a Chittering Good Dayz,

Marylin.

Chitmobile

Yesterday the humidity was so high that inside the house was just too hot for ferrets and humans. So I decided to give the kids a ride outside in their new stroller dubbed the Chitmobile. Other than a few minor adjustments this is going to be perfect for going places. One of which is Hollywoof in September.              I know the kids enjoyed being outside in the cool air where they could breath and safely watch the world around them.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Blog Paws Adventure Ferret Style

Normally I would write posts while at Blog Paws and/or on my way there. This year things went a little haywire to say the least. So I will start from the beginning and go from there.

The start of the adventure actually starts the night before we are suppose to leave on our road trip across the states. A call comes from the car rental company to say they don’t have any cars for us. I was livid as they had called that morning to confirm our reservation and then to call moments before closing was rude and irresponsible. They wanted us to wait two days to give us a car. Which would have been the start of Blog Paws so that was so not going to happen.

After blowing up on twitter and face book and a call to the corporate office we had a car but would have to go an extra ten miles out of our way to get it at this point I probably would have gone fifty miles just to have a car.

Roomie decided that we should go up a little earlier as we weren’t hundred percent sure where the rental office was but we found it easily and Chris the manager went over well out of his way to make what started out as a really bad experience into something wonderful. First we got upgraded to a nicer car at the same price as what I had reserved the car for and he kept the rental within my budget. Granted it was an extra fifty dollars because of the insurance but I could afford that. He also saw us as soon as they were open instead of making us wait until our appointment time. The car was a Malibu with a lot of bells and whistles.

So I drive back to the house to get the car packed up and ready to go. The chosen hash tag was #TravelingFerrets Finally we are on the road headed to Blog Paws in Las Vegas only to be diverted before we even get out of the state of Pennsylvania due to a major accident on Interstate 80 after getting lost a couple of times on the back roads we finally got back on I-80 in Ohio and an hour behind schedule.

Ohio has a different idea about pet rest areas they are small fenced areas with large smooth stones while not optimal for ferrets it does allow dogs a few minutes off leash and there is water available. Marylin was enjoying getting out of the car for a little bit before heading in to Indiana   where I should have realized that this trip was going to be a lot different than I had planned on.

 

I stopped at one of the travel plazas that are on I-80’s toll road to get something to eat. I chose McDonalds mainly because it was the only thing available besides convince store hot dogs Belch. Ordered a Big Mac and a small fry. The guy who ordered before me took three steps to the left of me and the cashier basically through my receipt at me and got my food quickly. It wasn’t until I got back into the car I realized what the problem was.   Just numbers to me but I know to many that was a bad omen.

 

After a beautiful sunset in Iowa   and me driving all night found me with a large cup of coffee and a face that said I really needed it.  We crossed the boarder into Nebraska   at one of the rest stops there was this very strange sculpture   still have no idea of what it was as the fur kids didn’t want to go near it. Finally we made it to Colorado before the first of the storm clouds started to roll in that brought thunder and lightening with them. The rain came down in sheets so thick you couldn’t see very far ahead but I pushed forward as I really wanted to make Denver before nightfall. The storm passed over and you can see where the edge was unfortuantly I hit Denver well after nightfall and drove up the Rockies in basically pitch blackness not something I like doing as you can’t see very far ahead of you.

I stopped at a lookout called No Name to take a picture of the sunrise   My photos from Utah are fuzzy and jumpy so you can’t see the snow dusting that was there. Finally I made it to Nevada and about two hours later we were at the hotel and the start of Blog Paws   and this was just the start of the adventure.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

And the Winner is...

 

Encase you missed it our winning hashtag is #TravelingFerrets and the winning voter is AM Weber please email me your email address so I can discuss your surprise.

I've made up a window cling for the car so people that we encounter can follow along. Not sure how it will look on the window yet but the design is pretty cool I think.

 

Of course white is actually clear.  We are on our way to #BlogPaws .

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Roadtrips and Hashtag Contest

Can you believe we leave for our trek to Vegas on Tuesday. Our friend over at Fidose Of Reality left today for their trip and you can follow them on twitter with the hash tag #FidoseAcrossAmerica for those not familiar with Carol Bryant or Dexter her cocker spaniel you need to check out her site. What many don't realize is that her and I live in the same state but at opposite ends. *Chitters* So seeing her hash tag made me realize that I might be missing an opportunity to let you all in on the adventures the furbabies and I will be having on our trip.

My only problem is I can't decide on what our hash tag should be and the list of options kept growing but I have narrowed it down to these last three which are:

#TravelingFerrets

#FerretsontheMove

#ScamperingAcrossStates

Because I can't decide which one of these I like the best I am opening it up for a vote and the hash tag that gets the most wins but that's not all I will chose from all the voters of the winning hash tag one person and they will receive a surprise from us either in the mail if you aren't attending Blog Paws or at the conference. To vote leave your choice along with your first name in the comment section.

The voting will go from today until Monday when the winning hash tag will be announced at the weekly #PetChat along with the winner of the surprise.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

 

Technorati Tags: hashtags,travel,Blog Paws,Ferrets,voting,winner,surprise,PetChat

Technorati Tags: twitter,roadtrip

Packing For Blog Paws 2014

Starting to get down to the wire and still feels like I have so much to do yet. One of which is getting us all packed up and ready to go. While I can get much of what I want to take packed before I am ready to leave on Tuesday before Blog Paws I still have to do it in a way that makes sense for both the fur kids and me. For that reason a packing checklist is an absolute must and this is what it looks like at the moment.

Ferret Packing List:

Gray Tub

• Paper towels (1 roll)    
  
• Business cards (Enlightened Travels) 
  
• Trash bags
  
• Toys ( busy blanket, wonka toys, squeaky monkey)
  
• Litter   
  
• Food
  
• Bottled home water 
  
• poop bags
  
• Hand sanitizer (extra)
  
• Red Ground cloth (for play area)
  
• Outfits
  
• Sticky Rollers
  
• Small whisk broom and dustpan

Groom Bag

• Ferretone
  
• Cotton swabs
  
• Gluc Meter
  
• Toothbrushes and paste
  
• Nail clippers
  
• Furminator
  
• Tweezers
  
• Small first aid kit
  
• alcohol swabs

Gray Carrier: In the car

• Hammy
  
• litter pan (small corner)
  
• Hanging water bottle
  
• Clip on Food Cup
  
• Photo Ids with Rabies Tag #s and Vet Phone #

Blue Tote

• Health Certificates
  
• Rabies Tags

Car

• Fold Up Play Area
  
• 1 gray tub
  
• 1 black roller bag
  
• 1jounalist bag
  
• 1 blue tote
  
• 1 pet carrier

Note to self

DON'T FORGET LEASHES AND HARNESSES

I am sure that last one got a chuckle or two. Believe me it is easy to do and also one of the reasons I try to pack extras as I have driven off without making sure the leashes and harnesses where where they were suppose to be. I am also I'll be adding to the list as I always seem to do as the day to leave grows closer.  What is really bad is I had to buy a new suitcase as the one I had been using was too small.

My Packing list looks like this.

Suitcase

• 3 day shirts
  
• 2 evening shirts
  
• Jeans (3/4)
  
• Black pants for Red Carpet
  
• Gray pants for Opening night
  
• Socks (6 pairs)
  
• Black shoes ( Opening Night/ Red Carpet)
  
• Tennis shoes
  
• Photo Album (Fashions)
  
• Critter Zone
  
• Carol's Ferrets
  
• Instant coffee (never have enough in the room)

Groom Bag

• Toothbrush
  
• Paste
  
• Stink juice
  
• Hairbrush
  
• Hair ties
  
• Nail Clippers
  
• Small Sew Kit
  
• Razor
  
• Female Items
  
• Ferret Bracelets
  
• Stink Pretty

Journal Bag

• computer
  
• camera
  
• Cords for computer, camera, phone
  
• Battery Charger for Camera
  
• Business cards (blog and Business)
  
• Pens
  
• Notebook
  
• Flash Card for Camera
  
• Jump drives

So while it looks like I am packed I am only half way there. So excited!!!

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Book Review: Hide and Seek by Amy Shojai

                        

 

Hide and Seek is the sequel to Lost and Found. I couldn’t buy this book fast enough when I found out it was for sale. I love how Amy Shojai weaves the story from both September and Shadow’s point of view in a smooth way. Not many writers can do that.

I would have devoured this book in one session if I didn’t have to work. So it took three days but WOW! September and Shadow make a great team and working though their own issues that haunt them makes for a riveting story line.

Hinted at in the first book Lost and Found September’s past has landed squarely in her hometown just a month after September’s live radio broadcast of nearly being killed. Wild animals and pets start acting strangely along with a rise of Alzheimer’s in the town's population or is it something else?

Can September and Shadow learn to trust ever again? What about Macy? Will she ever let Shadow have a good doggy sniff of her? To find out you will have to read Hide and Seek for yourself. I can’t wait for the next book about these characters.

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo and the crew

Update: Yesterday we started a campaign to get to Blog Paws with a goal of selling 300 ferrets  with adding new ones besides the choice of fabric. So here is Hearts

Wordless Wednesday: Whenz Da Next Blog Pawz?

Wordless Wednesday: Box Day

 

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Marcuz’s Grand Adventure: AKA Heart Stopping Fear

Yesterday was a day of highs and lows and one very prolonged heart attack. I cannot stress the need for ferret proofing and being observant of your environment. Yesterday was Monday and I had to get up early to go to job training down in Butler, Pa.

That meant I had to get up at 6am to get everyone feed, watered, and rotated. Now the room where Boyd the cat normally resides is being remodeled along with the roof being done on that side so he and I are residing in the ferret’s room.

During the day, the ferrets are out of their cage and at night, Boyd gets out of his crate to roam the hallway and the room. Boyd has a bad habit. He scratches at the window screen and nothing has stopped him from doing it. What I didn’t realize was that he had actually put a hole in the screen, which wouldn’t had been a problem if I had seen it before I left for my training that lasted from 8am to 5pm

I get home around 5:30pm and go upstairs to get out of my jeans and take my knee brace off entering the room I noticed that several things are out of place on the windowsill and then I see the six-inch long hole. Panic sets in and I start looking for my fur kids. Sleeping in a bin is Manny and Marylin.

As you can see from the pictures, I tore the room apart looking for Marcuz.

Looking out the window cold fear starts to develop as I realize that Marcuz had to have gone through the hole and out onto the roof. Racing down the stairs, I grab Manny’s harness and a leash speeding through the living room roomie asks what is wrong but the lump in my throat won’t let me speak so I just wave her off.

Stopping on the porch, I peer around the corner afraid to find a tiny broken body. There is none so the cold fear starts to receded and the panic starts to take over again. I can’t call for Marcuz as he is deaf and wouldn’t hear me. After checking around the outside of the house I go back in and get my voice to work long enough to tell Roomie that Marcuz has to be outside somewhere.

To which she tells me that Mr.. Z had been going ballistic earlier in the day and she thought someone had been knocking at the door but when she checked there was no one there but Mr.. Z laid on the floor and stared outside. Roomie thought it might have been the stray cat that comes around or the dog from across the street.

Back upstairs to make sure I hadn’t over looked one of Marcuz’s hidey-holes. I hadn’t so back down the stairs and Mr.. Z and roomie are outside checking out things. Mr.. Z seems to be on the trail of something but what it was unknown and didn’t seem to be Marcuz. Thankfully, our neighbors are good and they put their own dogs inside or in the dog’s kennel.

This weekend was the community day yard sale and I hadn’t gotten all the boxes back inside so before getting off the porch for the third or fourth time I shook each box in hopes of noticing a weight difference or having Marcuz pop out of one.

Around the block, checking the tree Marcuz loves to dig at when we go for cool evening walks to the back yard where the Ferret Chariot is parked. Roomie says to check under the garage. It is kind of dark under there so I start to go inside to get the flashlight when I hear something on the porch. I stop and look to where the sound is coming from and from behind the board leaning against the wide railing comes this grayish pink nose.

Marcuz’ white first is dusky grey and he smells of dirt but he is perfectly fine. Did he drop from the roof to the ground? Or did he get down to the gutter and follow it around to where the plastic was stapled to the roof and used it as a rope to get down? Or did he somehow figure out how to go down the ladder? I have no answers but there is not a mark on Marcuz.

I am sure that my neighbors finally have proof that I am the crazy ferret lady after this adventure. Taking Marcuz back up to the room I secured the window and took his access to it away before letting him loose and what does the little booger do? He starts weasel war dancing around the room with this look of pure delight.

My nerves are still shot and my chest hurts from where my heart was pounding on it but thankfully, Marcuz has been found uninjured and unfazed.

Moral of the story: ALWAYS CHECK! Ferret proofing isn’t a onetime thing and needs to be constantly updated.

Have a Safe and Chittering Good Day,

Jo