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.

Review: The Cat’s (Ferret’s) Trapeze

 

The boys and I toured the Catification lounge that was sponsored by Jackson Galaxy at Blog Paws. The boys tried out quite a few things there.

Marcuz loved the cardboard boxes.

Manny decided to chill out in one of the cat bed offered through Modern Cat.

While Manny took a nap Marcuz checked out another cat item.

but he wasn’t impressed with the cushion so he pushed it out and curled up to take a snooze.

There was a lot more stuff in that lounge but the boys were ready to move on to other adventures at Blog Paws. I filled out a form for a chance to win one of the many items and I won The Cat’s Trapeze.

What a great item. The boys love the little hammock that hangs on the bottom to take naps in. The first level should have some pillows or something in the zippered area I leave it open so the boys can hide in the pouch.

At the moment I haven’t let Marcuz see that there is another level to the trapeze as he would be climbing it all the time but once I get their room finished and have an area fixed that has a large pillow under it then he can climb it all he wants.

 

Disclaimer: I won the Cat’s Trapeze and the review is my opinion of the item. There is no compensation for doing this review. All links are done because I believe that those who offered such a fun place for my boys to play deserved to be recognized.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Blog Paws Here We Come and So Can You

What a month this has been so far.

First we found the perfect vehicle to be the Ferret Chariot and have made a down payment on it we will be paying off the last little bit owed on Thursday and driving it home. More on the Ferret Chariot when we have the keys in hand.

We were notified that we were a finalist in the Nose to Nose blogger contest through Blog Paws. Our category is Best Wiggle Blog. We are in the running with three other blogs.

Ducks and Clucks

 Living with Anteaters

And we are running against another ferret blog

Mustelamaina

Good luck to all.

We get this nifty badge

 

 

Now as a finalist we have a pass to Blog Paws but since we have already had ours we are giving away our second one to one lucky commenter. This will run until May 28^th then I’ll choice the winner by using random.org

I like to make my contests easy with no hoop jumping as that just annoys me when I have to do it.

But there are a few rules

1. No I want to win entries I will delete those

2. Tell me what you’ve been told about ferret.

3. Tell me what you have learned about ferrets through this blog and conversations with me on twitter

4. Tell me what you would like to learn about at Blog Paws

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Pawing Forward

 

 

 

I’ve been fortunate to meet some really great people and their pets through my blog and on twitter.

 

One of them is Cokie the Cat . My boys got to meet Cokie’s stand in at Blog Paws along with Flat Tyler.

Cokie has this truly awesome contest on his blog. The contest is for a 100 lbs of pet food from Natural Balance for the next few weeks. That means you can enter each week for your chance at winning.

Natural Balance is helping to promote the famous skateboarding dog named Tillman and his new show on Animal Planet called Who Let the Dogs Out .

Cokie is feeling a little low cause not many are taking advantage of this great chance to get some free pet food for themselves. He’s wondering if maybe people don’t realize that they can donate their win to their favorite no-kill shelter.

Think how much relief a 100 pounds of free food would take off of the shelter’s mind. While it is true a 100 pounds of food might only last a month that means that their budget just got extended by a month.

So hop, run, wiggle, walk your way over to Cokie’s blog and enter into this fantastic contest and don’t forget to check out Who Let the Dogs Out on the Animal Planet.

 

Have a chittering Good Day,

Jo

Book Review

     I just finished reading Dog On It by Spencer Quinn. What a well-written book from the point of a dog. Yes you read that right a dog. Chet is a lovable character that knows his human really well and is willing to follow him anywhere.

     Dog On It is the type of book that draws you into the story and if you are able to put the book down before finishing it you are thinking about what is going on until you pick it back up.

     Chet is ungraduated K-9 dog whose human is Bernie a private eye. These two partners take on the case of the missing Madison from her mother only to have it not being a missing person after all…or is it?

     Chet’s wandering mind gives insights in to the thoughts of dogs and how they might think. You can tell how much the two trust each other by their interactions.

     Dog On It is a good read. You want a copy to read? One lucky reader will win a copy of Dog On It.

     Leave a comment below with one ferret fact that you have learned from this blog or somewhere else.

     On Tuesday I’ll used a random number generator to pick the winning comment.

Keep on Chittering

Jo

James’ Birthday

     It is amazing to me that out of my original eight ferrets I still have James. He has always been the most easy going guy I’ve known. He would let others go ahead of him for food or water. It didn’t matter who his sleep buddy was or if they wanted to sleep on top of him that was all right too.

     Most of you know I was worried about how he would deal without Lance so I started spending more time with him outside mostly to give him something else to do other than wonder around the playroom looking for his buddy. It has been a great experience for Manny, James, and I. We start at the bottom of the driveway and take our time walking back up.

     James likes to play in the tall grass checking to see if there are any holes he can go down. Manny thinks he is a lot bigger than he really is and will try to chase after one of the ATVs that go roaring past.

     Once James has gotten his legs stretched out he will walk a bit faster up the driveway and heads for the outdoor pen for a few minutes of rest and relaxation. Which isn’t easy with Manny trying to get James to play all the time.

     Yesterday for the first time James ran up the driveway to the playpen where he rested for a little bit and then was the one to climb out of it ready to do it all over again. It was good to see that he had worked some of that stiffness out of his back legs.

     James would be 70 years old in dog years I don’t know if it is the same for ferrets or not but he gives me dirty looks when I call him “My old man.”

    It’s James’ birthday today and the kick off of cents for seniors. We have all felt the squeeze of the economy. Some more than others but the big dollars go for more essential things such as food, housing, and vehicles leaving less to give to charities that we might want to support.

     With that in mind we decided it would be easier to donate a few cents towards a goal of $500 to help senior ferrets that no longer have a forever home for one reason or another.

     Heart of Ohio Ferret Association and Rescue was created in 1996 and is a non-profit shelter that relies on the kindness of strangers. They also put on the largest ferret show called the Buckeye Bash. While they have many ferrets that are adoptable and can be found here.It is the hospice ferrets  we are interested in helping.

     These are the old folks of ferretdom and for different reasons have come to live their last days/months/years with a caring person who gives them love along with whatever medical need they have.

     As stated on their site: For each donation of $10 we can provide food and most medications for a month. The love and attention is free! At this time they have 50 seniors in their care. Won’t you donate a few cents to the fund and wish James a happy 10^th birthday.

     We are doing a give away once we hit the smaller goal of $25 so be sure to leave a comment to be counted in the give away you don’t have to say if you donated or not. We will be giving away a small box of goodies that will include a $5 pet smart card and other surprises.

Jo

Sheppard & Greene Review

 

     My fur babies love treats but like most small children they can be finicky about the treat I offer them. Lance and Gweny love getting boiled chicken gizzards and liver but James just turns his nose up at those. James loves Alpo’s Chicken Carvers but the other two don’t. Treats are used for different reasons, a reward for good behavior, training, or just something special for the moment.

     I just recently found a treat that they all love. It is called Chicken, bacon, and ranch flavored ferret treats from Sheppard & Greene. The pieces are small enough that I don’t have to worry about them choking on them. There are three different shapes that makes Lance happy because he loves different shapes and colors. I think his favorite is the piece that is shaped like a W; I think it is suppose to represent bacon. The other two shapes are of a chicken drumstick and a heart. The colors are red, tan, and a darker brown.

     All three of my kids eat these up right where I put them. I haven’t found any hidden away in the hidey-holes like I have other treats. The zip lock top helps to keep the treats fresh and unlike many other treats that are more air than treats. Sheppard & Greene is full almost to the top and is vacuumed sealed until it is opened the first time.

     Now if I can just convince the cats that this isn’t for them. They beg for these treats more than their own.

     Just a word about the contest. Be sure to read the questions carefully. All the movies had ferrets in them but some of the questions are asking for something specific.

Note: On the HP question I should have written What is the correct name of the coloring of the ferret?

Jo

Movie Monday

     While I am not a fan of Monday’s I am a fan of movies. To make this an uplifting day I have decided to run a trivia contest. The prize is a $5 Wal-Mart GC and maybe a little surprise with it.

     All these movies have at least one ferret in them. Leave your answers in the comment box and all correct entries will have a chance by random drawing. I am going to let this contest run from today until next Monday August 24.

     The Winner will be notified on Tuesday and will have until Friday to respond.

1. In the 1982 movie, Beast Master who is Dur’s cunning?

2. In the 1990 movie Kindergarten Cop, what poem did John Kimble read to the children before naptime?

3. In the 2009 movie Space Buddies, where did Gravity ride on her owner?

4. What is the correct coloring of the ferret in the 2005 movie Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire?  

5. How were the horns applied to the ferret in the 2009 movie Inkheart? 

6. In the 2004 movie Along Came Polly, what disability did Polly’s ferret have? 

7. In the 1997 movie Starship Troopers what was Carl’s pet Cyrano originally scripted to be?  

8. In the 2001 movie Dr. Dolittle 2, who did the voice of Lennie the weasel? 

Good Luck to you all.

Jo

When Ferrets Attack

     In my house you never know what is going to happen next. This is especially true when it comes to the critters. When it is time for my fur kids to have their time out of their cages I have to herd the two cats (Richard and Majic), and Trixie out of the room closing the door behind them.

     Gweny gets let out first for two reasons. One girls first and second if I let her out last I get reminded that she is the Queen. Needle sharp teeth make an impression and I don’t just mean in the memory.

    While the boys are out of their cage I restore some order to it so that I don’t have a huge clean up at the end of the week. This includes sweeping up the food James has flung out of the feeder while he was getting to that one special piece at the bottom and at least once a week Lance spills the water dish so he can jump in the puddles. If the boys notice I am still at their cage they will take turns nipping at my toes and ankles until I move away from it. After all it is their bacholar pad and it has really cool things.

     Gweny is defiantly the fussbudget when it comes to her place. She knows when one thing is a fraction out of place and will make a racket while fixing it herself.

     Once play time is over and I have put my kids back in their cages the other critters are allowed back in the room. Trixie response is to scent the room finding every where my kids have been. Richard returns to his throne on the back of the recliner.

     Majic makes his way over to the boy’s cage and sits there for a while before sticking his paw in through the bars and scooping up a pawfull of ferret food. Guess it tastes better than his cat food. This has been going on for a while and the boys let him…that is until lastnight.

     Now you have to understand the set up of the boy’s cage. It is a medium size dog crate. On one end is the litter pan with newspaper under it to make cleaning up the sprayed litter, more on that in another post, and on the other end is their hammock, food trough , water dish, and James decided about a week ago that he was going to claim an empty soda box to sleep in.

     Lance has taken to sitting on top of the food trough looking like snoopy™ doing the impression of a vulture. He has just been watching Majic take a pawfull after pawfull of food for about a week.

     James in the last day or so has moved his box from one side of the hammock to the other with the opening near the tray of the food trough. I was working at the computer when I hear the cage rattle. I turned around to see Majic shaking his paw and Lance doing the vulture. Thought for a moment that Lance had bitten him.

     While I was watching Majic sticks his paw back in to get another pawfull of food when out of the box James strikes with the quickness of a snake biting Majic before disappearing back into the box. You would think after two bites he’d get the message. But I guess he thought somehow Lance had done it because he watched Lance and not where his paw was going.   

     James tagged him a third time. Majic must equate the food trough with pain because he hasn’t taken any food since.

     Majic did try a couple of times to take Gweny’s food but her answer was to remove her dish from the side of the cage and put it in the center next to her santa hat sleeping sack.

     Majic isn’t stupid enough to take on Gweny because she would bite and not let go until I rescued him. Richard was the one that found that out the hard way.

  It seems than there is a slight miss understanding about what a super pet sock-r-ball is and who it is for. The Sock-r-ball is for pets. It comes apart to hold either a sock or treats. Lance likes it when I pull parts of the sock out enough for him to carry it around.

     Again the rules are comment on the blog no pick me/I would love to win this type of comments and/or refer someone else to the blog. A winner will be picked on August 8th and posted on the blog.

 

Jo

Manic Monday

I don’t know what I would do without my fur kids. Monday’s are hard on me no matter what is going on in my life. Today was harder than most Monday’s as I didn’t sleep well last night due to pain.

Then my job that went from full time to very part time, partly my request so I didn’t loose my unemployment benefits completely, is now on the verge of being done for the season. Most of the guys are fun to work with. Although lately I am being picked on by this one guy. He is suppose to be a supervisor.

I have borderline personality disorder. Which means I am easily upset by negative remarks and when it is close to that time of the month it get really bad. My self-esteem is low enough I don’t need people comparing me to others that I am nothing like. I almost told Supervisor where to go today.

I don’t know what I did to him to deserve this kind of treatment. Anyways I came home really down and just felt like bawling. I went into the other room to make my coffee and all three of my kids were looking at me like

“Can we play now mom. Huh Huh. Pleeeeeeeeeeeeaseeeee.”

It brought a smile to my face and made my day a little bit better. They are playing with my shoes as I write this trying to get them under the desk.

They seem so happy that it makes me realize no matter how bad things look it could always be worse and I should just let go and dance.

Lance cracks me up with his sock fetish and where those socks should be. After each play session I go to the pile of socks by the chair and put them all back in the toy box for the next play session.

First thing Lance does is go to the toy box and rescues all of his socks and puts them right back by the chair. Once in a while he’ll drag one or two under the desk.

For those of you who don’t mind blog contests I am going to give away 1 pet super pet sock-r-ball and a $5 Wal-Mart gift card.

The contest will run from July 27-August 7.

I know how you hate jumping through hoops to earn an entry so this one will be fairly easy. 2 ways to enter

1. Leave me a comment about the blog on any entry during the contest period. Has to be about the blog no pick me comments.

2. Get someone else to start reading my blog. Have them leave a comment with who referred them.

On August 8^th I will pick a winner from all entries by random. I’ll post the winner on August 8^th and the winner will have until Wednesday to contact me with their mailing address.

Jo