Sometimes, a ferret will discover the most unusual game to play at the most unusual time. In August, when I was moving out of my apartment in New Haven, I kept Paulie in the empty bedroom. That room got extremely hot one day, despite fans, and Ron, my neighbor Robin, and I were pretty worried about him. I brought in a couple big tubs of water for him, but he seemed disinterested. Robin had the idea to get a big tupperware container and fill it with water and icecubes so we could dab cold water on him.
She brought in the tub and suddenly Paulie perked up at the novel object. She sat it down on the floor and he circled the tub, watching the ice cubes floating at the top. Every ferrent knows that look that ferrets get when they want something badly. Paulie circled and reached, circled and reached, stuck a paw in the tub and shivered at the ice cube.
Then he did the funniest thing. He stuck his whole head in the tub of water in an attempt to snatch the ice cube. After several tries he managed to scoop the slippery thing into his mouth and run away to a hidey hole with it, chortling to himself. He tucked it away and then came back and bobbed for another ice cube.
This continued until they were all stolen away. Needless to say, we weren't worried about him being too hot then. However, he did seem confused when all of the ice cubes he had fairly stole "disappeared" later.
To this day, if he catches me clinking ice in a cup or me chewing on a piece (I know, so bad for my teeth), he stares up at me with those little ferret eyes, stands on his hind legs, and licks his chops.
Yes folks, Paulie thinks ice cubes are both a toy and a treat.
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