Lady Patrick

I saw an ad for a t-shirt that said, “All I want is 2 ferrets.”  The number 2 was crossed out and replaced with a 3, also crossed out and replaced with a higher number.  Finally at the bottom of the shirt it said, “Don’t judge me!”

We have turned down all opportunities to adopt additional ferrets until now.  We went into the shelter to get two, came home with a group of four, and decided that we were set.  However, a special situation led to me qualifying for that t-shirt.

Meet Lady Patrick. Unlike most ferrets, she’s a lap ferret. She likes to snuggle and be held, and we have all fallen in love with her. She was raised as a solo ferret; she likes humans but doesn’t “speak ferret” yet, and she might never fully integrate with the other four ferrets.

For example, Patrick hissed the whole time she approached and finally “snuggled” with Helen. Helen is deaf, and her lack of response to the hissing made it easier for Patrick. So far, Helen is Patrick’s favorite.  And by favorite, I mean least-frightening.  Ching Shih keeps trying to engage in play, and Gwen keeps trying to clean Patrick’s ears, with Patrick avoiding both.

Elsa will run straight up to Patrick to boop noses, which sounds cute except this isn’t a gentle nuzzle.  This is a bullet train aimed at Patrick’s face up until the last second. If Patrick dodges, Elsa cries, then Patrick cries, and then the humans do their best to make everybody happy again.

This transition is a process that takes time. Meanwhile, there’s a household of humans very happy to get their turn snuggling and playing with Lady Patrick while making sure The Wow Girls still get full attention too.