All the critters dig it; they are excited about the slippery-slidey goodness in the living room and they love climbing the stairs (well, just the ferrets are excited about that. The rats haven't had a chance to try and Chuchundra doesn't even know the stairs exist. To her, there is just a wall.)
The ferrets have also discovered a magnificent thing called a walk-in shower, where they can walk in the shower whenever they want and if they get wet, its because they feel like it and not because I'm making them take a bath.
So, everyone has been having a great time in the new place. We still have boxes and unpacking to do, which makes everything significantly more fun for the ferrets. I mean, COME ON. A cardboard box with some trinkets and shit in it? Hell yeah, they want to play in that.
One late evening, the ferrets were romping about in my room whilst I was putting some items away when suddenly MoMoBella vomits all over some old ferret toys.
I call the vet the next day and make an appointment. In the morning, I grab MoMoBella while she is still sleeping, put her in the carry-tote, and rush out the door. She is still mostly asleep during the car ride, but she does keep looking at me as if to ask, "What the fuck is going on?"
(She gets a pissed princess look when you interrupt her from a beauty sleep.)
At the vet, she explores a bit in the waiting room. A dog comes out to sniff her carry tote, to which her immediate response is to jump in the tote and hide under a blanket. MoMoBella did not care for the friendly dog, even though I attempted to persuade her otherwise by being friendly back.
Eventually, we are able to get into a room and the vet sees us. Dr. Mathias pokes and prods around MoMo until she hits a tender spot in the belly. MoMo attempts to bite her in response to the prodding. I take this as a good sign that MoMo is feeling good, but am certainly worried about the tender spot.
I learn that older ferrets can develop tumors, and would I like to get an x-ray so we can hopefully eliminate any possibility of a tumor, or even intestinal blockage?
Yes yes. Please. At this point, I was having memories and flashbacks of my first ferret, Edgar, who had died of intestinal blockage. That was a week I never want repeated.
The vet takes MoMoBella away from me, who keeps looking over the vet's shoulder and wondering why I'm not going with her. I didn't know MoMoBella was capable of giving me that look, to be honest. I didn't realize until then that, even though she likes to act independent, she still very much depends on me for everything. I think she was a little worried.
After waiting what seemed like ages, I am brought MoMoBella back, who gives me many a kiss, and am asked if I want to see the x-rays.
Yes, of course.
"She wouldn't stop fidgeting," I am told, which I find is a huge relief. If she is feeling feisty, she has got to be mostly okay. "But we did get a picture of her finally."
Dr. Mathias points at where MoMoBella had been feeling tender. "All of this, right here," she says, encircling the intestinal area, "well. All of that is poop."
And suddenly, it clicks into place. I didn't let MoMoBella poop before she left.
She was irritated with me because I just grabbed her in her nap.
What is the first thing ferrets do when they wake up? They poop.
I am thinking about all of this while my vet tells me that she is concerned MoMoBella may be constipated and to feed her FerretLax twice a day for a week.
I thank the vet, pay for the expensive x-ray, and take MoMoBella home.
On the way, she shit all over the car and did not feel bad or embarrassed about it.
Obviously, I deserved it.
As for the vomiting, she hasn't done it since the first time. So its possible that the stress of moving and the excitement of the new place was just overwhelming for her that evening. She just couldn't contain her happiness, so she vomited all over her toys.
I guess that's sweet.
Everyone has been behaving normally and pooping normally, so our house is pretty critter happy.
