All in all 2017 was a pretty great critter year. Here is the current zoo roster:
Aggie - kitty - 20 years
Oliver - kitty - 15 years
Phoebe - kitty 13 years
Winston - pig - 3 years
Emma - dog - 14 years
Tango - dog - 1 year
Juliett - dog - 1 year
Charli - dog - 1 year
Madison - ferret - 6 years
Theo - ferret - 5 years
Violet - ferret - 5 years
Tabitha - ferret - 4 years
Kai - ferret - 4 years
Bash - ferret - 3 years
Fiona - ferret - 3 years
The kitties are well! From a health perspective we have a few issues but nothing that is super serious. We continue to monitor Oliver and Phoebe's thyroid levels as they continue to take their medications to keep their levels stable. Aggie has the first signs of kidney disease - her numbers are a tiny bit inflated but nothing too crazy. We have put her on a supplement and a kidney-friendly food and she seems to be doing quite well.
Winston the pig - he is such a character. He had a good year from a health perspective with no major issues to report. He spent the early part of the year adjusting to having the puppies around. He has established himself as third in the herd - Mom is top of the heap, then Dad - then Winston and then the dogs. We don't leave them unattended as that can be dangerous but they do co-exist outdoors fairly well. The pig keeps me on my toes - did I mention that pigs are hard? I adore him and we spend lots of time together. We are lucky, he is a pretty well-behaved pig most of the time.
The pups - Emma is good - a bit slower than she used to be but still quite active and often the instigator of puppy shenanigans. Overall her health is good for an aging dog. The puppies are quite crazy and they are giant dogs with puppy brains which has its challenges. They are pretty good dogs for the most part. We need to spend more time on training this year. We also need to get them past the need to fight for dominance. Charli and Tango really get into it trying to be the top dog. Juliett gets the brunt of Tango's frustration and Winston tries to referee - he is quite proud of himself when he breaks up the squabble. All in all the pups have had a good year and have come a long way.
The ferrets - that little business of joy and happiness - I love that crazy bunch. All of the ferrets are doing quite well. 2017 saw Violet get her diagnosis of insulinoma and we spent some time trying to find a good dosage of medication for her. Once we found it, she has been amazingly stable. Knock on wood!! She is doing just great. Madison had her annual checkup and is very healthy for a senior ferret. The rest of the gang is due for annual exams and updates to their adrenal implants. Madison had hers updated - they work like a charm! Everyone seems happy, healthy, active and engaged - I am quite pleased with how they are doing.
We had a good year - minor health issues, no losses and lots of love - no complaints.
We are realistic in that several of the zoo members are getting up there in age. While we are hopeful that 2018 will be another year with no losses to our furry family - we prepare for the worst knowing that our babies have had long and happy lives. I would love to be writing a post like this in early January of next year with Aggie, Emma, Madison, Violet and the rest of my crazy gang happy and healthy. My fingers are crossed...
Happy New Year!
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