Ryo-Ohki (or Ryo for short) was the last ferret we actually decided and planned to add to our business. Three was to be our limit, not three each, or three for Keith and five for me, but that very day we added Avon as well, so ferret math is obviously stronger than planning. Ryo was tiny when we got her, maybe even smaller than Adric was, and she's remained very small, as in well under two pounds (about 800 grams). What she lacks in size she makes up in energy and enthusiasm.

Ryo is our great jumper and great climber. Pet gates? No problem, she decided when we got her. "I'll sneak through I'm so small, or climb over." We stuffed cardboard in the gate to put a stop to that. Of course, her climbing abilities have their advantages. She has been known, when one of us walks in the door, to climb up our clothing just to give us ferret kisses. Summer used to get home from work before me, so she'd be out playing already. What a welcome that was!

So, Ryo-Ohki can climb, jump, is fast, and is full of energy. She's small and thin and sleek. I find this all amazing, because she's also a living garbage disposal. There is no treat she doesn't like (except raisins, believe it or not) and no food she won't eat. One of the ways we discourage begging by our ferts is to let them get at our food when we know they won't like it and won't possibly eat it. Summer did that with pizza, but guess what? Ryo likes pizza and after munching a little decided to try and drag off the whole slice! We found out she loves anything with tomato sauce on it.

Recently Ryo got part of a hot pepper I was eating with my dinner, chomped on it, made a funny face like she actually had found something she didn't like to eat, and then promptly started chomping on it again. I do mean a hot pepper! She's been known to steal pasta, too. In fact, we haven't found anything she won't eat. She seems to have this voracious appetite, even now that she's full grown, yet she is small and thin and probably always will be. What I'd give for a metabolism like that!

Also, we don't dare give any of our fuzzies a treat with Ryo-Ohki right near by. Why? She'll steal it! The little thief will do anything she can to run off with it and eat it, including jumping on another ferret and wrestling just long enough for the food to get dropped, then it's time to snatch and run! It doesn't matter if it's Tenchi, who's way bigger than her. She'll get it and eat it!

She's also learned a little trick from Tenchi which is incredibly cute and incredibly deceitful. The little trickster will go to the litter pan when she doesn't have to go and even fakes moving the necessary muscles. Then she'll look up all innocently as if to say, "I've been good, Mommy. Where's my treat?"

Ryo also loves anything with buttons on it, especially remote controls. I know, all ferrets seem to think those are wonderful toys, but Ryo-Ohki seems to manage to get a hold of them more than all our other fuzzies put together. She thinks Keith's Playstation controls are a fantastic toy for ferrets, rather than people. Here she is trying to ferret one away in a box we gave the fuzzies to play in.

Ryo-Ohki does have some wonderful qualities that far outweigh her impishness. She is as affectionate a ferret as you'll ever meet, and is almost always ready for attention, and she repays that attention with lots of ferret kisses. She's got the energy of Avon without the little nipping problem. She's far more gentle, and just an incredibly sweet little girl.

All in all, she's a little charmer, except maybe when she's scratching herself. I think we'll keep her.

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