Nico

Nico joined the family in January 2007. A wiry silver girl, she was notorious as the worst biter the original ferret rescue had ever seen. Nico's bite is the equivalent of taking a staple remover and jamming it as hard and fast as you can on to your face. She'd drawn blood from Holly at the ferret rescue on numerous occasions. Although Nico needed a forever home, she couldn't be trusted to anyone not willing to be wounded.

I took Nico home and began the exhausting process of gaining her trust. I cuddled her - very carefully and keeping my face far away from hers. I played with her, fed her, loved her like one of my own. She slowly warmed to the rest of the business, especially to her brother Paco, now that they were reunited. In time, I grew brave enough to steal quick kisses on the back of her head. A time or two, I did get nailed. The most disturbing part of being bitten wasn't the shock or pain, but the process of removing the ferret from one's nose when she did not want to let go. This must be done with great care so as to not harm the ferret or the nose any more than necessary, not to mention you are working essentially blind. Even if you could see the end of your nose with any clarity, the tears welling in your eyes from the pain obliterate your focus.

Over the course of the last three years, something amazing has happened. Nico has stopped drawing blood! She's become quite docile with her humans, though she rules the roost when the rest of the business is concerned. Earning her nickname of "Sister Nico", she ensures the cleanliness of each and every other ferret's ears and fur with the earnestness of a Catholic nun. No matter if it's a spry young boy half her age and twice her weight, no other ferret's will can stand in the way of Nico's.

One day about a month ago, I made the mistake of stepping on Nico's tail while I was backing out of the closet with an armful of fuzzies. I deposited the furry bodies in my arms and swept up Nico to apologize. Quick as a flash, she got the old dark glint in her eye and lunged for my chin. Before I could react, she'd snapped a gentle but firm love bite on me that did not break the skin. I was flabbergasted. My Nico-the-Notorious had actually learned to use her talented jaws with restraint to punish her favorite human without leaving a scar. If she were human, I would have given her a cap and gown that day, for it truly felt like a graduation.