To the gentleman who wanted a "reasonably priced ferret":
 
Pertwee, our albino, was very reasonably priced.  A pet store couldn't sell
him because they thought he was a "terrible biter" and gave him to us for
next to nothing.  It turned out Pertwee was deaf, and was biting because he
was startled.  It took us about two days to win his trust, and he stopped
biting completely.  So... we got a bargain, right?
 
Maybe, if we're talking about purchase price of a ferret, we did.  For
almost a year after that our only additional expenses for Pertwee were
his shots and a vet visit for what turned out to be allergies.  The total
of this: under $100.  Still a bargain, right?
 
Nope.  Pertwee developed adrenal disease, then kidney disease.  I won't go
through all the details again.  Some are in my post about renal cysts, the
rest is all on Pertwee's web page.  Anyway, Pertwee is alive and well,
affectionate, happy, and playful.  Keith and I absolutely love our snow
white weasel.  His medical bills this year have been about $4,250.
 
OK, I know Pertwee's condition(s) were quite rare, and the medical bills
were extreme for a two year old ferret.  My question, though, is this:
what would you have done if Pertwee was *your* "reasonably priced ferret"?
Would you have just let him die in pain?  Put him down?  Would you have
killed a ferret that loved to ride around on your shoulders, and would
regularly lick your face to say how much he loves you?  Would you have let
a ferret die: a ferret that thinks that the only thing better in the whole
wide world than playing with other ferrets is playing with you or your
daughter?
 
If you want a reasonably priced pet, get tropical fish.  Ferrets are never
reasonable.  OTOH, I take that back.  Considering the joy Pertwee and the
rest of the business bring to our home, $5,000 this year worth of ferret
expenses seems perfectly reasonable to me.
 
Regards,
Caity
(who really is *bothered* by posts like his)
 
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 Caitlyn M. Martin
 [log in to unmask]
 http://www.angelfire.com/nc/caitmartin
 Pertwee's page:  http://www.angelfire.com/nc2/fuzzypages/pertwee.html
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[Posted in FML issue 3190]