He came to us following a phone call to the Ferret Endowment for Rehab,
Research, Education &Training Society, NorthWest.  He'd been living at
the bottom of a garbage can for 5 days, during which time his captors
(rescuers) posted many FOUND FERRET posters all over their neighborhood,
to no avail.
 
The sympathetic couple who found him were very elderly and knew very little
if anything about ferrets, yet their hearts were in the right place in so
far that they were doing the best they knew.  And that they did.
 
They were far kinder to this juvenile sable male than was the original
owner, or so we suspect.  Even though his living conditions were
miserable - living in the bottom of a garbage can for 5 days - what was
done to him, in the interests of "convenience" by his original owner, is
almost unbelievable.
 
As a rescuer of ferrets since a way back to 1981, never have I experienced
such abysmal cruelty to a living animal as was rendered upon PITTER-PATTER.
His name is derived from the sound he generates as he runs across the
cement/vinyl floor.  We were going to call him: SLIP-SLIDIN'-ALONG,
because, for him to attempt a quick change of direction, he slides like
an eskimo running on ice.  And of course, his acceleration is practically
nill, as is his stopping "on a dime" ability.  He just slides along
everywhich way but loose, but eventually he gets to where he wants to go.
That is, anywhere except straight up.
 
He can't climb.  He can't scratch himself or any other creature or thing.
He can't dig.  He can't crawl up your pants leg to be cuddled & caressed &
cherished.
 
You probably got this figured out by now.  And you're right.  All twenty
(20) of his toes are gone.  Just cut off.  Crunch, crunch crunch crunch
crunch crunch crunch crunch crunch crunch, times 2.
 
Both the fore paws and the hind paws have been surgically altered by
cutting out the last bone of each "toe" from each of his four paws in what
appears to have been the desire of his owner.  That's twenty bones with
their associated claws.  All gone.  Folks, I think that's about the same as
having the last joint in each of your fingers and toes chopped off.  That's
a comparison that makes you think a little bit, yes?
 
Based on circumstantial evidence, we believe the owner to be a univesity
student who had the ferret in the dorm with her/him.  After graduation or
the start of the summer break, the ferret was dumped, footlose and fancy
free to live or die, to survive as best it could.  Thankfully, Grandpa and
Grandma found him near the university and took him into their modest little
home.
 
To the owner, whomever you are, I do pray that you will somehow get
enlightenment so that you shall never ever do this again to one of God's
little innocent creatures.
 
Alia tentanda via est [L.]  Another way must be tried.
 
Edward Lipinski  The Ferret Endwmnt for Rehab, Reserch, Eductn & Trng
Soc, Nor'West, aka F.E.R.R.E.T.S, NW  (FNW)
[Posted in FML issue 3137]