I am sending this anonymously to the FML because I am afraid the person I
am talking about might come across this and recognize me/themselves if I
posted any other way, which might undermine what I am trying to do.
 
An acquaintance of mine just adopted a ferret (from an ad in the paper).
She decided she wanted one after meeting my ferrets, even though each
time she's visited them, I've tried to explain the level of care these
creatures need.  She has a houseful (and yardful) of animals already,
including many birds, a large parrot among them.  Before I could even
warn her of the possible danger there, I found out the ferret had already
gotten into the parrot cage and traumatized it.  It's very fortunate that
was all that happened.  The ferret has also gotten lost a few times
already, even though she's only had it for a couple of weeks.
 
It is kept in a wire rabbit cage with a wire floor, though there is a
sheet on the bottom of the cage.  There are cedar chips underneath, and
she feeds regular cat food despite my insistence that she at least feed it
a high quality kitten food.  The food dish is sitting in the floor of the
cage and the ferret knocks it over.  It used scoopable cat litter in it's
former home, she is using Tidy Cat (I used the same thing with my first
ferret until I found her vulva swollen and pieces of litter stuck to it).
There are no levels or hiding places in the cage, and no toys or other
mental stimulants.  It is alone most of the day in this cage.
 
I can't describe my dispair over this situation.  I wanted to take the
poor thing home with me when I saw the conditions it was living in.  So I
decided the next best thing I could do would be to educate her bit by bit.
I started with what I felt was the most important info, like find a ferret
specialist (I gave her the name of my vet, but she hates him), keep it
away from the birds, feed it high quality food, get rid of the cedar
chips, get a better litter and an appropriate cage, and be sure it is
vaccinated for rabies and CDV.  Of course, she can't afford any of this,
which irritates me to no end.  Why did she get a pet that she can't
afford?
 
I don't want her to think that I am some arrogant, bossy person that wants
only to criticize her, so I am biting my tongue quite a bit.  I want to
help that ferret, but I am at a loss as to what to do beyond what I've
already done.  I've thought about giving her some things to help her
along, I have a cage I'm not currently using, but I keep it as a
sick/travel cage, and it cost me $125.  I have extra hammocks, a bag of
acceptable litter that my ferrets mistook for food so I don't use it, and
other assorted necessary items that I could probably spare.  On one hand,
I feel that this would really improve the quality of life for the fuzzie,
but on the other hand, I feel that it would be a form of enabling.  I want
her to be responsible for her own pets.  If I am going to be the one
responsible for it, I'd rather have it in my home.  I can't FORCE her to
become educated, all I can do is point her toward the materials she needs
to become educated.
 
I did give the ferret the once-over while I was there, and it seems to be
in good health, except for sneezing, probably due to the cedar chips.  I
would like everyone's opinion on what the "right" thing to do is.  Just
try to force knowledge into her head, give her everything she needs, or
attempt to gain custody of the ferret?  I doubt she'd relinquish it to me,
she "loves" it a lot.  I am just sick knowing that this ferret has such a
bad lot in life, though I know that other ferrets have fates far worse.
 
Thanks for reading this long, drawn out tale, and thanks in advance for
your input!
 
-Anonymous, worried ferret lover.
[Posted in FML issue 3674]