I have to share this story with people who will understand how scary it
was!
 
Last night about 10:00 I got a knock on the door.  It was a neighbor I did
not know.  She'd heard that I had ferrets.  Well, there was a creature
down under her shed and she wondered if it was mine.
 
Well, of course, it couldn't be mine.  Mine were having playtime out of
their cages, and no, I didn't see them at the moment, but there was NO
way they could have gotten outside.  I hadn't even opened the door since
they'd been out playing.
 
So, I threw on my shoes and I ran down the hill to look at this critter.
All the while I was thinking things like, "What will I do with another
ferret?  I need to find another cage.  I wonder how it got here."  I was
NOT thinking it could possibly be my ferret.
 
But it WAS my ferret.  My sweetest little, kiss-giving, precious girl.
I've had ferrets for about 4 years, and the house is ferret proof.  It's
impossible for her to get out, but here she was.
 
When I got back home, I started going all over the house, looking for any
kind of escape hole.  Then I found it.  My 18-year-old son had opened his
window and left it open.  There was the pushed-out screen on the ground
below.  A WINDOW!  We never, ever open windows in this house.  No matter
how nice it is, we do not open windows.  Why?  BECAUSE THE FERRETS MIGHT
PUSH OUT THE SCREEN AND ESCAPE!  He knows this.
 
I can't describe how angry I am at my son.  He is usually a nice guy, and
I thank God he's not into the kind of trouble I see some of my friend's
children having, but this was blatant disregard for the safety of these
innocent, beloved creatures.
 
I closed the window and started searching for the other ferret who was out
so I can put her away and stop worrying.  I searched and I searched and I
searched.  I looked into every spot I have ever seen her sleep.  I looked
into every spot I can imagine.  I called.  I started to panic.  She is not
here.  Of course not.  The window is big, and open right at the level of
my son's bed.  Easy access.
 
Then begins the search outside.  By this time the reality of what has
happened had begun to sink in and I was crying.  I was crying so hard
that I couldn't breath.  Crying, sobbing, trying to call her name.  A
ferret lost around here will not only die.  She will suffer in confusion,
then die.  I walked all over.  Every ten minutes or so I went back in
the house to see if there was any chance I'd overlooked her inside.  Then
back to the outside search.  Then in.  Then out.
 
This went on for a couple of hysterical hours until my son came home from
work.  He showed up with three friends and bags of food for a party.  I
could barely even look at him.  In as calm of a voice as I can, I try to
explain what has happened.  At least the guys had the kindness of heart
to drop what they were doing, grab flashlights and go outside to search.
 
That's when it happened.  The sounds of the kids' voices combined
with the rustle of the grocery bags woke up my sleeping beauty from
who-knows-where.  Out she comes as happy as can be and starts crawling
around in the grocery bags.
 
So that's my story.  My babies are all home safe and sound.  I feel
ashamed about the horrible feelings I'd been having toward my son.  I do
not want to endanger my relationship with him over a ferret.  As much as
I love my ferrets, I still believe my relationship with my child should
come before them.  But I do know that if my little ferret had been gone,
it would have been very hard to get over.
 
Jodie
[Posted in FML issue 3766]