hello everyone...
 
thanks you to everyone for sending your condolences & sympathy after i
posted about chloe's death.  throughout this ordeal, the sympathy &
support of my fellow fml members has been invaluable; i appreciate it
immensely.
 
following chloe's death, i withdrew from "ferretdom" for a while, at
least in the public domain.  during my sabbatical i came up with a few
questions to ask the ferret community.  here goes...
 
first...i have fed the weasels iams kitten exclusively for the past year.
i thought this was fine, until the new kids came along.  their mom had
been feeding them 8-in-1, and i noticed how much softer & shinier their
fur was compared to my frets (my ferrets also have nice fur, but not as
nice as these guys).  i also noticed that the "corn chips" smell wasn't
as strong in the new guys as it was in my original four.  over the week i
have had the new kids, (feeding them the iams) i've noticed that their
"corn chips" smell has increased; as a result i think i'm going to change
foods.  i'd like some ideas from everyone on what they think the BEST
food is for ferrets...i'm more interested in hearing from those who feed
their ferrets "manufactured" food, but i wouldn't mind hearing some
feedback on say, human-grade meat diets.  (even though i am a vegan & i
shudder at the thought of touching meat, i'd do it for the kids.)
 
second...diamond is going in for adrenal cryosurgery on august 22nd.  i
have the highest hopes that she will do well, but i realize that so many
things could go wrong.  i'd love to hear from anyone who has had this
experience, and how things turned out.  i've done lots of reading, &
i've consulted with my vet repeatedly, but i'm still in very unfamiliar
territory with this issue.
 
i also wanted to announce the addition of three new members to my
four-legged family.  on july 8th, kat parsons posted about a friend of
hers from salem, ma whose three ferrets needed to be placed.  after some
hemming & hawing, i decided to contact kat's friend.  to make a long
story short, i am the proud new mommy to winston, a champagne boy, meeka,
a black sable girl, and shiver, a DEW with a black striped tail, in
addition to my original four!  seven total!  i now feel like i almost
know how the mom of the iowa septuplets feels...much mayhem & dooking has
ensued since last weekend.  however, it's amazing what new, healthy,
young babies can do to lift your spirits...i foster for an area ferret
shelter and i'm used to housing old/sick/at-death's-door ferrets.
nothing against the oldsters...they are a unique pleasure on their own.
but to have these beautiful, well-cared for, young & healthy kids is both
a privilege & a treat; i feel very lucky to have several good years left
with them.  on the other hand, i don't know how shelter moms & dads can
stand to see people parting from their pets all the time; it was
heartbreaking to see her leave them behind.  i cried for about an hour
after their mom left; then i decided to join in all the war dancing &
dooking going on at my feet.
 
anyhoo...i'm glad to be back on the FML in both mind & spirit.  to
everyone who emailed me with advice, tips, condolences, solace: THANK
YOU.  you are all a lifeline.  hug your furkids, and have a fabulous
day...
 
blessed be,
jessica.
 
jessica l. manson
whimsy creative photography!
28 stafford st.
plymouth, ma 02360
(508) 747-5505
[log in to unmask]
www.whimsyphoto.com
[Posted in FML issue 3859]