First I would like to thank everyone for not flaming this person (at
least not on the FML).  Your posts were tactful and to the point.  So
here is my rambling....
 
Dear Silly Girl,
 
I would like to say something to you.  You see...my mother thinks I am
weird because I treat all of my animals as my kids.  I tried for 5 years
to have children and I cannot.  But that is not why I do it.  I have
always loved animals.  Growing up we had cats and dogs.  When I moved out
I got a dog.  She was the light of my life.  After 10 years of having
her, I had to put her to sleep at the end of last month.  I still cannot
sleep through the night.  For the first week I slept on the floor where
she use to sleep.  She was and will always be my baby.  Did she take the
place of a child?  No, I still cry for the children I will never have.
But you see, I am able to take my energy and my love and give it to my
animals.
 
Ferrets didn't come into my life until about a year ago.  I wish I had
known about them sooner...but better late than never.  I never had "dog"
friends like I do with my ferret friends.
 
I am sorry for your loss and your daughters loss.  We lost 2 ferrets at
the shelter over the summer and it hurt so very much.  I know that you
meant well by your post.  Maybe we all took it wrong or maybe you got
your point across correctly.  Either way, I can tell that you are an
animal lover - of all animals.
 
Getting information for just health issues is the FHL.  Email:
[log in to unmask]
There you can get all of the information on just health related
information.  Then there is another list for ADV information.  Email
[log in to unmask]  This FML is for everything Ferret
related.  Which means talking about the funny things they do, the times
they get hurt, the times they are lost, the times they make us mad, the
shelter giving tree, Support our Shelters (SOS)
 
http://www.geocities.com/shelter_ferrets_in_need/SOS1.html, the
Buck-A-Month Club
 
http://www.geocities.com/shelter_ferrets_in_need/bam.html, ferrets
needing to find homes..the list just goes on and on.  And sometimes so
do the posts.
 
The Rainbow Bridge is something that brings comfort to people that have
lost animals.  It is not just for ferrets.  I believe my dog is there.
Yes, some people believe that when an animal dies that they just die.  No
Heaven, no bridge, just death.  If that is true...then there is no Heaven
for anyone because if anyone deserves to go to Heaven it would be all of
the animals on this earth.
 
I have never thought about if the animals all got along at the Rainbow
Bridge....but I would think that they would.  Enemies now become friends.
 
As for feeding ferrets live animals...I couldn't do it.  That is just
me.  I couldn't own a snake because of that.  (I actually saved a mouse
from a snake and kept my promise to the mouse to care for her until she
passed... she lived for 3 years with me before she died) I think that
most of us don't feed live animals to our ferrets for lots of reasons.
One of the things that I can think of is the fact that mine would think
that they could play with the new animal and just hurt it, not kill it.
I believe that several people on this list have rats and mice.
 
My sister gave me a fish for Christmas...I didn't want it...but you know
what?  I still have Duke and I still take care of him.  Why?  Because I
won't kill him or hurt him just because.  I do value all life...but then
again, I do kill spiders and ants and roaches.  I have even killed a
field mouse that got into my house (I actually tried not to but the
sticky paper work so I had to use the trap).  So I guess there is a limit
to it all.
 
Thank you for your post.  It has made me stop and think about WHY I treat
my animals the way I do.  It also made me remember to hold them a little
closer to my heart.  We all have different opinions and that is what
makes this list grand.  If we all agreed all of the time...gosh...that
would be boring!  :-)
 
My animals include... 13 ferrets (including shelter ones), 1 dog, 1 cat,
and 1 fish.
 
Animals are Gods gift.  Treat them as such.
 
Joanne Ruffner
Ferret Corner Shelter
www.geocities.com/ferretcorneraz
[Posted in FML issue 3905]