Jennifer,
A ferret is such a wonderful, loving, fantastic pet but you must be
prepared for the amount of work and attention a pet ferret needs (they
are not cage animals).  And you must also prepare yourself for ferret
math!  Hum you say, whats that??  Well, as I am sure everyone on this
list can attest to, is once you have one you MUST have more and more and
more!  I started out with my 1st one in May 2004, 2nd one June, 3rd one
July, 4th one Aug (all purchased from a great pet store in Hockessin ,
De.).  Then I adopted one from Oxford Ferret Rescue in Oct (a baby) and
I just adopted an older boy (4-5 Years old) on Xmas eve from Oxford.  I
just cant express how much I love all my boys.  Besides my family they
are what I live for.  They bring me such joy and happiness that I cant
imagine what my life was like before without them!  How lonely I must
have been before they came into my life.  I long to see them when then I
am at work, I miss them when I am not home, and I rush home to be with
them.  When I get home they hear my car pull into the garage and they run
to the door to see me.  And when I walk into the house they jump on my
legs to pick them up and they kiss me and kiss me!  My husband said that
he never would have thought I could love my ferrets so much.  My kids
kick themselves because they were the ones who talked me into my 1st boy
Sammy.  They tease me and say that they wish they were my ferrets since
they have it so good!  LOL.  They always say to me that I can't do enough
for the boys!  (Believe me my daughters are spoiled too!!!)
 
Of course as they age they are very expensive.  I read in the ferrets
magazine that when you own a ferret you should expect at least several
expensive surguries over their short lifetime.  Now I have my boy Gus who
is probably 5 but right now very healthly.  He came in to Oxford Ferret
Rescue through the Del SPCA.  He is such a sweet loving boy.  It took
about 6 days to integrate him into the "herd" but finally he is sleeping
in my last 2 boys' cage (Max & Cody) and loving it!  I sneak peaks under
the cage cover at bedtime and watch him in his sleep licking the boys
ears and snuggling up to them.  It brings tears to my eyes and I am so
glad I could give him a loving home with friends for him to love and be
loved by for however long he has on the earth.
 
This uncondtional love and trust is what I treasure in my ferrets and why
I will give them the best possible home and the most love I can for as
long as they are with me.  If you do get a ferret you will understand all
this and come to treasure every minute you will share with you fuzzies.
Please check out your local shelter as another FMLer mentioned, either
Rockys or Oxford before you go to your local pet store.  I can put you in
touch with either of these shelters where they have many loving ferrets
in need of a good home.  (Email me anytime.)
 
Lisa, Sammy, Teddy, Casper, Max, Cody & Gus Gus
[Posted in FML issue 4744]