It's 10:45 p.m. and the phone startles me as I'm just drifting off to
sleep.  I look up at the phone through blurry eyes and try to catch it
before it rings again and awaken the little ones (who think the phone
is an alarm clock, a signal to get up, no matter what time it is when
it rings).  Late night and middle of the night calls are no stranger in
our home so I keep the phone close to the bed for quick answering.
 
"Ferret Family Services, this is Troy Lynn, how can I help you?"  I
sleepily mumble into the mouthpiece.
 
"Hello, what is it you do?"  says a very awake voice.
 
"We help people with ferret issues."
 
"I think we have a ferret trying to get into our house, or a possum."
 
I bolt up wide awake grabbing clothes to change into. "You think?  What
does it look like?"
 
"It looks like a ferret but without fur."
 
"O.k.  it's a ferret.  Please put it in a cat or dog carrier, toss in
some cat or dog kibble and I'll be right there."
 
I make sure he's got the ferret before I hang up and I head out the
door.
 
When I get there I find a box over the ferret and kibble crumbs laying
around.  I pick up the box and there sits a wide-eyed, 3/4 bald ferret,
looking up as if to say, "IT'S ABOUT TIME!"  I pick her up and snuggle
her close as the man takes a couple steps back.  I briefly explain that
she has cancer and that is why she is bald.  (to those that don't know
anything about ferrets I've found this to be the easiest to understand
explanation.) He seems a bit sad and asks if that means she won't live
very long.  I smile and say, she'll have her surgery done and she should
be fine.  He thanks me for coming out and I thank him for calling and
helping this precious little one.  I take the little one to her temporary
home and get her settled in.  The search for her people will start during
daylight.
 
As I crawl back into bed to finish this mornings sleep, I think of how
unfortunate it was for her to escape her home, but also how fortunate
this little one was to pick the right house to try to get into.  Even
though the people were afraid of her, they helped her.  Now if we can
only find her family and get her back home.
 
hugs to all. tle
www.ferretfamilyservices.org
[Posted in FML issue 5223]