This is Susie Lee with The Ferret And Dove Sanctuary, Inc answering the
enquirer about elderly ferrets.
 
First, we are Not the first, by any means, to have a ferret achieve 14,
that honor goes to Chere McCoy and the Ferret Friends of Indian River
County who inspired us to "just keep trying".  Jazzmine Miss Boss Ferret,
whose Marshall Farms Certificate of birth papers (along with now-deceased
cagemates, Zeus MellowFellow, and Zipper-Goes-Faster, rest their dear
little souls!) has her certified as having been from the litters of kits
born January, 1992.  Wes and I bought the original three, including
Jazzmine, from a lady who said they were her brothers' from New Jersey:
We aquired them in 1997, when Jazzy and "Zoofy" and Zip were all around
5 years old.  Zeus left first, at 9 years old.  He had a tiny heart
murmur that gradually became audible as he made it into his 7th year.
Zip made it to her 11th year and then it was simply her time to cross
over.  Jazzmine Miss Boss has been an ornery, bossy, Alpha Female (I
ought to have put that last in all caps!)most of her life.  She was a
blaze-badger silver, back in '97 to '99 when she still had coloring, but
she's turned a creamy off-white just as Maggie Mae Moxie McDuff also did,
who was also an Alpha type, and lived to see her 12th year.
 
We want to extend special thanks to DEB CARLSON and her MN ANGELS for
sending a most marvelous and Much Appreciated Birthday celebrational
package for both Jazzy and Buckaroo.
 
(We also hope you're feeling much better, Deb!!!)
 
She is a miracle unto herself, and though she may not make it past this
last year alive, for she has slowed down and actually mellowed to the
point (at last!) where she doesn't nip, yell, and snap at all the "young
whippersnapper" ferrets who come to sniff noses, she makes Her Own Rules,
and changes them to suit Her Self.  Wes took a birthday picture of Jazzy
and her current cagemate, Buckaroo Babyface ferret (he's turned 9 and is
getting that "frailness" that we always see in very aged ferrets).
 
To find out how to "make" your ferrets live an extra-long time, ask
Chere McCoy how she does it for her own shelter-furkids!  All we know
is Jazzy and Buck like what they like When they like it!  Enough sleep,
Peace and Quiet!!!, a good set of warm meals of home-made "duck" soup,
a little sniffing-around time, and then more'nuff sleep! :)
 
To see Jazzy and Buck's birthday pic, look here...
www.angelfire.com/theforce/ferret_rescuer/index.html
for those interested in our adoptables, here...
http://www.petfinder.org/shelters/FL571.htm
[Posted in FML issue 5115]