I had this ferret with me for an entire week and during this time:

- I ran a listing in craigslist.com and the local paper. "Found ferret
- email to describe". One person contacted me but they were looking for
a dark sable with a full coat and the ferret was lost about four miles
from where this one was found. The only lost listing was for an albino
ferret.

- I called the guy who found the ferret to find out exactly where it
was it was found. I drove back there and parked my car and walked
around several blocks with my dog looking for "Lost ferret" signs -
none were up.

- I called the local ferret shelter - nobody reported this ferret
missing.

So whoever owned this ferret seems to have let it out on purpose. He
also had what looks like a basal cell tumor on top of his paw. That
didn't just appear in a short while I'm sure - they've ignored that as
well. And I suppose their reasoning for just dumping him and not taking
him to a shelter is that they realized how neglected he was and maybe
didn't want to get "in trouble" for that. If, as you say, it'd been
lost for awhile well his nails were FAR too clean to have been out for
more than a day or two. Plus it's been dropping down into the 30's at
night here. There's no way being as naked as he is he could have
survived. Add to that there's lots of coyotes that would make a quick
meal of an unsuspecting ferret. And if now - a week later - someone's
just noticing their ferret is missing - well then they definitely
don't deserve to have it back.

He's down at the shelter now and will be looked at by the vet Monday. I
may end up fostering him - haven't really decided yet. Really want to
see what the vet says about him. I don't really want anymore ferrets
but I would like to help this guy and being that I work from home could
easily give him plenty of out-of-cage playtime separate from my gang so
they don't scratch his poor like naked body! Percy cat definitely seems
to miss him - he keeps looking around the house!

While I was at the shelter this couple and a teen came in with three
ferrets they "had to get rid of" since they're new place didn't allow
ferrets. They d been keeping them in the garage since moving and "they
weren't eating much . One was "suddenly sick" - looked like it barely
alive. They "don't know what happened" they gave it a bath and it "just
got like this". I had to get out of there QUICKLY. I really hate humans
sometimes...

Laura

[Posted in FML 5788]