Happy Holidays U Ferret Lovers!!!
 
I hope your holidays are filled with tender moments, a few sweet
treats, and appreciation of friend and family. I am looking forward
to 3 days off next week. I can hardly wait, though in truth I will be
attending to hours of paper work long put off due to life getting in
the way.
                                 _HOWEVER_

I actually had a wonderful joyous day yesterday, visiting this ferret
sanctuary. The lady and her husband spent about 2 years to convert the
garage into still another area for the ferrets...with a jumbo washer to
handle the endless wash. The door was wood frame with heavy glass inset
so that one could always see the ferrets that might be within.It was so
well constructed and lovely.

A friend of mine went to visit a shelter in another state. There was
no space or room for the ferrets to play. Ferret cages lined the steps
going up stairs. Cages were just everywhere. A shelter I had visited
had a tiny area the size of a closet for the babies to play an hour a
day. Another one I visited had no room at all for play.

One must be grateful for any place at all kept clean and comfortable
where good food and clean water are provided. Since Sept. 11th,
donations to ferret shelters are down. So I do not complain of others.
I just could not help leap in my heart at the wonderful haven these
ferrets have.

This place is amazing. This woman is amazing. The cages are Martin
cages, clean as a whistle due to her endless hours scrubbing. By 8 in
the evening, I got to see what she was up against to just a tiny
degree. Many of the ferrets do not use the clean roomy litter boxes.
They poop in bedding, on the floor of the cage, and by the box...I
could understand why people who had purchased 6 to 8 ferrets dumped
them. There were significant quantities of shi... everywhere. I gagged
on the mess helping to clean just a few cages...I am ashamed. But I
did.

Mind you, she did not want me to help..only to play and enjoy and talk.
But I wanted to do the little I did. It once again confirmed that I
could not commit to the endless thankless work she is faced with.

I have Biscuit. He is like so many of the ferrets at the sanctuary . He
is startled and shocked to be placed in a litter box, and bolts out of
it as though I am trying to kill him. He poops in the middle of
anywhere in any room. He was found in a garage. I have no idea of his
childhood. But he will NOT use a litter box.

I cannot imagine how my stomach could handle looking or smelling or
feeling all that *stuff* multiplied times 40.It leaked through the
paper toweling and onto my hands. It was everywhere in some of those
lovely cages just hours after being scrubbed and new bedding placed. I
shudder at the thought of the hours and hours of daily washing of
bedding and cages, and all that drippy endless stuff to be picked up.
Sorry. But I do.

I could fully understand why these were unadoptable ferrets. Who would
want to deal with scouring out all those piles for years? Not me.

But the poopers are all war dancing dooking rompers in this large play
area. And aside from the adrenals that are on meds and sprouting fur,
the fur of these ferrets is unbelievable. Truly unbelievable. Soft and
silky and fluffy as I have ever seen or felt. They reminded me of the
pelts of white foxes I saw in Alaska. Luxurious, splendid fur as though
they were show ferrets? We talked about what could be making the ferret
under her care so handsome. But we could not know for certain.

This lady is such a ferret Dr. Her skills are truly awesome. I did not
understand part of what she was saying as she knew just what was tried,
given, how many mg/ml of x, y, and z. A number of babies are 8 or 9 or
10 years old and still have the will to live under her gentle hands.
She is up in the middle of the night when they need her.

She has a much better chance of caring for her charges and keeping them
alive by having them close at hand than in some distant place. Babies
barely hanging on months ago when I last visited had been revived under
her vigilance that included 3 hour feedings around the clock.

You would just love this woman. She is self effacing, patient, tender,
knowledgable, and dedicated beyond anything I have ever witnessed
personally to the happiness and health of these babies...many of whom
are on meds and soup..

I brought her a ferret toy the last two times I managed to be able to
get there...which is not often. She is several hours away from me, and
I have little free time. This time I brought a collapsible tunnel that
a small child would crawl through. The ferrets went nuts. And we sat
on the floor talking, laughing,kissing ferrets, watching them go wild
through the netted areas in the tunnel, and just sucking in ferret
zest.

Her husband is the most accomplished baker and cook. He prepared all
these dishes for lunch and dinner. Me...I defrost a frozen dinner or
eat a salad or soup. This guy is as soft hearted and hard working and
skillful as Kathy. They make a lovely devoted couple. He is equally
skilled at building and repairing. What a gem. Ladies...you would
really like him.

As you can see...I am still up in the air.What a holiday treat! What a
ferret rush. I dreamed of large hopping white ferrets last night with
long thick silken hair.

Just had to share...I am still walking on clouds.
Lisette

[Posted in FML 5460]