By the time you meet Dr. Katrina Ramsell, she will be the mother of My
Three Sons. Think there is a sitcom in there somewhere? She and her
husband in a chemistry class in Kansas and married four years later,
just in time to move to Michigan where they obtained matching Ph.D.s,
he in Physics and she in Neuropharmacology, before attending vet school.
"Most people have no idea that I went to vet school specifically for
ferrets. I am now an exotics vet with a particular interest in ferrets,
and I am the president and shelter vet for a local ferret shelter (The
Cascade Ferret Network)."
"Although my first ferret Tazhi only lived to be four years old,
she showed me during that time what amazing and intelligent little
creatures ferrets are. She changed my life forever - she helped me
realize a passion I never knew existed and determined my career." And,
Tazhi has her own special history. Did YOU know that you once could
get a ferret at Wal-Mart? "In 1986 I had a friend who worked in the
pet department at Wal-Mart in a small Kansas town where I grew up. My
friend got out a little ferret for me to play with in the aisle. I
had never seen a cuter, happier little creature in my entire life. My
boyfriend at the time bought her for me and I took her home. "Tazhi"
(named after a character in a Cary Grant movie) was in a small cage for
only a few days. She quickly demonstrated that ferrets are very smart
and love exploration, and they are nothing like a hamster or gerbil.
She gained free roam of my bedroom and slept in my dresser drawers.
We set off for college a year later, and I rarely studied without my
little buddy sleeping over my shoulder or on the back of my neck."
Tahzi brought years of excitement to the young ferret mom. "I'll
never forget how Tazhi had a favorite toy -- it was a purple 'Snap',
'Crackle' or 'Pop' character from a Rice Crispies cereal box. I called
it her "baby" because she would always keep it in one special place.
You could say 'Tazhi come get your baby' and she would come running
through the house to retrieve her beloved treasure. She would then
proceed to gently take it from my hand and carry it to my bedroom where
she would then run up a wicker trunk (with the baby in her mouth) and
set it in the middle of the front of a photo album with an inset where
a picture was supposed to go." And, in the end, she made one long trip
that many ferret owners have made. "I'll never forget the night she
died. She was so flat out. She couldn't move and seemed to be in pain.
I drove as fast as I could to Manhattan, Kansas which was almost two
hours away. Unfortunately she died on the way there, and my heart broke
when Dr. Finnegan said she was no longer with us. She was buried with
her purple baby."
Dr. Ramsell has so many ferret memories, she can keep you entertained
for hours. There will be hours to visit, so ask her to also tell you
about Floyd, whose picture is on the bulletin board by her desk. Or
Sally, her most recent ferret family addition who was diagnosed with
spontaneous diabetes. And then there was a little ferret named "Gentle
Ben." He has his own little web site. Ask her why!
For fun Dr. Ramsell enjoys spending time with her family, traveling and
exploring new places or returning to interesting places. One memorable
trip was her move to Oregon. "My husband had moved out to the west
coast in April of 2000 to start training for his new job. I was
pregnant with our first son and had to finish fixing up a little house
we had bought about four years before, get the house sold, and get
everything packed up for the movers to take to Oregon. In the end, I
was up for about forty-eight hours desperately trying to get everything
done before the big drive to Oregon. I ended up sleeping at a friend's
house (I slept for over twelve hours) because I was falling asleep at
the stoplights and knew I'd never even make it to the highway. The next
day I was rejuvenated and set off for Iowa to trade out my passenger's
seat worth of cleaning supplies for my mother in law. My little car was
packed! I had about eight pet taxies in the back seat -- a prairie dog,
several rats, a chinchilla, and of course several ferrets. In my trunk
was a terrarium with my husband's carnivorous plants, my clothes, pet
food, etc. After picking up my mother in law in Iowa, we set off for
Oregon. My car broke down in Lincoln, Nebraska late on a very rainy
June night. When I got to the hotel that night, I found Mable, one of
my pet rats, deceased in her pet taxi. The next day I had to rent a car
and transfer all of my stuff (pets, plants, etc.) to a rental car. At
this point I was about five months pregnant and still suffering from
morning sickness. We arrived at our new apartment in Oregon about half
an hour before the movers drove up with everything else I owned. What
a trip!"
You may catch Dr. Ramsell at a science fiction movie or show as "now
I'm having fun introducing sci-fi to my kids. When I get the chance,
I enjoy playing the piano, clarinet, and saxophone. I also enjoy
sports -- especially racquetball, basketball, and softball."
Is there anything this woman doesn't do? Although she enjoys just about
everything she does, if Dr. Ramsell could buy some time, she "would
love to spend some time with my grandfather who died when I was twelve
years old. From the day I was born, he taught me to have a great
appreciation for life. We used to sit on his back porch during the day
talking and watching the squirrels, and at night we would chat and
watch the fireflies. He would get out his telescope and show me the
stars and planets. My grandfather also introduced me to Egyptology and
stimulated my interest in ancient civilizations and mysteries of the
world such as the Bermuda Triangle. I would like for him to know that
I still have great appreciation and respect for the world and the
creatures we share it with. I'd like for him to meet my kids and my
husband, who shares many of the same interests he had. I would also
love to introduce him to ferrets. He would have adored my ferrets and
laughed at how fun and cute they are with all their little antics."
Come hear both Dr. Ramsell and her hero, Dr. Susan Brown, at the
Portland Symposium. "I'd like to be remembered as a fun mom, a kind
person, and a great ferret vet," Dr. Ramsell said.
I don't think that will be a problem!
You can contact her at
Katrina D. Ramsell Ph.D, DVM
Southwest Animal Hospital
6139 SW Murray Blvd.
Beaverton, OR 97008
Ph: (503) 643-2137
Fx: (503) 626-7392
For ferret-related issues, people can email me at:
[log in to unmask]
Check her out on the web at http://www.swanimalhospital.net
--
renee :)
It's amazing how much can be accomplished if nobody cares who gets the
credit!
Ferret Emergency Response, Rescue & Evacuation Team (F.E.R.R.E.T.)
http://www.ferretemergency.org
[log in to unmask]
International Ferret Congress
http://www.ferretcongress.org
American Red Cross
http://www.redcross.org
[Posted in FML 5629]
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