I read with a very heavy heard every time someone tells of loosing
a ferret. Many people just cannot understand how anyone could be so
attached to such an animal but unless they had one for some time and
invested the time and effort to work with the animal they could never
know. I feel it is those same people that cannot or will now work in
their own relationships with people.

Over the past decade and a half I have taken in nearly a dozen old
ferts that ended up in shelters for what ever reason or that those who
had them no longer could keep them. Being older animals their life with
me was much shorter than if they came here as a kit but they all had
such wonderful traits and every one being different made their way deep
into my heart. For certain I dearly miss them all, each and every one.

There were stars that I bonded to more than another, Byte-me was the
biggest star of all. Her picture hangs here before me and was the
very best ferret picture I ever took. That picture made it to the FML
calendar, was the September page. I happened to catch her when she was
posed perfectly in that most perfect setting and the camera even with
the digital delay took the shot that most abundantly captures the
beauty of that little animal. As I have written before, I could
actually talk and communicate to her and she to me. Never found that
in another ferret or animal, ever.

I was able to 'tell' her what side of the bed she could use and from
that moment on that is where she went to crawl up under the bed spread
and sleep. Was most comforting to crawl into bed to find that warm
lump in there waiting for me or to hear her 'sneaking' into the bedroom
and then clawing her way up and under the covers to spend the night
beside me.

Being older I have lost almost all my family members, these ferrets
rank right in there with those sentiments of sadness of loss when
they go.

Sometimes this world is so very cruel but also at times it is the most
beautiful place there is. Ying and Yang. Good and bad. Plus and minus.
There are two sides to everything and we must take both sides as they
present themselves. At least those of us that have found the bonding
to a ferret will have that good to take with them as I will.

Support your local ferret shelter.

Gordon, Peekaboo and Pester.

J. Gordon Bengtson
Aarrow-Ranch Aviation
Mechanicsville, Virginia 23111 

[Posted in FML 5984]