Hello all. Hope you are bundled up for the winter. We just had 14
inches of snow here. It is beautiful....and took 5 hours of
invigorating shoveling.

I used to take Baby, my first ferret, everywhere. We went to indoor
theaters and to outdoor. She had a carrier that looked like a large
purse.

I took her grocery shopping. I took everyone to the pet store. They
were trained to sit pretty in the cart. I placed a blanket on the
bottom. I set the carrier down at the front check out booth. They just
loved all the smells and sights.

I took Baby to the mall. She would sleep in my pull over next to my
tummy. I had a leash and collar and her purse carrier with me.

Once, someone thought I was stealing things and putting them where Baby
was sleeping. I had to pull her out and show the shop keeper. Of all
the odd things, I walked in some years later as the owner was telling
the story of us. I had cut all my hair off, and she no longer
recognized me. Baby must have been quite a conversation piece at her
store. I pulled out this sleeping beatiful silver mitt curled up in a
ball. It must have left a deep impression on the store owner...who sold
animal figures.

Baby went in her sleep sack that kept her in a sack around my ribs to
the hardware store, where I heard stories from the farmers there about
how they owned ferrets to hunt rabbits.

Baby went to the bank with me, and everyone knew her name there. She
just sat pretty in her sleep sack that strapped around my back.

We went to French restaurants, and IHOPS. I took her on first dates
where I would just have coffee with someone.

I took her to toy stores to see if she reacted well to any of the toys,
so I might buy her a Christmas toy she liked. We shopped in Marshall
Fields looking at toys for babies.

Of course, everyone went to the park in nice weather every weekend. And
we went to the woods. They naturally loved digging and sniffing and
fresh air.

The kids went to Thanksgiving every year at my brothers, where everyone
would play with them. They love car rides.

Now I have biters that are unpredictable, and old ones on meds. With my
mother being so ill for the last 5 years, I have not had time to train
the babies to sit, roll over, beg, or sit pretty in a cart.

I am now afraid of insecticides on the grass, and fleas and
ticks...from all the readings about ferrets over the years. So this
summer was the first summer in about 20 years that no one went to the
park.

I wish they did not have these diseases that are contageous. I would
love to see ferret parks, as there are dog parks. But it has been
wonderful taking the babies everywhere. I see people now with small
dogs in pouches carried just about everywhere. And I remember the years
with my first ferret Baby.

Baby would just sit on my shoulder as we went on walks. I would bring a
water bottle and keep in shady areas. We visited friends, and went to
Bible study together. The only place we did not go was to work or to
the Dr. if I was sick. She loved visiting my mother, and learned that
she could not roam the living room, but had to sit pretty in our arms
there. She was aloud to free roam the kitchen only.

Happy Holidays to all ferret snugglers!!!.
And congratulations to SOS and Kat on raising so much money
for the besieged ferret shelters around the world.
God Bless BIG.

[Posted in FML 5447]