When my husband gave me 2 ferrets that had been dumped at a feedstore
years ago I knew nothing about ferrets so bought the "Dummies" book.
One part jumped out at me...3 is better than 2. My husband had no idea
what he started! I contacted the OR Ferret Shelter and adopted not 1
but 2 more....Chris told me she had 2 ferrets that would be perfect....
they were! It was the beginning of a wonderful friendship...... at the
opposite ends of Oregon.

Chris became my lifeline, a very informative and patient lifeline. She
never tired of my phone calls or questions....or at least she didn't
tell me she did! She answered poop questions, medical questions, food
questions and behavior questions with expertise. She listened with joy
when I told her a former biter gave me kisses and she listened as I
wept over the loss of one of my furkids.

Chris' husband Dave connected with my husband and they talked for
hours. They were able to come here and use my guesthouse for a couple
"quiet" days now and then with Chris on the phone constantly with
volunteers at the shelter. Most of my "oldies" came from the shelter.
Once when they visited I had 3 rescues of my own being quarantined in
the guesthouse and they cared for them....not much of a vacation! Every
time Dave was here he wanted to hold each and every one of my furkids
and give them kisses. My husband's ancient cat Sandy loved Dave and
would wander back and forth between the two guys for attention. When
Dave and Chris were here, Sandy thought it was her duty to join them
in the guesthouse.

Twice Chris brought a baby to me saying that I needed a younger ferret
because of the loss of all my oldies. She was right! Tyki came 3 years
ago and Treasure came last year. They have been a constant joy to me
especially on dark days after the loss of an oldie.

During my husband's illness, Dave wanted to come see him but was
fighting his own medical issues. He was devastated when my husband
died. Dave and Chris traveled down for the memorial service, helping
with the funeral dinner and comforting my 5 daughters who consider
them family. They are family as far as I'm concerned.

Chris and Dave are very special ferret people and have spent their
lives caring for ferrets. Recently they took in 2 ferrets that had been
left for days in a carrier beside a dumpster in the rainy, cold Oregon
winter. The entire underside of both ferrets were terribly urine burned
and they were very ill. After vet care and constant care at the shelter
one survived and one died. Chris and I agreed that the person who
dumped them needed to be stripped naked and put in a cage with no food,
water or a place to go to the bathroom and left for days in the cold.
We always think alike when it comes to justice. Another ferret she took
in had been returned to a pet shop very ill. The pet shop was going to
euthanize it. Chris rescued the little one and the vet discovered that
the ferret had been poisoned, probably so the owners could get their
money back because it was so ill. The ferret lived under Chris' care.
And there have been hundreds of other rescues through the years and she
has always encouraged me with my own rescues. I wish so much I could be
there to help her with the shelter. My 5 teenage daughters want to help
too but we are 6 hours away and the girls are all in school so it can't
happen. If there was a way to get them down here, I would take 5 or 6
of the shelter kids to live here permanently. Darn it all any ways!

Nancy, daughters Elizabeth, Gabriella, Alexis, Mary and Rose who are
feeling so useless right now!

[Posted in FML 6934]