It's late at night and almost Christmas.

Each year around this time I know that it is coming.

It's not that I hope something bad will happen, I know it will, in fact
I expect it and I plan on it and I wait for it.

Just when I look around, think we are getting ahead and see some empty
cages, my friend says "don't say it"

I dont have to we know it's coming and it will be bad.

Within the last ten days :

When the first three ferrets came back to the shelter after being
adopted out two years ago, she said, "it this it"?
No, it?' coming.

When the two 6 month olds came in from being an impulse buy¸ "is this
it?"
No, it's coming.

When the second set of three ferrets ended up at the shelter when their
owner did not come back for them?
No it's coming?.

How about the ferret who was free on craigslist who only weighed a half
pound and had to be hand fed?
No, it's coming.

When the ten ferrets we have coming for the holidays came and we added
three more for ferret sitting, she said ok, this has to be it!
No, in fact I called the vet's office yesterday to get some extra
supplies because I knew it was coming.

And then the wicked thing came and my phone rang?..

Two ferrets were left outside and it's only 20 degrees right now.

They were huddled together near the trash for many days until someone
called us.

While that in itself is horrid, two others were left out in the woods
recently.
What makes this different?

One ferret has a huge tumor in his mouth and cannot eat very well. In
the picture half of the tumor is outside his mouth and the other half
is inside.
<http://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/photo.php?fbid=10151199668883865&set=a.391680298864.165825.593073864&type=1&theater>
[Login required and/or link incorrect. BIG]

The other ferret has a large tumor on his shoulder.

I was lucky to call a local volunteer and ferret mom to go into Boston,
pick them up and bring them to the shelter.

One look from the carrier told me to call the vet's office before they
closed.

The assistant shelter director knows "the look" and grabbed her keys.
She knew this was what had been coming, she didn't even have to ask.
They didn't even have names yet as they went out the door.

I have put on my facebook page a picture and the video we quickly took
of them and especially a picture of the boy with the tumor in his
mouth.
<http://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/photo.php?v=10151199609828865&set=vb.593073864&type=2&theater>
[Login required and/or link incorrect. BIG]

The vet we used is very experienced and has been our shelter vet for
more than 10 years. She has never seen a tumor like this in a ferret.
The other ferret has a mass in a difficult spot on his shoulder. Both
will need surgery neither looks to be more than 2 years old or so.

I cannot imagine such a person who would put these two ferrets who
desperately needed care out in the bitter cold.

Tonight they are safe at our shelter having ate three bowls of soup
and snuggled down into soft blankets exhausted.

Something wicked this way came, and we were here.

The lucky ones make it to our door, there are so many who don't.

Diane at South Shore Ferret Care
[log in to unmask]
email and paypal address

[Posted in FML 7646]