I took Ralph in to where I work the other day; I thought this would be a
nice quiet time when some people were on vacation, not a lot of work getting
done, etc.  I was surprised that just about every one really was very
interested and positive.  Even the one person who thought Ralph was a bit
strange, came back to find out more about him.
 
People asked lots of questions--what does he eat, do they make noise, will
he bite (but more in the sense of 'can I pet him' than 'is he vicious').
People wanted to know if ferrets were always that big (Ralph is close to 4
lbs.) or if ferrets were always that small(!) (Ralph is close to 4 lbs.)
People were surprised that his fur was soft, or that his fur was coarse(!)
Several people asked why I brought Ralph instead of the other two (Harry
gets into too much trouble and Cinderella has a fondness for ankles).  Ralph
was very cooperative about the whole thing, and quite interested in going
from office to office, tipping wastebaskets, going behind file cabinets etc.
 
One person commented that Ralph didn't seem very people-oriented.  I
realized that because he was in a new place, Ralph was intensely focused on
exploring, and that he acts differently at home.  I explained that normally
he would spend his time playing or sleeping or checking out something new,
and that in fact he is quite affectionate.
 
Ralph also slept a lot, and I woke him up numerous times to meet new people.
This prompted the question, 'Is he always so inactive?' (ha ha!) He looked
cute a lot, and showed what an SND (sleeping not dead) ferret looks like.
 
Lots of people came by to see him, and I think he was a wonderful
ambassador.  A lot of people had never seen a ferret before and were quite
impressed.  By the end of the day, both Ralph and I were exhausted!  When
we got home, Harry and Cinderella were very excited to see and smell him.
He played a little, then crashed again, while the other 2 entertained
themselves most of the night.
 
Free-roaming ferrets...
I think when you let fuzzbeans run around the house, you get an interesting
sense of when they choose to do things.  For example, I often hear
Cinderella get up about 2:30 am, at which time she gets a snack.  Sometimes
they play in the middle of the night.  I enjoy seeing how they choose to
come and go, where they sleep, etc.
 
On death...
I think one of the many gifts that animals give us is allowing us to share
their death.  Living in an industrialized society, I personally think death
has become so far removed from us, we forget it is an integral part of life.
Everyone who chooses to share their life with an animal, will most likely
have to deal with death.  Terminally ill human family and friends are
sometimes hooked up to machines, till they are finally permitted to die.
The body is then whisked off to an undertaker (no offense, I think they
provide a very valuable service) and often buried in a metal casket which
will take years to break down (if ever?).
 
With our animal friends, we often hold them in our arms when they die.  If
we choose, we can prepare their body for burial, choose what to bury them
with, perform meaningful rituals for the funeral.  We can choose a special
gravesite, plant flowers on their grave.  Other cultures did (and some still
do) this for their human loved ones, but a lot of that has been taken from
us (not suggesting that we need to do this, but I hope people understand the
nature of my thoughts).  I think being actively involved in the death of a
loved one helps in our grief.  I also think writing is very helpful, and I
hope people continue to feel that the fml is a place where feelings can be
shared about death as well as th e cute stories, medical information, etc.
 
On laying down flat...
While some of this may be pouting, I also think it is normal fuzzy behavior
to take a breather and lay flat for a few minutes; the technical term for
this is the ferret speed bump.
 
My sincere sympathy to everyone who has lost a ferret recently, and thoughts
of healing to everyone whose ferret is sick.  Wishing each of us a new year
filled with places to explore, friends and family to love, and many reasons
to do the dance of joy.
 
Ronnie DiComo
Cinderella (and raisins too!)
Ralph (work is tiring!)
Harry (I want to go rock climbing and rescue people!)
[Posted in FML issue 1430]