People not taking care of their pets
 
EXTREMELY LONG POST -- NOT ALL FERRET RELATED
I would just like to respond to whoever it was that wants someone to give up
their ferrets because *they* don't think that they are being cared for well
enough.  What makes you the judge?  How do you know they are not being cared
for?  Everybody has different ways of dealing with their pets.  I'm just so
angry about this issue because I recently had the MSPCA come to investigate
me because a neighbor complained that I was being cruel and abusive to my
dogs because they were kept in crates (doggie cages) while I was at work
(and they barked).  These dogs are still puppies, they are large, not
completely housebroken, and VERY destructive (chewing, etc) if they are not
supervised.  What is more cruel -- crating them or having them be
electrocuted while chewing a wire?  They have one hour out in the AM (go
outside, eat, drink etc.) they are crated for 10 hours during the day then
have 5-6 hours out in the evening and then are crated again for 6-8hrs
overnight.  Mean, mean mean!  Right?  Not to me and not to them.  This is
how they have been living their lives since they were 6-7weeks old.  They
don't know anything else.  They get their walks and playtime outside, they
get treats, and good food, they're happy.  My ferrets are also caged most of
the time (almost ALWAYS) because there are a lot of little holes and fun
places to go in the walls (old house).  There are also the dogs and cats
that unknowingly might hurt the little critters (my littlest dog likes to
pick them up, this doesn't hurt them, but the larger ones like to do it too
and I'm afraid they will chomp down too hard).  I also have more than 30
small animals, (rodents) and 2 birds (1 is a large parrot who gets out some
of the time, but he eats woodwork).  They are caged ALL of the time and
guess what?  I don't hold them that often.  But they seem happy as can be
playing with each other and eating their yummies.  I love the pets,
sometimes I get a little tired of all of the work (with 50+ in the house
it's like having a second FULL TIME JOB) and I have them because I WANT
them.  Many of them such as 2 of the dogs, the rabbit and the four cats, a
few of the guinea pigs and one of the hamsters were all shelter rescues (or
has something wrong with it--hamster has NO teeth and needs special food)
and probably would have been put to death if I had not taken them (the
rabbit is very aggressive, she was to be put to sleep the same day I took
her home).  You probably think I am the cruelest person on earth, but my
pets are my life.  That's all I know, that's all I do.
 
And I feel just fine about the way I take care of them.  Flame away.
 
--ANN and the fabulous fifty-four
 
4 dogs, 4 cats, 4 ferrets, 18 gerbils, 2 hamsters, 4 siberian dwarf
hamsters,2 rats, 3 mice, 10 guinea pigs,1 chinchilla, 1 amazon
parrot, 1 parakeet.
[Posted in FML issue 1527]