We arrived in KC at 10:00 am at the delta cargo area and told it takes an
hour for cargo to be delivered, so we went to breakfast.  When we got got
back there were no ferrets.  Glen at the cargo office called the gate and
was told there were no ferrets.  The computer indicated were on the flight.
Atlanta stated the ferrets left as scheduled.  After several calls, at 1:00
we discovered the ferrets were on a CA flight.  I was talking with Beth at
the time, relayed the info, and she quickly went to work and found helpers
in the areas we needed, Sacramento and Salt Lake City.  In CA the ferrets
were taken to an air conditioned office till being loaded on a flight to
Utah.  In Utah a volunteer and son met with the supervisor.  They
checked/watered the ferrets.  At 7:38 the kits arrived at KCI.
 
We transferred them from their box and wire crate (in pine shavings) to
large pet taxis equipped with hammock, blankies, food and water.  After 24
hours without food and water (except for the syringed water) they were very
hungry and thirsty.
 
At Lyndas we finished fixing their cage and let them out.  We let the
auction ferrets out too.  The kits were so funny!  They dooked and danced,
bounced, grabbed our legs, chewed on shoes and hands.  There is a male who
has a bad eye so we are especially gentle with him.
 
There are 3 black selfs, 1 butterscotch and the rest are pastel.  The black
selfs are the only ones with long coats and they look like little raccoons.
We let them play for over an hour and then it was time for bed.  We put them
in a large 3 level wood and wire cage equipped with 3 beds, 1 hammock, 1
large litterbox, and plenty of food and water.  Once we got them all in
(Lynda had 10 instead of 9 - Dancer thought that was just fine :-)) they
looked at us like they were not a tiny bit tired.
 
The Texas broker, Jason Shaw took the kits to the airport Saturday night at
7:30.  They flew to Atlanta, arriving at midnight.  Between the time they
landed and to fly out the next morning at 8:00 there was a gate change... to
CA.  If Jason hadn't taken them to the airport the night before this would
not have happened.  Granted we cannot know there will be a problem, but even
without a problem, these little ones would have been in transit for 15
hours.  This is unacceptable.  Ferrets need food and water at the minimum of
every 3-4 hours.  There were thin plastic cups with chew holes wired into
each compartment.  Water doesn't stay in holey cups.
 
The angoras are big for 12 weeks, already the size of our full grown males
and the females are very large too.  They are very frisky, bitey to be exact
and we are working on that.  They are very playful and I usually have 5
playing with my shoes (which are still on my feet) and 3 chasing my hands as
I'm cleaning their cage.  And talk about mess!  Boy are they messy!  They
trash their cage every day!  I think they have now pooped in every corner of
their full three level cage and smeared it on all the floors.  Little
stinkers. :-)  And boy are they eating!  About 10 cups a day and they don't
leave even one tiny crumb!  They love the food mixture of Iams, Totally
Ferret, Pro Plan, Eukanuba, Healthy Harvest and Nutromax.
 
Each evening I visit them to play, clean cages, and work with them on bite
training.  They are learning very quickly and are all very friendly.  They
are using the litter box more and the cage floors less.  They LOVE people.
One got on top of a cage and when I was trying to pick her up to put her on
the floor so she wouldn't fall she jumped right into my arms, which Lynda
thought was very funny.:-)  She also thought it was funny when I did my
little dance while I was trying to clean the cage and keep the little ones
from biting through my canvas sneakers.  :-)
 
The Pastels are beautiful and I've formed an attachment to one in particular
that is blind in one eye.  He bit me several times pretty good till we
noticed he was blind in one eye.  Since then I make sure he knows it is o.k.
for me to pick him up and I make sure he sees me with his good eye.  In
general the Pastels seem more energetic than the black-selfs.  I'm working
on the bite training by picking them up and stroking them.  Linatone is a
special treat and they learn quickly to relate picking up with a drop of the
yummy stuff. :-)  For the times when they bite, I gently grab their bottom
jaw and hold it a few seconds.  We are working on scruffing too.  They
certainly do not like it but they are beginning to tolerate it a little.
 
I really don't know anything about Angoras (well I didn't a week ago) but
I certainly hope that others that are being sold are better socialized.  I
shudder to think that these babies could have gone to a pet store in the
US and would have bitten someone, then be killed and tested for rabies.  I
know little about the shipping/broker process but I certainly don't like
it from what I've learned through this situation.  These are living,
breathing, feeling beings for goodness sakes!
 
I read with interest the info in previous FML issues about Angoras being
mean.  With my limited experience with this situation I've found that
Angoras are certainly not any different in baby temperament than our own US
kits.  They are babies and must be taught proper behavior.  Their size is so
much larger that some people forget they are babies because they look FULL
GROWN, their teeth are larger (due to size of ferret) and their little jaws
stronger (again due to size).  But they are all kit with the same love, joy,
exuberance for life and play.  If anyone has experienced what they thought
was a mean angora, I'd suggest checking into the treatment/handling of that
particular ferret received.  You will most certainly find it was the
breeder/broker at fault and not the kit itself.
 
It is the breeder/broker that should be persecuted, not the angora ferret.
 
Thank God these babies were delivered into our loving, capable, willing
hands.  Nadine has said that if we can sell them, they won't be brokered
again.  We are diligently trying to find loving caring responsible homes for
these babies.  Lord knows they've already had enough misery to last a life
time.  They now receive lots of nutritional high quality food, plenty of
fresh water, litter boxes, sleeping beds w/blankets, hammock, an abundance
of hugs, cuddles and kisses, plenty of playtime out of their large full 3
level cage and gentle bite training.  We are devoting much time, energy, and
money (food, litter, etc) to the best of their welfare.  Each and everyone
one is worth every bit.
 
Hugs to all. tle
[Posted in FML issue 2108]