I received a 'phone call today from Wigan Metro (Lancashire, England) a
tenant had called them to say that he had found a cage dumped in the back
garden of the house next door - in the cage were two ferrets.
 
Ron and I went to the address and found the cage in the hedge with an old
mattress covering it.  We carried the cage out to the Land Rover and gave
the kits some water.  Some children who were walking past shouted something -
I called to them to come over.  I told the eldest lad that we had found the
ferrets abandoned in the garden, the lad told me that they weren't abandoned
but belonged to someone who lived on the opposite side of the road, he
couldn't keep them at home.  I told the lad that we were taking the ferrets
because they had no water and as far as I could see there was no food in the
cage!  On getting back home I did find a dish in the cage and some corned
beef mixed in with the hay!  The bedding did smell sweet but if the ferrets
aren't watered and fed having fresh bedding isn't much use.
 
The hob kit is in fairly good condition but the little albino jill is in a
sorry state, she weighs about 12oz and her ribs are very prominent - I don't
know whether I did right taking the kits but I was called out by the local
council so I guess it'll be up to the owner to contact them for my 'phone
number.  I am intrigued to know why he couldn't keep the ferret s at home -
maybe his parents didn't want him to - I would be very reluctant to hand
them back because I don't think they were being looked after correctly.
 
In the past 3 weeks I have taken in 7 ferrets, and 5 of them have been kits.
One of the adults is a lovely polecat hob - maybe 2 y.o., I reckon he was
thrown out when his owner found out that Stanley was blind in one eye.
 
Sheila
 
[log in to unmask]
http://www.btinternet.com/~sheila/ferrets.htm
Bolton Ferret Welfare & Newsletter Editor of the
National Ferret Welfare Society of the UK
The opinions expressed by me are not necessarily those of the NFWS
[Posted in FML issue 2066]