>Date:    Wed, 18 Mar 1998 14:50:38 -0800
>From:    zen and the art of ferrets - bill and diane <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: zen on a couple of shelter things...
 
>We do not place these older ferrets often but rather these become "ours".
>We try for one less disturbing loss of home.  Same with health problems.
 
If I had to keep every ferret over age five that has come into my shelter in
the past six months, that would amount to well over 25 ferrets.  If I did
that for the next two years, well, you can see how absurd it would get.
Thank God for our wonderful foster homes who open their hearts and homes to
our older shelter ferrets.  I would rather move them to a permanent owner or
foster home where they can get more attention than I could possibly give,
despite the fact that yes, it's another move.  In the long run it is better
for the ferret.  Usually they are only here in the shelter for a week or two
for observation/shots/cleanup before moving to the foster home, and often
the new owner or foster parent visits with them here first.  Perhaps you are
not getting as many seniors as we are.  It has become a real issue here.
Over 30% of our turn-ins have been over five since last August.  Most of
these have been in the six and up catagory.  Sad part is that most were
turned in for no good reason, and had obviously been seriously neglected.
We lost several due to various advanced cancers, etc.  within a week or two
of them arriving in the shelter.  IMHO in most cases if the owner had either
turned them over earlier or gotten treatment on their own earlier, they
would still be alive.  A good 25% of the ferrets that come into our shelter
are in need of surgery or other expensive medical treatments.  We do try to
adopt out as many as possible after surgery though.  Meg with the broken
leg, Thunder who had an intestinal blockage removed, Scooter with the benign
cutaneous tumor.  All of these ferrets were successfully adopted out after
surgery.  However a ferret with lympho or insulinoma, etc.  would stay here
of course.
 
>Behavior problems stay or don't stay depending upon rehabilitation.  We
>have never had problems placing pairs.   We have placed multiple pairs on
>the same day at the better shows.  We have even placed a triple on the
>same day with pairs.
 
What I was referring to was other shelters who have waiting lists.  I have
been contacted by several, but they want young, healthy ferrets who can be
adopted out singularly.  We have been able to succesfully rehab 90% or more
of the behavior problems.  The rest end up becoming "ours".  Right now we
have about 6 ferrets unadoptable due to agressive biting.  Most were abused
by previuos owners.  We also have been able to place quite a few pairs, and
even a triplet here and there.
 
>So maybe we don't completely agree.  We do not have trouble placing 2 or 3
>year olds at all.  Even when someone is also looking at our kits.  You have
>to point out the advantages AND disadvantages of both.  For first time
>owners the older ferret is usually better.  We don't normally have 4 year
>olds in the shelter.  We usually get younger or older.  Just a difference
>in location perhaps.
 
I never said anything about 2-3 year olds.  We don't have trouble placing
them either.  I wouldn't know about trying to adopt shelter ferrets and sell
kits at the same time, although I can look at it from adopting very young
shelter ferrets (yes, we do get them turned in at 8 weeks old) vs. more
mature 2-3 year olds.  For a first time owner, we generally prefer them to
take a 2-3 year old who has been box trained, knows not to nip, and won't
eat their bedding, etc.  We try to match the ferret with the adopter, just
as most shelters do.
 
-Anne
[Posted in FML issue 2252]