I'm so happy!  Some people called me today and they had Pepper!  Not only
that, but they've had him from the very beginning ... maybe 30 minutes
after he got out!!!  If I'd gone the other direction in my search, I could
have found him sunday morning!  Oh well, what's another few gray hairs?  :)
The posters are what finally did it.
 
He's safe and sound and never had to spend even one night out in the cold
and rain.  I can't tell you how relieved I am.  Every night he was gone I
stood out on my back porch and looked into the darkness wondering just
where he was; if he was cold or hungry or scared; if he was alive or dead.
I didn't know which way to look.  I looked the direction he'd gone in the
past, but some kids were walking down my street and he apparently just sort
of fell in with them!!!  <big grin> They took him home and he's been safe
and sound all along.
 
He's a little thinner, but not skinny -- he was fat before he got out.  I
don't know right now what they fed him (the boy who was caring for him
wasn't home but his sister was), but he ate *something* since he pooped as
soon as he got home.  Then he drank some water, ate some kibble, and TRIED
TO GET OUT THE BACK DOOR!!!  Aaaaarrrgh!  This ferret is going to give me a
nervous breakdown!
 
I'm a little worried by one behavior, though.  He seemed to gag when he
drank the water ... I'm going to watch him tomorrow and see if he's still
doing it.  Has anyone ever heard of that?  He was able to chew and swallow
dry food without gagging ...
 
I'm just so relieved!  I want to thank all the kind people who wrote to me..
thank you so much for the support and encouragement.  I was really
beginning to despair.  My entire neighborhood knows I have a ferret now,
and many know me by sight -- I walked around squeaking his toy for hours
in the last few days -- but hey, what's a little reputation? :)  I put
leaflets in mailboxes and posters on telephone poles.  Then put them back
up again when the punk kids pulled them down.  And put them up yet *again*
when helpful people took them and called me to say they'd help me look
(couldn't you have *written down* my number??!?!).  This has been an
adventure and a half.
 
Thank you all for being there. I hope I *never* have to do this again!
 
--Barb--
[Posted in FML issue 2468]