Hi FML . . .
 
Well, for once I disagree with the great Bob Church, which I admit is an
unusual circumstance!
 
I run a very small ferret shelter.  I'm lucky.  I opened with 6 ferrets
being dropped off in one day and I didn't know how I was going to manage.
I held all 6 in quarentine for 10 days, then sent two pairs to the parent
shelter because one ferret in each pair needed veterinary attention--one
ferret was a possible adrenal.  When my step-children fell in love with the
remaining pair I let their mother adopt them, to add to her lonely-only
ferret at home.  I can monitor the care these animals get.
 
I don't have walls of stacking cages, either.  I have two cages large
enough for 1 pair or small group in each, and 1 small cage for a single
ferret.  In an emergency, I have two large kennels that could hold 1 pair
in each, for a short time period.  Max capacity here including a group of
ferrets is about 10.  On top of my home group of 5.  My home group, and my
shelter ferrets each gets out for play time twice a day.  They are not
neglected.  They are loved, and cuddled, and snuggled, and worked with.
Those that aren't litter-box trained become litter-box trained.  Nippers
learn not to nip.
 
If I "give" these ferrets to strangers, I have to take their word that a)
they know how to take care of ferrets, and b) they are willing to take care
of them.  If I hand off ferrets to just anyone, just to get them out of the
shelter, I don't know if they'll EVER get out of their cages.  It's my
policy to try to make friends of perspective adoptors (of which there are
few in this neck of the woods) so I don't feel so much like they're
strangers.  I've had several calls requesting a single ferret, so now I
have a list.  I only have a pair, and they've been together since BIRTH--I
will not split up a bonded pair just to get them out of the shelter.  It's
all stressful enough on these poor babies.
 
And it's my job to let people know, for instance, this pair isn't litter
box trained, but they're learning, and that that one has something major
against dogs and will attack on sight.
 
If I hand over a problem ferret to unsuspecting people, I'll probably get
it back in worse shape than it was in the first place.  And many of the
ferrets I get in are thin, starved, and a little bit freaky.
 
Haven't these babies been through enough?  Our goal is to find PERMANENT
LOVING homes.  I opened my shelter in June, and I've had 9 ferrets come
through--two of the nine are still being sheltered by the parent shelter
because of adrenal symptoms, and two more of the nine have been with me
since July.  I have two empty shelter cages.  I'm not overcrowded.  I'd
like to find Ziggy and Zoey a home before more ferrets come to me, but so
far the right people haven't come along.  I was lucky to find a friend to
foster for life a boy of 7 years old.  Most people want BABY ferrets, the
pair I have are 3 years old.  Or ferrets that will get along with other
household animals, and the pair I have do not like other animals.  It's
hard to find the right people in an area of low demand where that demand is
met 110% by two pet stores that sell baby ferrets.  We're not the humane
society who will adopt out just to add one more successful statistic--we
ARE a little bit picky.  Most the ferrets we get in have been dumped
because the original owner had no idea that ferrets require a different
kind of care than cats, dogs, or hamsters.  We are determined for adoptors
to know what they're getting into as to the type and quality of care we
expect and that ferrets deserve.
 
And if we're full, are we going to say "no, we can't take your ferret" to
a person who's likely to take the ferret to the park and set it 'free' to
starve to death?  Nope, we'll find the room somehow to take on just one
more.
 
Kudos to those of you who do have a demand for shelter ferrets and are able
to let them go.  Kudos to you who have adopted ferrets from shelters.  And
Kudos to me for doing what I do, for loving ferrets, for spending my own
money on care and feeding (don't think that adoption fees cover more than a
fraction my expenses) and for worrying and crying a little bit every time I
let one baby go home with someone I don't know all that well.
 
--Sheri M.
in the Company of Ferrets North
Superior, WI  (715) 395-9435
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[Posted in FML issue 2513]