This is an extremely difficult post for me to write.  I'm sitting here with
tears streaming down my face.  Two of our ferrets, Ethel and Sniffy escaped
outside sometime yesterday afternoon/evening.  Apparently someone wasn't
too careful about shutting the back door (it's broken) as we left to go
holiday shopping.  We left the house at 1:30pm on Sunday & returned about
7pm to find the back door ajar.  To say I am devastated & hysterical would
be an understatement.  I just thank God it wasn't all 7 of them that
escaped!  We spent the first 2hours calling & squeaking toys *all* over the
neighborhood and thru the woods.  Nothing.  Of course the fact that it was
already dark didn't help.  We then made up 100's of "Lost Ferret" flyers
(complete with a picture) which we put on lamp posts and stop signs around
the neighborhood and put one on every mailbox.  I posted signs at the local
bagel joints, supermarkets and petstores as well as 7-11 and Dunkin Donuts.
I'm just sick about this & it's *very* difficult for me not to KILL!!  the
child that was so careless!  I also plan to bring signs to all the humane
societies and vets in the surrounding community as well as anywhere else
that seems appropriate.  We'd called the police right away & notified them.
Calling the police was a good move because before 7:30 this morning someone
had found one of our ferrets & was put in touch with us by the police.  The
little stinker was a good 4 blocks from my home & had traveled thru woods
and across roads.  :-( Thankfully Sniffy is now safe & sound but Ethel is
still out there somewhere.
 
I'm terrified that I will never see her sweet face again.
 
Naturally I can't stop crying.  Oh, we've also put cages & carriers and
boxes all around the yard with blankies & food in them.  I'm praying that
she will wander home & snuggle down in one.  We've also left the garage
door open a bit for the same reason.
 
If you have any advice or ideas - some avenue I've overlooked that might
get them back to me, please let me know.  I plan to get this on cable & in
the newspapers around the area also.
 
Sigh.....I'm just so upset.  It would be easy to become immobilized with
grief but that wouldn't find Ethel.  Of course there's no way of knowing
if they left together or at separate times.  They had a 5+ hour window of
opportunity.  How likely are they to have stuck together?  It's my
impression that they aren't very likely to but for each for wander off in
her own direction.
 
I don't know what else to say except please pray for my girl to come home.
Diane and the gang
[Posted in FML issue 2515]