Hi Diane,
 
I'm so sorry to hear that Ethel hasn't been found yet.  I'll keep my
fingers crossed that she'll be spending Christmas with you.
 
About your rescue, I'm really glad to hear you gave in to that call and
took her.  Sounds like she desperately needed a new home.  I'm fostering a
boy right now who seemed to have a similar past.  The story I got was that
a girl got him when she was a high school freshman.  Now she has graduated
and doesn't want him anymore.
 
A friend of her brother (or something like that) turned him over to one
person, who is a ferret owner, and a good one, but couldn't keep him.  So
he was given to a shelter mom.  (All this was in the span of about a week).
She had him 1 week before I took him.  In the first 2 weeks I had him he
gained 6.5 ounces!  He was all skin and bones.  He has now filled out
beautifully!
 
He was an only ferret for 4 years.  Because of that, he has been terrified
by my others.  I've had him for about a month now.  Last night, I had let
my fuzzies out to play and as usual he watched from inside his cage and
acted like he wanted to join them.  Now, I have a male that doesn't like
other males so joining the whole group is not an option, but after my male
had his playtime, I figured I'd leave the others out and let my rescue out
to see if anything had changed (all the other times I've done this, he is
just terrified to come face to face with another ferret).  I watched him
and after quite some time, HE initiated some play with one of the others!!
I couldn't believe it!  And the one he wanted to play with is my most
rambunctious 16 week old!  I'm still ecstatic about it!  There is hope that
he won't always have to live alone!
 
Unfortunately, due to my male thinking there can only be one sultan of this
harem and it's him, my rescue can't stay here forever.  He is going to his
new home today (this is not a plea for you to take him!).  He is just the
sweetest thing ever.  He gives me foot baths every night!  He has never
bitten or even nipped.  I'll never understand how an animal (like this boy
or your new Meg) can be treated so badly and still be so trusting and so
nice!  I give the animals a lot of credit.  I wouldn't be so forgiving if
the situation were reversed!
 
Anyway, congratulations on your new fuzzy and all my hopes and prayers that
Ethel comes home soon.
 
Kim and The Six Sooper Poopers
[Posted in FML issue 2532]