Hidley Ho!
 
I'm still catching up on the FMLs after my Christmas break, so please
forgive me if this thread has moved on.
 
I couldn't help but be saddened by the posts from Lisette and Kevin.  Isn't
there a saying that goes something like "you can pick your friends, but you
can't pick your family".  Or is that "You can pick your nose..." (we won't
go there!).
 
My ferrets are my children.  That is I take the responsibility for their
well-being, just as seriously as if they were human children.  Perhaps
psychologically they are substitute children, since I don't intend having
any children of my own.
 
To provided a bit of balance, I thought I'd share with you some of my
experiences with my immediate family and their reaction to my "unusual"
choice of pet.
 
Most of my holidays are spent with my folks.  The first time I took my
ferret (ferret math was yet to strike) up north, I was pretty apprehensive
about it.  The vibes I got from my mum (mom) was that she was not too
thrilled that I was bringing a ferret with me (not that she actually said
as such, when I mentioned it).  It took Xena about 30 seconds to win my
mum and the rest of the family over and now when I bring the current gang
of three, everyone goes (well) out of their way to make sure the ferrets
have a place to exercise in, are taken for walkies, played with etc. etc.
(even my brother who says "they smell", has been caught many a time
(secretly) playing with them) - to heck if the family is (slightly)
inconvenienced.  All this happens even though everyone has been chomped a
number of times over the years!
 
My mum tells everyone who will listen about my ferrets and she "drags" me
and a ferret around the old folks home where she used to work, every year,
to share some of that "ferret magic" and around to her friends places too.
To really appreciate this, you have to understand that here in NZ, there is
a lot of ignorance and misinformation being spread about (domestic) ferrets
and where my folks live is particularly hostile to (domestic) ferrets.  My
mum makes me proud, when she hears ignorant people dissin' (domestic)
ferrets and she certainly puts them straight!
 
To this point in my life, I have not experienced a lot of deaths of close
relatives or friends, so I was unprepared when Xena, my first ferret died
suddenly at my folks place (while I was out on a day trip).  The support I
got from my family was amazing - I was a total wreck.  It really was as if
I'd lost a child.  I cried for three days (like I said I was a wreck), but
the family was there for me.  They took Xena to the vet at the first hint
of trouble, went with me to talk to the vet about the death and even buried
Xena for me (I couldn't do it.  Even writing about it is bringing tears to
my eyes).
 
Whenever I talk to my mum, between visits, the second or third sentence is
"how are the ferrets?" or "what have the ferrets gotten into lately" or
similar.
 
There are lots of little poignt (sp?) moments that bring all this support
home to me which I'm sure I'll remember as soon as I hit the send button.
However I just wanted to express how happy / proud I am to have such a
supportive family, particularly in the current anti-ferret environment
here in NZ.
 
As an aside, I never really felt that I was that close to my mum during my
childhood.  I feel that somehow, with the ferrets help, over the last few
years, we have become a little closer.
 
Thanks for "listening".
 
-David, Thor, Grover and Lady Penelope.
[Posted in FML issue 2926]