To Anonymous,

Sorry your hunt for another ferret companion is going poorly. But
perhaps you simply need to look elsewhere? I disagree with your
assertions about what qualifies as a "Shelter".

Your criteria defining a "Shelter" are rather narrow minded. Expecting
SHELTERS to follow rigid designs or rules is quite petty and
unrealistic

I have done ferret pick ups for other shelters, with intentions of
"fostering" the newly rescued ferret(s) until transportation
arrangements came through to move them to other shelters; only to
experience a "foster fail" and they are now members of my own
family.They are SHELTERED here instead of there.

I own more than a dozen ferrets (16 as a matter of fact) and consider
them all "sheltered" - not HOARDED. They all get individual attention,
play, grooming, petting, snuggling, interaction.

I don't adopt out ANY ferrets - healthy or otherwise. I rescue them,
they stay here. They are now SHELTERED.

I, like many ferret owners, DO think my methods of care-taking are the
best on the planet! But I, like so many others, also look for ways to
do it better or offer them better SHELTER.

Having friends who SHELTER many more ferrets than I do, I can
understand a SHELTER-Mom's reluctance to relinquish a ferret to
complete strangers. Especially when so many times in the past the
ferret adopted out gets returned in piss poor shape or they see the
ferret being offered for sale on Craigslist or hear about the ferret
getting lost or mauled by a family pet or mal-treated by the family
children.

When you put so much energy, time and love into rescuing a forlorn
ferret, bringing it back from the brink of death, restoring its love
of life, reassuring it that it will never get beaten or battered again,
it can be nearly impossible to turn that ferret over to an unknown
person or household.

Your perception of HOSPICE is skewed also. Hospice by definition is
a place to care for the terminally ill. When ferrets get to certain
levels of sickness there is not much choice but to offer them as much
comfort as possible until their final day. Why would you expect a
Shelter-Mom to uproot an ill ferret and stress it out further by
sending it to a new home? Many SHELTERS harbor hospice ferrets.

Maybe in order to locate an additional ferret FROM a shelter you should
volunteer your time to work with that shelter? SHOW them what you know
and are willing to do. Interact with many of the ferrets at the shelter
to see which one's personality will mesh with your group at home.
SHELTERS can ALWAYS use an extra pair of hands and instead of treating
the Shelter as if it is just a convenient, cheap, pet shop - where you
see a ferret and pick it out to go home that day; you can take your
time to make a selection while at the same time helping the shelter
and gaining some insight.

Good luck with your next selection.

Regards,
Kim

[Posted in FML 7759]