Sherri;
 
In choosing to have a ferret you have truly picked a special creature to
spend your life with.  There have been a few suggestions given to you by
other members of the FML on what they feel you should do to make sure your
choice is the right one.  I too, would like to share with you my feelings.
 
I recently lost to cancer, a foster ferret named Squeegie.  Squeegie came
to me only four months ago and no one knew that he was full of cancer when
he came into foster care.  Squeegie's history starts out as most do, from
people with good intentions, who found themselves not really wanting the
responsibility of raising this small life.
 
Squeegie was never really looked after by the "owner"... he was looked
after more by others - friends or people who babysat him.  Squeegie never
got his rightful time to be a ferret in a home where people loved him all
the time - not just when it was convenient.
 
I want you to know that I do not say this to you to hurt your feelings, or
to say that you may not be a good ferret mom.  I say this from the bottom
of my heart.... when you make the decision to take care of another life, do
not make the decision lightly.  The ferret you will eventually have will
need a home of love all the time.  This ferret will need to know that he is
wanted all the time.  This ferret will need to know that you wanted him not
just out of having a unique pet, but because your heart is telling you that
there is nothing that will be more important than him and that others will
not take his place.
 
For me, even thought I knew Squeegie had a short time to live, I adopted
him anyway.  I felt it was my duty to give this special little guy a home
before he died, and I owed it to him to give him all the love that he could
take, just so that I could make up for all the wrong doings that had been
placed upon him prior to coming to our home.  I can never make up for all
the people with good intentions, but I can let others know that they need
to be extremely serious when they say they want to take on the
responsibility of having a ferret, or any animal for that fact.
 
I liked the fact that you said you would take it to your friends' house,
and wouldn't go if they didn't accept him.  Not all people will be
accepting of you having a ferret but realizing that will help you make your
decision as well.
 
You have a tough road ahead of you.  Being 13 puts you in a position where
you will need to prove your sincerity about your desires all the time.  If
this is something you feel you can truly commit to, before school, after
school, evenings and weekends, for the full extent of this ferrets' life,
and can say that you will always do your best 100% of the time to see that
he will always get the best care, and that when the time comes that you may
move out of your house, that he goes with you to a place that accepts
ferrets, and knowing if you should meet a potential mate down the road,
that you will not give up the ferret for another person - that you will
find someone who shares your love of ferrets, then I say, get one after you
have done all your research and keep us posted.
 
If you cannot do these things, then there will be another ferret in a
shelter one day.  There he will join other ferrets waiting for other people
with good intentions that will hopefully give him a home for a lifetime.
 
Please do not be another person with good intentions.... fulfill your
responsibility to the fullest and both you and your ferret will be the
happiest creatures on this earth.
 
with love, Betty and Her Blur O'Fur Missing Squeegie
[Posted in FML issue 2968]