In reading the FML for the past six months, I can't help but notice that
the subject of commitment seems to be a very touchy one.  It seems to me
that commitment is as important a subject to explore as improving nutrition
for ferrets, the most effective training techniques, diseases and the best
way to handle them medically, etc.  In fact, commitment to our furry ones
(in most cases) is what drives us to discuss, compare and learn, and
hopefully make these little guys as happy and healthy as they can be.
 
Just to clarify my last two posts, I certainly didn't mean to say that a
person must have X amount of money to have X amount of ferrets to be a
committed owner.  I used my desire to have 17 ferrets running around, but
limiting myself to two because of time, energy and financial resources as
they apply to me in my life right now.  I certainly did not mean that
people with 5, 10, 15 or 17 ferrets are not committed owners.
 
In my case in addition to my two fuzzies, I have three cats, all in the
geriatric stage of their lives, one of whom is 18 years old.  I can
reasonably expect that they will begin experiencing medical problems that
could be costly.  I have two dogs; one of them is a 65-pound, 1 1/2 year
old with a very high energy level.  I spend a lot of my time and energy
training him as well as providing him with the exercise he needs to be
happy and healthy.  My other dog is a lap dog princess and she expects and
deserves some quality lap time.  I also have a job and a husband who humors
my passion for four-legged creatures that require my time and energy.  So,
in my particular circumstances, taking MY time, energy and resources into
consideration, I limit myself to two ferrets even though I would like a
houseful.  I was only trying to demonstrate that putting some thought
behind the decision to be responsible for a pet of any kind aids in
narrowing down the odds that a pet would one day have to be removed from
its home.
 
To Karen and Della who posted that they do have a lot of animals and not a
lot of money, you both sound like very committed pet owners.  I have no
doubt that if one of your animals desperately needs medical care, despite
your lack of ready resources, you will find a way.  That's commitment.  And
ironically, both of you seem to have made good homes for other people's
animals as a result of their lack of commitment.
 
Sorry if this topic is offensive to some, but I firmly believe that too
many animals are obtained on a whim, without much thought or planning, and
cast off without much effort to find a way to keep them.  My house includes
5 castoffs, all with a sad beginning to their life.  I do my best to make
up for that.
 
Posted anonymously to protect the innocent in CA
 
[BE]
[Posted in FML issue 2776]