Hi, all-
 
I'm mostly a lurker on the FML, although sometimes I come out of hiding.
My name is Melody Tomaszewicz.  My husband, daughter and I have eleven
ferrets.
 
In June 1996, my daughter wanted a ferret.  After picking him (Furry)
out, we visited him while we were waiting for the cage to arrive.  I
fell in love with a sweet chocolate girl (Sweetie), and we came home
with two.  I must be one of the few people infected with ferret math
before actually owing one!
 
Then we went to a show that October and I fell in love with a silvermitt
boy (Frisky).  Love struck again with an albino from a pet store that my
husband bought for me as a Christmas gift.  We named her Angel because
of an accident on my way home from meeting her.  No one was hurt, and we
were grateful.  We held the line at four for a while.
 
In April of 1998, I met a black sable named Pepper at the LOS show.  She
had been abused and was our first challenge.  We adopted her in June when
the shelter folks said she was ready.  But in the meantime, my husband
wore his ferret shirt to work, and we rescued two from a co-worker.  Bruno
and Silver also came to us in June, raising our count from 4 to 7 in one
month!
 
Bruno lost his life to Lymphosarcoma in April of 1999.  Even with six,
there was a feeling of something missing.  We got a deaf ferret (Modesty),
and her hearing ear ferret (Truffle) from Kit's shelter.  OK, we're up to
eight--let's hold at that.
 
At the 4th of July picnic, my husband, the ferret slut, lost his heart to
a sable kit that was privately bred.  He named him Digby, but his SCA name
will be BubbaDaMoose.  Last time he was weighed (in November) he was FOUR
pounds.  Sweet as pie.
 
At the October 1999, my husband again added to the count with a cinnamon
kit named Cinabon.  Typical kit--full of energy but sweet.
 
Last week, we rescued a five year old ferret from one of my husband's
coworker's son.  She needs to have her nutrition improved (she was on
Frisky's cat food).  She is currently eating lots of mush, given to her
with extra attention (she lived on top of a fridge for the past year
with no out time or exercise).  After we build her up a little, we will
address her adrenal problem--probably in the spring.
 
Whew!
 
Melodyt and the elven eleven
[Posted in FML issue 2901]