Put 18 more miles on my 71 Volkswagen Squareback driving to a restaurant
on the far end of Seattle to pick up a found ferret and returned it here
and placed it in an isolation cage.
 
Don't like to mix pick-ups with other shelter/breeder stock ferrets until
know it's free of fleas and has no obvious health problems (Do my own fecal
check with a binocular microscope).
 
It was a female, black eyes, and a shallow, almost white, silver mitt.  Its
teeth OK.  Its nipples well developed and no tatoos on the ear(s).  Inside
ears very black and encrusted.  Coat dirty but in medium condition and
claws worn.  Personality: friendly and vibrant.  Weight: 1 lb. 14 oz.
Feces: well formed circular bolus, totally black.
 
Named ferret: CAHIL-san, since it was recovered from an area in Seattle
known as Capitol Hill and happens to be the third ferret I've picked up
from this area, hence the Japanese number "san." Estimated date of birth
as June 15, 1997 (assumed she was about 2 years old and picked midyear as
guesstimated date of birth).  On her cage card indicated she was a fertile
female (enlarged nipples) and assumed then that she was not descented.
 
Just two days later was contacted by owner who'd lost this ferret through
her front door.  Ferret had roamed just one city block away from home and
was gone but one day.  Owner contacted me from reading my business card
that I had left with the lady from whom I'd picked up the lost ferret.
Owner was able to solidly ID the ferret over the telephone and wanted to
come to FERRETS NW right away to claim her ferret.  She did.
 
Upon recovery of lost ferret owner lady said ferret was spayed and
descented and was 5-years old.  She was fed cat food only (orange colored)
so I suggested that the ferret be checked for blood in her feces, since her
feces were very black and not orangish.  Owner lady's boyfriend donated
$3.00 to FERRETS NW since owner lady said she was broke.  Owner lady
appeared somewhat taken aback after I asked for a donation to cover the
cost of my gasoline and said she was surprised why I didn't do this for
nothing.  I made no comment, although I very much wanted to.
 
I was wrong on the age of the ferret and I was wrong on its reproductive
status.  So whatda' do in a situation like this?  Had that ferret remained
here, unrecovered by its owner, I would have made it eligible for adoption
after 30 days and would have adopted it as a fertile, still scented 2-year
old female.  and would have recommended that it be spayed immediately
before it goes into heat.  That would've been wrong, right?
 
So this is the dilema that a shelter operator faces; that of adopting out a
ferret that is not what the shelter operator says it is, based on the best
knowledge he has.  You folks got any ideas for improvement?
 
Edward Lipinski
[Posted in FML issue 2697]