Hi there!  Thanks for the replies about the two fur kids who were needing
homes in Seattle.  They went home to Portland with Elle and Russ last
weekend, where Lonnie (now Xena) promptly let the little, but growing cat
know her new, lowly place (earlier, Xena had decorated my 16-pound
17-year-old Russian Blue cat's head quite neatly!  Mr. Wellington, ever the
easygoing, arthritic, nearly blind boy, quietly voiced a complaint and went
to lie down, only adding fodder to Xena's fire).  Both fuzzies had been
caged workaday-week round, and Sneakers (a big name for a *big* fuzzy) had
obviously eaten his way through the caged boredom, while Xena looked like
she'd fasted.  Bismarck waddles about, head dwarfed by his blobbing body,
with a face that would grace any teddy bear!  *Very* cute and *very* sweet.
Princess Xena is unusually beautiful, and won't tolerate much mussing of
her fur!
 
Elle and Russ came nearly 200 miles from Portland in their pretty new
Outback, then plowed through the soaked and streaming streets of Seattle,
and braved lightening and thunder, to bring their new babies home.  Though
Lonni and Sneakers were loved in their first home, it is heartwarming to
know that Xena and Bismarck will now get to play daily, and be given the
chance to rompingly show their new caretakers what wonderful fur kids they
are!
 
To the others who wrote expressing their interest...
 
I just visited Sandi Ackerman's shelter today, at the Best Little Rabbit,
Rodent, and Ferret House, at 145th and Lake City Way, where she has 20 or
more beautiful fur kids ready to interview for homes.  Freemont, whose mom
or dad moved and couldn't take he and his buddy (!!!!), came from the
Humane Society, and gives wonderful kisses; he looked a tad like my missed
Tarzan and sure tugged at my heartstrings.  I got to hold an internet
acquantance of mine's relinquished Velvet (one of those
the-teenager-grows-up-and-gets-too-busy stories).  Velvet has a new name I
can't recall and is a little beauty --though I tried, I didn't find a home
for her myself, with all the great fuzzy people I know!  So, thank goodness
Sandi was there for her.  One sweet little fur lady, who isn't shy
teethawise about letting one know she's not pleased to be stranger-handled
(what would you do if an unknown giant picked you up, swat them with your
flea-sized hand?), flattened her ears a bit and sought to swivle her head,
but wasn't clever enough to get anything but big kisses from me--another
little doll!  There's a really big boy with a beautiful face, two gorgeous
albinos, and more sweethearts.  Of course, I still haven't been able to get
Sandi's pet Freddie from her (Tarzan's breeder told me Freddie's a half
brother, which could be pure myth, but they do (Tarz did) have the same
gorgeous winter coats and round handsome faces).
 
By the way, to the person who wrote saying they could take Xena and
Bismarck if they were free, please note that ferrets aren't free!  There
are maintenance and vet costs attached.  I've had my, literally,
thousand-dollar ferrets!  Just a question: if a $60-85 adoption fee would
be unaffordable, or undesireable, what about a $350 or more vet visit
(standard for an all-too-commonly-needed adrenal surgery)?  It's something
to think about.  Thank you for asking though, so I could share that.
 
To Michael McKinley, about the WA group: I applaud your bravery in tackling
this job.  It will take a true weasel war dance in the pure spirit of a
ferret to dodge this clime's political bullets, but perhaps you're up to
that!  One of the first orders of business I'd vote for is raising funds
for Sandi's shelter vet bills, and finding homes for the homeless fuzzies,
especially those with adrenal and other chronic illnesses.  Though they are
beautifully cared for at Sandi's, each deserves a hammock hanging from
their own mom or dad's heartstrings.
 
To WA people: I met Michael at a ferret frolic a year or so back and
thought... if anyone is going to organize a WA ferret group, that guy, once
he's out of school, will do it.  Now, he's out of school... so, let him
know if you're interested!
 
Thanks again: to Elle and Russ for giving a new, freer home to Xena and
Bismarck, to Michael for working on a WA organization, and big, big thanks
to Sandi Ackerman, for being one of the brave, sentinel buffers between our
sweet, warm fur kids, and the cold, deadly streets.
 
Lynn and the Sweet Six
[Posted in FML issue 2456]