Just when everything had settled down with my ferrets... just when it seemed
that all was well, and they and I had bonded and were getting along fine...
 
As I may have mentioned, I am a Microcomputer Support Specialist at a
community college.  Occasionally, I have to go out of state to view how
other colleges handle certain technology issues to see if that idea would
work for us.  Well, I had to last week.  I was gone five days (Mon-Fri) and
had arranged for one of my neighbors to care for the poor fuzzies while I
was gone.
 
Well, it seems that on wednesday my neighbor had the ferts out in the
fuzzies room (a cleared-out den) and was playing with Cayanne.  They were
wrasslin just fine until my neighbor tweaked Cayanne a little too hard and
she squawked and LIGHTLY bit her.  It also seems that Tenaka is EXTREMELY
protective over Cayanne, and he took a rather dim view of this event.  He
came charging over from whatever he was doing and bit down HARD for blood
and got it in spades.
 
My neighbor was kind enough to take care of the ferrets then, put them in
their cage, and make sure they had food and water.  She did not let them out
of the cage again, (nor can I blame her) and she also was kind enough not to
have the authorities come and take the ferts away for rabies testing.  After
making sure she had gone to the doctor and I had paid for her bills (the
LEAST I could do), she hit me with the last and most painful part.  She told
me that if I do not "Get rid of the bloodthirsty bastards" then she would
make sure the authorities would get notified and she would push hard for the
rabies testing.
 
I think you all can understand it when I say that the thought of the pickled
heads of my babies going to Springfield (or wherever they would take the
remains) is more than I can handle.  It really is painful, and I have had to
edit this document many times because I can't see the keyboard anymore cuz
of the tears.
 
I have no idea if she can do what she says, but seeing how Lakemoor, Il.  is
really in the sticks and very much has a small town mentality, I cannot help
but give credence to what she says.  It seems that everyone knows everyone
else, and it could very well be she has enough power to do as she claims.
 
I wish people would flame me.  I certainly think I should feel a lot worse
than I do.  I had to have done something wrong here.  Was it a lack of
nip-training?  Was it the fact that I got two ferrets instead of one, so
they were a little too independent and not more reliant upon human contact?
WHAT?!??
 
If any of you out there can help these adorable fuzzies, I would appreciate
it.  They are approximately 20 weeks old or so now, and are both MF ferrets.
They are littermates, and have come to need eachother (or so I think) so I
would prefer that they stay together.  They have a three tier cage and many
toys (Tenaka is still using his hammock as a hidey hole... ).
 
Any words of beratement would be appreciated... I can't blame the woman for
her actions.  I can only be thankful that she is allowing me a chance to
save them before she has them executed.  I can only blame myself, and so I
do.
 
Please email me at [log in to unmask] for making arrangements to take my
fuzzies out of here so they can live.  Thank you in advance, and as I have
begged before, if you do take the fuzzies from me, then PLEASE send word now
and again so that I can at least know that they are well.
 
I wish I could close with my usual line of "Love, Dooks, Hugs, Raisins, and
Ferretone" but I have no love,dooks, hugs, raisins, or ferretone left to me
now.  (the ferts ate the raisins and ferretone).
 
  Dookless,
 
  Bryan Hall
[Posted in FML issue 1694]