Hi all,
 
With all the recent discussion about ferret escapes, I wanted to share a
recent experience.  A couple weeks ago, I was upstairs sorting some laundry.
I had the windows open since it was a nice day, including the sliding glass
door downstairs, which has a screen door.  I was close to my bedroom window,
when I heard the jingling of a bell from what sounded like outside.  I
figured the kids (ferrets) were playing close to the door and the sound was
traveling out the screen door and up through the window (we live in a
townhouse and our bedroom is directly about the sliding door in the
livingroom).  I glanced out anyway and was shocked to see my Myst running
around outside under the bushes.  I flew downstairs (sure enough, the
sliding screen door was open just enough for a ferret to exit) and outside
and scooped her up and put her safely inside.  While outside, I heard a
jingling close by and followed it to find Jasmine in my next door neighbor's
yard.  Of course by this time I'm in a real panic; we have 7 ferrets and I
have no idea how many are outside.  A quick head count found only one more
missing, so I grabbed a squeaky toy and started out in the neighborhood
calling and squeaking for Mandrake.  I hadn't walked very far when a
neighbor several houses down called me over and said "Is this who you're
looking for?"  He said he didn't know what she was, but figured she must be
a pet since she had a collar on.  I told him that she was a ferret, and to
be honest I'm not sure what else I might have said since I was still feeling
very panicky and not thinking very clearly.  I thought I must have been
careless and left the screen door open when taking out the trash earlier,
but when I had everyone safe and sound inside again and checked and made
sure they were all okay, I watched (to my amazement) Mandrake walk over to
the screen door and slide it open with her paw with ease.  Now we have lived
here for 6 years and open the same door at this same time of year every
year.  All of the ferrets have grown up here and this is the only home
they've ever known -- Mandy is three years old now.  None of them has ever
done this before, NEVER.  I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen her
do it.  I was so lucky things worked out the way that they did.
 
Honestly, I was one of those people who thought, my ferrets will never get
out, I'm too careful.  I've certainly learned that just because they have
never done something before, doesn't mean they never will.  And if my guys
hadn't been wearing collars with bells, I have no idea how long it would
have been before I noticed that the door was opened, how far they would have
gotten and maybe they would have all gotten out.  And my neighbor who didn't
know what a ferret was, at least didn't think he had some wild animal to
chase away from his door, because she had a collar on.  In my mind, wearing
collars saved their lives.
 
Take care, Lucie
 
                        @-"-@
                       (=^ ' ^ =)
                    o00 -\o/- 00o
[Posted in FML issue 2213]