I want to bring to everyone's attention a situation that happened this past
Friday.  It makes one point, something HAS to be done about marshall farms,
and the age they are sending their kits tot he stores!
 
Let me tell you all the story of Sammy, as we now have another Mission.
 
Friday morning, approximately 11:30am, my phone rang.  It was my dear SO,
Jeff.  who happens to be an assistant manager at a petstore.  He was very
upset.  They had a very small ferret kit that had come in the day before,
and this kit was screaming his head off.  He needed a vet, that much was
obvious.  Jeff asked me what *I* thought.  Well, my first reaction was to
get that baby to the Vet ASAP!  Do not pass go, do not collect $200 <do you
guys realize that our kids will have NO idea what we are talking about when
we say this?  I feel so old!> So I grabbed up my darling angel baby, who is,
at 6 months of age, used to Mommy and her "ferret emergencies" and the long
car rides that goes along with them <g>.  And we headed off to get the baby
kit to the vet.  Now, Jeff had to fight tooth and nail to get the "Higher
Ups" to agree to the vet visit.  So we were forced to take him to our vet,
when I would have rather seen him go to Dick's <RBossart, 4 lil'Paws
Shelter> vet, who is much more versed in ferret medicine, but that was not
to be.  As I was leaving, kit in hand, I asked Jeff what they were to do
should it be serious and require high vet bills.  He was very reluctant to
tell me, but finally stated that if it came down to a high vet bill, the
company would have him put down.  Trying not to show my rage at this, I
left.  I spent the entire 45 minute drive trying to figure out how to save
this kit, who was at this point subjecting me to the most ear piercing
scream I have ever heard.  This got progressively worse by the time I
finally reached my house at 2:15 in the afternoon.  But I had arrived home
with a plan.  The vet was not available until 3:00, as he was in a staff
meeting <UGH!> so I walked in the house and immediately called Joan <Dick's
lovely wife!> and explained the situation, as best I could through my shear
terror at this kits screaming.  I was agreed that, if I could pull it off,
and should he need extensive vet care, the kit would go to the shelter.  I
then called Jeff at the store and asked him if that could be done.  He then
called his bosses, and it was agreed, with much sweet talking on Jeff's part
<As Dick stated in his email to me, "Jeff should be commended for his quick
actions and his hard work to do what was best for the kit....">.  So I was
then off to my vets office, after a phone call to his answering service
stating "...I didn't ask you WHERE the Dr. was, just FIND him and tell him
to meet me there in 15 minutes!!!...." Once there, he was taken straight
from my car, by the vet, to the back for an exam, where it was decided that
he A) had a cold of some sort <Had goopy eyes ect..> and B) was screaming
due to the fact that he HAD NOT BEEN WEANED!!  The poor baby was HUNGRY!  I
had not realized just how young this kit was.  After some discussion with my
vet, we decided that would be better off with the shelter, as we was going
to require much attention both medically and emotionally.  I then placed
that all important call to Joan at the shelter and told her to meet me at
her vets office.  And we were off again, to meet Joan and Dick at their
vets, where it was decided that he had an upper respiratory infection, did
indeed need much Antibiotics, but was also placed in isolation for
distemper, just to be on the safe side.  <--- that was ONLY A PRECAUTION!
It was there that Joan started feeding him Duck Soup, very watery and off
her finger, as he was still trying to nurse, as well, it was then that she
named him Sammy.  Sammy also has a sister, much smaller than he, with whom I
spent much time feeding and loving in the back room of this pet store last
night.  She is a doll, but also is not weaned, and had to be fed with a
syringe.  I have dubbed her "Igraine".  Unless you have read "Mists of
Avalon" you will not understand that name, but let's just say that Igraine
was the "little sister" and endured a lot of pain and misfortune, yet
survived with her head held high.  She fits the name, you will have to trust
me on that :-).
 
It is in Sammy and Igraine's names that I ask you all to do one small thing.
Write a letter to Marshall Farms.  Tell them that the age they are shipping
their kits is UNACCEPTABLE!!!!!  If you have a friend in the petstore
business, petition them to do the same.  It is in everyone's best interest
to see MF STOP THIS PRACTICE of sending kits as soon as their eyes open!
Rest assured that the above mentioned pet store <Name not included for good
reasons> is, as we speak, addressing this issue and will be taking it up
with MF in the VERY near future .  I thank you, Sammy and Igraine thank you,
and all the kits that will get to stay with their mothers that much longer
thank you from the bottom of their raisin lovin, war dancin little hearts.
 
:-)
Jules and the Zoo.
[Posted in FML issue 2283]