We have Sammy (Samantha) a 2 yr old who means the world to my wife and I.
Fortunately, she's has thrived and has never had a health problem.  I think
we got bad advice from the first vet who saw her.  He said as long as she
never goes outside or comes in contact with un-vaccinated dogs and cats,
there was no risk for distemper or rabies and vaccinating her would be not
be needed.  I'm a medical doctor and the vet's logic made sense to me at the
time, at least regarding rabies, knowing how these viral diseases are
transmitted.
 
We have a retriever sho thinks she's Sammy's mother and Sammy think's she's
the dog's daughter.  Sammy is uncaged and has the run of our ferret-proofed
large bedroom.  She is 'shower-trained' which she did herself rather than
litter box and it works out well for us because we just hose it down the
drain !!  Our retriever has the run of the backyard where we have rabbit's,
and the occasional skunk, racoon and groundhog.
 
If anyone know's a great vet in the Westchester County - NY area I would
appreciate the referral.  I don't want to wait until a problem may turn up
and then have to scramble to find a vet.
 
My wife and I inherited Sammy from our daughter who's about to leave the
nest and get married this month.  My wife hated Sammy in the beginning
saying she reminded her of a rodent.  Well, to give you an idea of how
things have evolved.  Sammy sleeps under the covers either next to me but
usually next to wife every night.  She gets up once or twice a nite for a
drink or the 'shower' and then climbs back in.  Each and every morning as we
begin to stir she comes over and kisses us both passionately all over our
faces and then goes to wake up Goldie, the retriever for morning exercise.
My wife, the dog lover and ex-ferret-phobic now cannot see us ever being
without a Sammy.  It's amazing how this little furball engages and teases us
to play or cuddle.  The most amazing thing to see is when I'm lying in bed
at nite trying to fall asleep, she will come over and plop her head under my
nose - typically her mouth on my mouth and then fall asleep.  I know as a
scientist I shouldn't attribute human metaphors to her behavior but I know
she has bonded to us very strongly and we to her, in some ways much more
than we've seen with our many dogs (big and small) thru the years.
 
BTW, though we limit her bathes to once every 2 weeks, she loves the water
since she was a kit which surprised me.  We have to fight to keep her out of
the shower when we use it.  We also have a large jacuzzi in the bedroom and
we let her swim about once a month.  She doesn't want to get out and we have
to limit her to about 30 minutes.  I'm afraid she'll get suddenly tired so I
watch her every second.
 
Well, that's our Sammy.
 
Jerry
 
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[Posted in FML issue 1953]