I brought a camera into a repair shop today and the owner noticed my ferret
t-shirt and said he was having a ferret problem.  His 22 year old son moved
out and left the ferret behind.  The poor ferret has been in the cage most
of the time.  The man feeds him, but doesn't let him out for exercise and
knows nothing about ferrets.  He couldn't even tell me if the ferret was
male or female.  The son got the ferret about a year ago, so he is probably
young.  I gave him a little education and offered to help him find the
ferret a home if he wishes, or, if he would like to keep the ferret, I
could help him out with that too, by providing him with the necessary
information.  He said he would have to check with the son, whom I only have
contempt for.  How could anyone leave a pet behind?  The man also mentioned
that the son had taken the ferret to a vet because of a growth on the tip
of the tail.  Sounds like a tumor.  I recommend Dr. Barrios down the road,
who is our shelter vet.  I left him with the Ferret Association of CT's
business card, along with my telephone number, and today I'm sending him
out our mini-guide on ferrets.  The man will be calling me back with the
estimate on the camera repair, so I can ask about the ferret again.  I just
hate knowing of a ferret being neglected in a cage that probably needs
medical attention.  I got the impression that the man was probably willing
to care for the ferret, as he was the one who brought the subject up with
me, and he has been feeding and cleaning the cage since his son left.  He
just needs some guidance if he elects to keep the ferret.  I'd rather see
the man with the ferret than that rotten son who just left him behind.  It
made me realize there are probably lots of poor ferrets in bad situations
that no one knows about.  I hope I can make a difference for this ferret.
 
Moxie and Chance
[Posted in FML issue 2726]