I don't know what others will have to say on the topic, but I can offer my
own opinions on Jackie herself, and her care for Ben.
Earlier this year (late June) I visited Jackie, spent a few days in her
home, watching her interact with her ferrets, and seeing how she cared for
them. Her time with me outside the home was limited, since she didn't like
to leave the ferrets for more than a few hours at a time, and preferred not
to leave them for over three hours if at all possible, since some of her
guys needed regular feeding, including Ben, and couldn't or wouldn't take
kibble at that time.
Ben needed surgeries to fix the gaping hole in the top of his mouth. This
involved his losing several teeth - including those needed to chew kibble
properly. Personally, I don't know if it's *possible* for him to ever eat
a solid diet, as so many of his teeth are gone - but then, that's my own
opinion, I haven't asked Jackie as to whether she or her vet believe it's
possible or not.
Ben was fat and sassy when I visited, he got along well with *all* the
other ferrets, and spent much of his time loose in the house, since he
related so well, he could 'run' with all the different groups - the only
time he was in a cage was overnight, while Jackie slept. Since the hours
she sleeps are minimal, that meant an average of 19 - 20 hours loose every
day. Eating was evidently a 'chore' for Ben, since he seems to associate
anything in his mouth with discomfort - (IMO understandable since he went
so long with a burned mouth). Once he gets started, he's fine - getting
him started was often difficult.
I have a couple of photos of Ben that I took in June - six months from the
time of his rescue. For anyone interested in looking at the pictures, feel
free to visit:
http://users.1st.net/hammock/ferrets/trip/00/fl/jaxfert03.jpg
http://users.1st.net/hammock/ferrets/trip/00/fl/jaxfert04.jpg
So, while I don't fully understand what's happening, I can vouch for
Jackie and that she cares for her ferrets, and has done an
exceptional job with Ben in particular.
Sam
[Posted in FML issue 3268]
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