Hi all!
 
Its been anothe crazy bunch of weeks, but I do try to spare some time.  I
have to tell ya, that I have been "walking" my ferrets since 1985, and my
poor, dear, furries have been called everything from an opossum(it was a
silver mitt) to a rat to a chinchilla to a raccoon (sable) to where I just
laugh inside.  I have found that it serves no purpose to get self-righteous
about it, I just sorta chuckle and say, "no, its a ferret".  Once they hear
that magic word, the next phrase is.  "does it bite"?  Now anyone that know
me understands that I have a sarcastic streak about a mile wide, and
sometimes I cant help myself.  I do, try, though to help them out.  Then it
generally gets into a 30 minute question & answer session about ferrets.
 
Take for instance, last night.  My ferret was invited to be a "rescue model"
to raise money for the SPCA.  While I was there, I observed all sorts of
dogs from standard poodles to maltese to collies and no one asked them if
they bit or what they ate - but good old Yod He Vawhe held his own.
 
The celebrity (local) model who was supposed to hold him said she didnt want
to, and said that she didn't like them (Horrors!!!) I told her that I
understood, but if she wanted, she could just pet him in my arms and get
used to him.  She very tentatively petted him & commented about how soft he
was, and cute he seemed.  Long story short - by the time she came off the
walkway - she said that he was cool and she really liked him!  She was
cuddling him and he that ol' ham, was eating it up!!!  I think it all goes
to show that the right "ambassador ferret" makes all the difference in the
world!  Here was a ferret being handled by a total stranger in front of 250+
people with bright lights and loud noise and he came thru like a champ!
 
What did I gain?  A little ferret goodwill - no money, it all went towards
the SPCA for funds, and I got a chance to show off my beautiful mitt who
loves people!  I had people who I knew by reputation only wearing $800.00
watches and $3,000.00 suits and asking me about my ferret and the
fundraiser.  That is why I advocate so much to get out & spread the word
about ferrets - people can say they eat kids, but in person a cute, docile
little ferret speaks louder than any story ever told!
 
We had a great time, and the VA beach SPCA made some money!!!  To me, thats
a win-win situation!!!
 
On the subject of healthy fuzzies - I have a bunch!  I have Bruiser, the
knucklehead that has learned to beg to get out of his cage by acting
cute!!!!  He rolls over onto his back and waves his paws, he props his nose
up onto the bars of the cage while lookign soulfully into my eyes, he plays
"dead" and is now teaching this to his cagemate, Pele.  Rascal will be 6 in
Sept, and a successful adrenal surgery at 3 with no recurrance (YEAH!!!),
she is a pewter mutt, although in the last year she has developed a stripe
from her eyes to her neck!  Dijon is Yod He Vawhe's sister, a gorgoeus
marked white with a coal black nose & eyes and a soft, fluffy coat.  Misha,
my donor ferret is a honking 2 year old MF male tipping the scales at 5.5
pounds and a "regular sable" Misha I use to donate blood for anemic ferrets
because of his age & size, and he has saved one ferrets life!!  Then there
is Jezebel (she sleeps with all of the boys) who is 6 with no problems, a
regular southern Lady.  She is a pewter mitt and has such good manners even
Martha Stewart could not find fault (I wore my white gloves to dinner,
Martha ) She is my morning mitt, she gives kisses and helps me with the
newspaper in the am.  Sasha, who will be 7 in June, was just diagnosed with
Insulinoma, but is doing phenomenal on Pedia pred.  She is my roaning sable
who is my constant companion - a shoulder ferret, a car ferret, always
underfoot.
 
The rest of course, are rescues, but cute little additions in their own
right: Cochise, the brave insulinoma boy dropped off in a box in front of a
petstore; Kyle the ear and MOM!  I got no more adrenals!  ferret; Kelly,his
sister who is blind; Mischief, waiting for adrenal surgery but a very good
little girl; Nico the brain damaged & blind little siamese boy.  All add to
the conglomeration that makes my house a mad house!  But I wouldn't have it
any other way!!!
 
On a more solemn note -to all of the owners of fuzzies who have gone to
Rainbow bridge, every posting reminds me of the little ones that I have lost
and a little of the pain comes back.  You have my deepest sympathies and I
hope that eventually ya'll will be better soon.
 
You can never replace the ferret, you can only remember him/her.
 
Lisa
[Posted in FML issue 1881]