Hello all,
I have been doing some pondering lately.  There is a number of ferrets,
grown out of the cute kit age, @ our local Petco store.  I really don't
think any of the employees there are familiar with the FML, nor are the
aware of the tragedies that have occured and may still occur regarding
ferret ownership, and unwanted ferrets.
 
What i am considering doing, since there is a bulletin board @ the store,
is printing some of the stories, with permission of course, and posting
them there, of the tragic incidents involving abuse/unwanted ferrets,
neglect and trying to educate the workers there, and maybe a few potential
buyers?  I understand adoption, adoption, adoption, but @ least we all
know that the shelters are loving homes, and who knows where the ferrets
from the petstores are going to end up?  In another tragic story?  It
becomes increasingly hard to go in that store, make my necessary purchases
and walk away from them, the girls know us quite well there :-)  i have
the reputation as a ferret lover, and confess, that yes i did bring home
another one from the store, a few weeks ago, the largest of the group, a
red eyed white, we named Zhivago.  I posted about his confirmation,
(posture), and since he has free roam, it seems to be improving, and he
is stretching out (growing).  He had been there for quite some time, and
as i stated before, there were cheers from the employees that he was
FINALLY going home with someone.  There is no ferret shelter locally, i
have however taken in ferrets from the Humane Society, and also ferrets
from ???  other aquaintances, ie; friends of my daughters as well as a
coworkers, so i am not supporting the petstores sales alone.  I still have
to send my $$$ for the BOM/SOS, but that w/b taken care of today, and i
also (no names mentioned here) send $$ periodically to another shelter
out of state, as i can afford.  I wish i would win one of the biggest
lotteries, for i would help everyone!  BUT...i am no winner, still :-(
(i don't play that often, either :-)
 
I just feel this great need to share with others, who are not as informed
as those FML subscribers some of the stories of triumph and despair,
regarding these wonderful life loving little fur beings, and would like
some input on my ponderings.  My care for the ferrets abiding with us is
strickly out of pocket, and all are taken care of, i probably have spent
a few thousand $$'s since January, on surgeries for some, and still have
some surgicals to be tended to, as a matter of fact one is scheduled for
2May.  Please keep my Bandit in your thoughts and prayers, that day, it is
his 2nd time in for surgery, and he is still not feeling well, Dr. wants
to take spleen out, and he has signs of adrenal (from before) that haven't
abated.  I am worried about Bandit, cause of compromising his poor health
with surgery again, but ???  what do you do?  He isn't improving, there
is a major difference between he and Jupiter who had surgery the same day
for adrenal.  My vet bill is topping out @ $800 and change right now, @
least 1/2 of my paycheck is paid x2 monthly to bring this bill down to a
reasonable amt due, and keep it there, so my credit remain viable with
the clinic and open for other medical care for the others.  Yes, we have 4
incomes, in this house, and debt from before to pay off, but the ferrets
are #1.  their debt gets the lions share of what we can afford to pay
out, currently, this is the first year we were able to save enough, to
pay our remaining income taxes with out having to borrow it, ahmen :-)
 
I am getting long winded here, and off the subject.  I just really feel
this need to share some of the stories, with these people, IF they are
interested in reading them, so they can...???  be a little more
sympathetic with ferrets, as well as for the dogs/cats...which they DON'T
SELL.  I am thinking along the lines of Fiscus, his story...for starters.
I missed an ad in the local newspaper that had a ferret cage for sale,
$150 MUST TAKE FERRETS IN CAGE, was the way it was worded...i wonder what
happened to those ferrets, it did not sound like a friendly ad, to me.
 
Ferret cage for sale $150
MUST TAKE FERRETS IN CAGE
(phone number)
 
How would you interpret that?
 
My life is full, but i always manage somehow to take care of what needs
to be done..i just wish i could do more.
 
By the way, Eppy...update...:-)  Eppy is finally becoming his old self,
he is playing like he never played before, weasel dancing with joy... the
familiar, tuck and roll, too!  The window in our bedroom is open now,
BUT...there is a screen/heavy gauge metal (small 1/4 sq holes) stapled to
the outside!  He is still interested in the door when it is open, but I
cannot imagine why???  There should be something coming soon to the fml,
with a story and pictures, a good friend has put together for me, since i
am not equipped to post myself...
 
Regards
donna
[Posted in FML issue 3765]