Whew, what a long time it's been.  I've been so busy that I've only had
time to lurk and usually skim each FML.
 
Well, first thing's first.  What my ferrets have:
 
Tink - 3 yo female dark sable - healthy except for a cyclic problem that
we can't pin down.  Every two or three months she'll cut down on food and
get that "sick" look that usually only a mom can see (no offense to all
the fuzzie dads who have this ability -but my so just thinks I'm crazy-
"she's fine, leave her alone").  Liver enzymes are sometimes off, not
always.  Her sugar was low once, but fine every other time.  We're
puzzled, but I keep a close eye on her.
 
Franky - 2 1/2 yo male cinnamon - healthy and such a little love
 
Willow - 2 1/2 yo female with WS markings - healthy but can't figure out
if she really is partially deaf or just has selective hearing
 
Scooby - 2 yo male light sable - healthy but has a snaggle tooth and a
penchant for the cats' back legs
 
Jane - 2 yo(?) female light sable (spitting image of Scooby) - swollen
vulva, possibly adrenal but possibly unspayed.  Results will be back on
Wednesday.  She supposedly came from a breeder in the area and, of
course, no papers came with her.
 
John - 2 yo(?) male dark sable (spitting image of Tink) - healthy but has
a birth defect of right back foot.
 
Tink was purchased from PetCo (ours is a good one, every cage is always
clean, fresh food and water, and toys specific for each species).  Willow
and Franky were cagemates from a local shelter and had been well taken
care of.  Scooby came from a co-worker but I don't think it was a very
good home, although he seemed healthy.  He even looks like his old daddy.
John and Jane were cagemates and had been in two different homes, neither
one ideal - no shots, Jane possibly unspayed, Jane was hated, John was
loved but allowed to wear a collar that was eventually cut from his flesh
with a razor blade (before I got him) and his birth defect was supposedly
a "broken toe".  John was underweight but has grown to a very respectable
weight and size and is becoming very social.  Jane is a little love with
a toe fetish and is very exotic looking.  It helps that she walks like a
cartoon vamp in a very tight dress with "very" high heels.  All are MF
except for Jane.
 
And... drum roll.... they all have a new toy, or so they think.  I adopted
a dog from my route (I'm a mail carrier).  He's always supervised with the
ferrets.  He calmly accepts whatever they do to him: walking up his back,
pouncing on his head, hanging from his jowls with their teeth.  This is
much funnier than it sounds, you'd have to see it.  Scooby does this, he
doesn't use enough pressure to puncture, just enough to hang.  Again, he
is well supervised.  He's kenneled when we're gone and watched constantly
when we're here.  He sleeps almost as much as the ferrets, so he's very
easy to watch.  And such a love.  He came from an "almost "abusive home
and he just soaks up any attention.  But, alas, the draw back is that now
I "have" to set up the ferret room.  They're free roam now so there's
papers and litter boxes everywhere.  And the dog thinks that they are
also for him.  My so says the house is becoming "a huge urinal".  So....
 
And (finally) last...my long lasting admiration for everyone with rescues,
adoptions, fosters, shelters, etc.  The time, the money, whew!  With
eleven pets, the cleanup, the grooming, the feeding adds almost another
day to an almost 60 hour work week.  And, the money!  The dog alone has
cost almost $2,000 in only four weeks.  He has heartworm (recovering
nicely, I might add), unneutered, worms, no vaccinations, etc. etc.
Add to that six ferrets (unless you work for the city, then there's only
three : ), three cats and a bird.  But whenever anyone asks why, I always
say "the love more than makes up for anything I have to do".  No animal
goes without love, food, toys, or anything else that they need or want
(or I want for them, hehe).  With both of us being animal lovers and,
thankfully, both have good jobs we are able to, financially and
emotionally, provide anything that's needed.  I wouldn't change a thing.
Except maybe the Easter candy that's been stashed under my bed.
 
Bless every one of you for being the giving and wonderful people that
you are.  And hugs to all the fuzzies.
 
Darlene
[Posted in FML issue 3746]