The Adventure Begins-1985
 
My husband learned of an animal that he felt might have been abused, he
decided to check it out.  So, he invited the owner to bring it over to our
house when he learned that it was for sale.  The young man (?, I question
the maturity level here) who owned the critter stated that he had no place
to keep it and that it lived in a gym bag (to keep it out of mischief!).
Upon learning that it was a ferret, I had some reservations about allowing a
"weasel" into my house.  When the young man opened the gym bag, this
gorgeous little face popped out of the bag and straight into my heart.
After seeing that beautiful little creature, there was no way he was going
to go back into that bag!  He was purchased then and there.
 
I'm not sure that he had a name, if he did, I never learned it.  It was so
touching to see this beautiful animal experience freedom for the first time
in his short life (he was about 6 months old).  He found so much to get
into!  It made one almost dizzy trying to keep up with him.  When I
attempted to catch him, he made a mad dash for the couch.  Afterwards, he
began to jump, twist, and contort his body into shapes that seemed
impossible for a body to achieve.  All the while, he was laughing.  It was
at this point that he became Rascal.
 
Rascal really earned his name the next evening.  I worked nights and was not
home when the big potted plant dig began.  As Scott attempted to save one of
my houseplants, another was being uprooted!  My husband called me at work to
inform me of the shambles that my house was now in and to let me know that
we didn't have as many plants as before.
 
Rascal was a ferret with an ATTITUDE!!  Of course, when one looks at the
whole picture, I have to admit that I would have had an attitude also if my
whole world had been a gym bag.  Rascal bit and he bit hard often bringing
blood.  He discovered that he could climb onto the water bed and enjoyed
going for my husband's ankles.  For about six months, we gave this little
creature undivided attention, love and care.  Then it happened, my very
first ferret kiss!  In that one moment, I knew that he was mine, that all
the time and energy that we had put in had finally born fruit.  From that
moment on, Rascal never attempted to bite another human.  He was a joy and
pleasure to be around.
 
It was about this time that we felt Rascal needed a companion and, I'll
admit, we felt two would be better than one.  I responded to an ad in which
a young female was for sale.  After I got off work the next day, I went over
to look at her.  I was in uniform and I think everyone in the home thought
they were about to be arrested.  The ferret's owner, a young lady, very
shakily pulled the little female from a kitchen cupboard.  Slinky was so
tiny and petite and an absolute jewel.  She was a gorgeous little albino
with the prettiest little pink eyes that I had ever seen.  She went home
with me.
 
Slinky did not seem to fit as a name, so she was renamed "Lady".  Lady and
Rascal did not really care for one another.  They never fought, but they
never played together either.  Later in the spring, Lady decided that she
wanted to start a family.  She and Rascal became really good friends in a
hurry!!
 
The next chapter deals with the babies.
 
Margaret,  Gismo, Harley, Scooter, Coco, Merlin, Rusty, Fancy, and Princess
        (and, of course, Scott, who still puts up with us all)
[Posted in FML issue 1700]