Hi all-
 
Ferret Math struck us again!
 
I had called on a ferret about three weeks ago in the local paper which
read "Beautiful white ferret & carrier $90) and left a message on the
sellers answering machine.  I let him know that I had room in my home and
heart for another but couldn't afford the asking price, and that if he
didn't find a buyer I'd take him/her.
 
The next day he returned my call and told me a story about how his wife
bout the ferret in town a couple months ago and just wanted to try to get
some of her money back, as she wasn't happy with it.  He asked if I could
pay anything and I told him again I couldn't afford it.
 
I didn't hear anything for two and a half weeks until we got a phone call
Saturday afternoon from the gentleman asking if we could come get the
ferret now, before they left for church in 45 minutes.
 
We rushed over in the 90 degree heat, packing carrier, food and water.
(with the ferretvite in my pocket =) I knocked on the screen door and the
man's wife answered and let me inside.  The poor guy was kept in a one car
garage (about 110 degrees inside) along with two dogs.  The garage was
used as storage and as a laundry with a huge commercial dryer (looked like
it was out of a prison).  The lady told me they were having a hard time
finding the poor guy.
 
She leads me around outside saying that sometimes he likes to go outside
through the one window, which has the screen ripped away.  I follow her
back in and she says he likes to hide back behind the clothes dryer and
the freezer.  At this point I am thinking that the poor guy is probably
coyote food or caught in something.  She tells me a story of how her son
was at college and bought this guy, maybe back in last November, and
brought him home during Christmas break... I wonder which story is true.
 
They end up apologizing after not finding him and we head back home.
 
This sunday morning at 7:15 am the phone rings.  We are in bed - exhausted
from working all night.  The man says he is bringing the ferret over if
we still want him.  (dumb question for a ferret lover lol)  The gentleman
arrives and we meet him outside as he pulls a tiny cat carrier out of his
car.
 
Inside is the sweetest looking guy, which at first we thought was a
dark-eyed albino.  I open the carrier and pull him out as the man wants to
keep it.  (cheapskate lol) I pull out the largest, fattest ferret I have
ever seen!  I swear he's a good 6 or 7 pounds!  (Perhaps a half pound of
nothing but fleas!  ick!) The man leaves and we taken him in, isolate him
and make sure he can survive a few hours.
 
A few hours later -
 
I run the bath water, grab the towels, flea shampoo, fert shampoo and cream
rinse... Underneath all that dirt, two ticks and maybe 2,000 fleas was the
cutest light-silver with a siamese tail!  The perfect gentleman - he didn't
nip, didn't hiss, or even struggle.  I dried him off and put him back in
the isolation cage with fresh bedding so I can figure out how to get rid
of the straggling fleas.(Thanks to Dr. Williams and the FHL for that)
 
He's now flea-free (until any eggs might hatch, but I plan on using
advantage for the whole business this summer so they can play outside
without worry), clean, played out, stuffed and snoozing like there's no
tomorrow.
 
Sorry for such a long post - but I've been hold this all in all day.
 
Oh, his name is Kuma  (they wouldn't let me name him bear! lol)
 
Till next long-email post thingy,
 
Night
     & The Funny Funky Fuzzballs, Ryo, Ohki, Aika & Kuma
 .:.                                                            .:.
 .:. Ferret Gallery! Visit: http://www.nightshifter.com/ryoweb/ .:.
 .:.                                                            .:.
 
(Pics of Kuma to be posted soon!)
[Posted in FML issue 3425]