I am worried about my ferret Sned.  He just loves stuffed animals, but I
am beginning to worry that his love of little fuzzies is turning into a
sickness.  At last count he was in possession of 39 stuffed animals, and
the numbers are growing.
 
I am concerned about the safety of the critters in his charge.  The
animals under the bed are crowded together in a big pile... can that be
sanitary?  Some of them are poking out from under the bed, where they
risk being stepped on by a sleepy human.  Just the other day, Chutney
the elephant fell off the bed during a fitful human sleep and ended up
next to a litter box in a pile of poop (which was fortunately rectified
by appropriate bathing procedures).
 
Many of his animals are in need of medical care.  Hope the bear's mouth
has come in two.  Tarin the mouse has an ear that is partly hanging off.
Will Sned be able to provide for all of these animals when several of
them need to be sewn up at once?
 
I have noticed that Sned spends most of his time with the tiny ones, and
less time with the big animals that are many times his size.  Doesn't he
know that stuffed animals need care throughout their entire lives, even
after they stop being small and cute?
 
Part of what worries me is that Sned feels he is the only one who can
properly care for these animals.  Any stuffed animal discovered in the
presence of another ferret will be quickly repossessed.  This sense of
ownership extends in a rather bizarre way to bubble wrap, peach pits,
and plastic-wrapped magazines.
 
If anyone else among you is living with a hoarder, please share some
advice or comfort.  I love my Sned dearly, but it is becoming clear
that he has a problem.
 
Dooks to all,
Julie
[Posted in FML issue 4186]