Part of being a successful shelter is to carefully screen and place the
ferrets in your care into homes where they will not only be well cared for,
but also have a great "fit".  At Fuzztek Shelter we keep all turn-ins "in
shelter" for a minimum of ten days.  During this time they are vaccinated
if need be (usually), tested for ADV, and perhaps most important, observed
and interacted with.
 
We don't just look for health issues, which of course are important, but
also for their temperment and behavior.  How do they react to different
noises?  Will they be afraid of kids?  Dogs?  Loud noises?  Are they lap
ferrets or tazmanian devils?  Do they get into/on top of/under everything
imaginable?  Do they nip?  Is there something that sets off nipping that
can be avoided?  How are they with the pan both in and out of the cage?
Are they piggy or neat in their cage?  How do they interact with other
ferrets?  Are they dominant?  Submissive?  Inbetween?  What types of food
and treats do they prefer?  How easy are they to groom?  What types of
toys do they like?  Do they like to play with people or alone?
 
Once we know these things, we can work closely with a potential adopter to
make sure that they are getting the type of ferret that will fit into their
family.  The worst thing you can have happen is having a ferret returned
after a few months because the new families expectations of what their
ferret will be like aren't met.
 
We explain both the good and bad of each ferret to the potential adopter so
there are no suprises.  It takes more than a day to learn these types of
things about a ferret.  It seems more prudent to hold a ferret in the
shelter for an extra couple of weeks to make sure it is going to be a great
fit than turning it around without the little extra observation time and
having it returned.
 
I also feel strongly that a good adopter is willing to wait the little bit
of extra time to make sure that the ferret is right for them.  In fact the
adopters I generally like the best are the ones who are not in a rush, but
take their time to make sure their decision is the correct one.
 
Just my two cents.
 
Anne
[Posted in FML issue 3021]