I have been hiding in the FML for nearly a year now and thought it was about
time I come out to introduce myself and my kids.  The story on how I got my
ferrets is pretty cool and restores my faith in what comes around, goes
around.
 
Last summer my roommates were complaining about a dog hanging out by our
house all day.  Figuring it was the neighbors dog, I paid no attention.
However, when we were leaving a little later, it was not my neighbors dog
and it was obvious this dog was lost & scared.  He had tags and I tracked
down the owners who promptly came over to retreive him.  They looked well
off ($$$$$) and offered a reward several times, but being a pet owner and
hoping somebody would do the same for me, I declined.  A week later while a
friend & I were walking my dog, we saw a poster on a telephone pole: Lost
Dog .... Reward $400.  Of course it was the dog I had returned and declined
the reward for.  I still don't feel that I should have taken the reward, but
gosh $400 sure would go a long way!  My friend says, Now something wonderful
will happen to you for having returned that dog w/o taking that reward.
Yeah right.
 
A couple of days later I took my cats in to the vets for their shots.
Wouldn't you know, there was that dang "Lost Dog - Reward" poster on the
bulletin board.  And next to it was another sign: "Moving - can't keep.  2
Female Ferrets free to a good home...." I immediately contacted my SO and
asked (okay, begged & pleaded) to let me get them.  He reluctantly agreed
(another story, another day) and I am the proud mom of 2 wonderful ferrets!
Actually, I almost only ended up with one of them.  The one ferret has bad
adrenal gland problems and her previous owner wasn't so sure she wanted to
give her away, no idea how long she would really live, etc.  But I convinced
her that I could handle any problems, including tears and that I didn't want
to seperate the two ferrets.  She wholeheartedly agreed and I have them
both.
 
TEQUILA is a 5 1/2 yr.  old silver (well, bald really).  She is almost
entirely hairless except for her face.  I have to give her a lot of credit,
she's a fighter.  She's had one adrenal gland removed and is currently on
lysodren.  The vet wants to remove the other adrenal gland, but I'm not
convinced it's what I want to do.  (Any thoughts on this?) She is doing
well, just bald.  She's happy and fearless.  Her favorite activity is
driving the dog INSANE!  I figure as long as she's willing to take on the 60
lb.  dog, she must be feeling okay.  Very well behaved - almost unreal.
ALWAYS uses litterbox and NEVER nips.  (jinx)
 
KAHLUA is a 5 year old sable.  No problems except a growth on her foot a
couple of months ago that was removed w/o trouble.  She's learning that if
she does use the litterbox, she'll get some ferretone.  Actually we're even
beyond that now.  In fact she hasn't bitten my toes in a while either.
Kahlua...are you feeling okay?  Oh, you must be, there's one of my plants
with all the dirt dug out and flung about everywhere!  That innocent look
doesn't fool me.
 
I'll be back, I've said enough for today.  BTW, I'm curious to find out how
many Alaska folks are on this list.  I'd love to have a club up here or
something, personally I feel a bit out since I can't get to shows or travel
to meet some of the great folks in the Lower 48.
 
Holly - the Zookeeper (Can we get another one?)
Ray - the SO (What's happened to my plants?  Bad ferret! In the cage you go!)
Kahlua (It wasn't me!  Honest!  Really, it wasn't!  No, not the cage!)
Tequila (It's kind of drafty in here, don't you think?  Where's the dog?)
Tigger - Cat (Get away from me! I'm the Queen you know.)
Cou - Cat (Maybe if I hide on top of the fridge they won't get me.)
Denali - Dog (Mom, Tequila's bugging me again, make her stop!)
The Koi Pond & the Invertebrate Salt Tank
[Posted in FML issue 1628]