Hi:
My name is Missy and I am the mother and/or grandmother of 16 fuzzbutts,
(would be 17, but little Bandit passon on to Rainbow Bridge in January
1997).  Our ferrets are lovinly known as the Pietinkieville Gang, they live
in a room all to their selves, called Peitinkieville.  Here is the story of
how they came to be.
 
Several years ago, when ever my husband and daughter and I would go
shopping, we would stop by the pet store to see all of the animals.  Each
time, it seemed that the pet store would have a couple of ferrets.  My
daughter and I immediately fell in love with them and wanted them, but my
husband was very reluctant.  This went on for about 3 years, and each time
we would see one, I would say how much I really wanted one.  Finally, just
before Christmas about 4 years ago, my husband, finally out of despiration
and hearing how i only wanted a ferret for Christmas, told me to go and get
one if I really wanted one, (at that time he regarded them as elongated
rats!!!!) boy has than changed!!!!  So my daughter and I headed to the pet
store to purchase the one that I had recently fallen in love with.  I prayed
all the way to the pet store that she would still be there, and she was.  I
purchased her and all of the other needed stuff for her, and we came home.
She was the runt of her litter, and still is the smallest one we have.
 
That evening when we got home with her, I put her on a baby receiving
blanket on the sofa next to Jamie my husband.  She layed there for a long
time and they "Bonded Big Time"!!!  He then decided we should name her
Scooter.
 
Our precious little Scooter just underwent right adrenal surgery last
Friday, March 20, 1998, and is doing great - Praise The Lord for That!
 
Shortly after getting Scooter, we decided we needed just one more for her
to play with.  That is how we ended up with Pipsqueek, followed shortly by
Bandit (Waiting at Rainbow Bridge), Stinker, Jasmine, Norton, Bandie,
Calvin, Frosty, Socks, Little Man, Crackers, Oscar, Ralphie, Waffles, Luigi,
and Snuggles.  Isn't Ferret Math wonderful - just look at how "just one
more" turned out to be several more!  In our home, our motto is "You can
never have too many Pietinkies:.  Now that I have introduced our babies, I
will tell you how they came about to be known as the "Pietinkieville Gang".
As our little family grew and grew, we soon ran out of room for cages, so we
turned our daughter - Jackie's old bedroom into a room for the "kids" -
known as "Pietinkieville".  This is their own little world full of toys,
beds, a slide, plenty of food and water, many sheets and blankets to play
in, and just recently added - a snorkel box.  After our little family
started to grow - as we would watch in wonder as they played, we decided on
the name - The Pietinkies, since they were little acrobats.
 
Now you know how our little family came about, just think - all because one
Christmas years ago, all I wanted for Christmas was a tiny tiny ferret.
 
All has not always been smooth sailing for our gang.  We have had to let go
of one previous one, who is now waiting at the Rainbow Bridge.  We have had
a serious illness last year with Calvin, during which time, we almost lost
him, but after about three months of meds, TLC, and therapy, he is his
rotten self again.  Most recently, Scooter had to have right adrenal
surgery, and is recouperating from that.  A lot of prayers went up for
Scooter recently, from our friends on the internet, family, and church.
 
Several of our babies have been rescues.  For Bandie, Jasmine, Crackers, and
Ralphie, we are their third and final home.  We adopted Waffles, Luigi, and
Snuggles from a wonderful rescue run by Debbie Scott in Ripley, Ohio.
 
As you can tell by now, Jamie, Jackie, and I really have a love for the
little fuzzbutts.  We also have a Miniature Schnauzer named Chocolate about
13 years old, and Brawny - an Irish Wolfhound about 6 years old.  Brawny was
also a rescue.  The rainy day Jackie and I went to get her, she and Jackie
bonded immediately.  That evening when we got home with her, Jamie swore we
had brought home a "horse".  He now says she really does not seem as giant
as she was that first night - guess he got used to her size in our home.
 
One of the most precious fuzzbutts we have is Bandie.  We adopted her
because her former family was tired of her and was going to put her to
sleep.  She is probably about 10 years old now.  She has trouble getting
around, but still loves to give those fuzzbutt kisses, and has never so much
as nipped anyone.  She, Jasmine and Scooter live in a double cage in
Pietinkieville.  They are not as rambunctious as the rest of our gang.
Also, two other very special babies are Waffles, who is deaf, and Luigi, who
is somewhat crippled, he kind of staggers around, guess he is the town
drunk!!!  He was at the shelter for a little over two years, because no one
wanted one that limped.  He is a real sweetie.
 
I would never have thought years ago, that these little precious fuzzbutts
could totally steal your heart away - but they certainly can.  They are
truly one of God's most wonderful creations!
 
Here's To Poop-Scooping!
 
Missy, Jamie, Jackie, Chocolate, Brawny, And The Pietinkieville Gang.
[Posted in FML issue 2261]