>From:    steve austin <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: No time for ferrets?
>I have been reading so many posts about people who are giving up their
>ferrets because of no time.  This is disturbing and I am not sure if this
>is just an excuse, but I can't imagine that this is the case.  Even if you
>have a new baby, or extra hours at work.  I was just wondering if people
>couldn't post to tell how they find the time.
 
I am speaking on behalf of Pattys post on no time for ferrets.  I can't
offer any advice on how I found the time because honestly I have no idea
how I managed;all I can do is tell my story.
 
Originally, I had three ferrets and a boxer when my son was born.  It was
difficult, and I have to admit there was a day here and there where no
one was let out to play.  I felt very depressed, because my dog wanted
attention, I knew the ferrets needed attention and I had a new baby that
definitely needed constant attention.  Plus there was cleaning the house,
cleaning the cages, cleaning up after the dog, washing clothes and
dishes(bottles), the list goes on and on and on... So I was pretty much
at my wits end there for a while.  I had depression because I couldn't be
five people at once...
 
It is a hard transition to make, knowing you need to be in five places at
once, and there is only one of you.  I started having thoughts of finding
homes for the ferrets.  BUT, there was noone who could take care of them
as good as I could(in my mind).
 
Unfortunately, Jawa passed away shortly after my son was born in January
and Meeko in March.  I always wonder if it had something to do with my not
spending as much time with them.  I know that is guilt talking because you
always blame yourself even if there was nothing you could do.  I also know
there were a few days when noone got to exercise; and I always feel like
that was a contributing factor.  If I had found new homes would they still
be alive?  Who knows.  Maybe it was their time to go...Yoda is still here
so that has to account for something.
 
After their deaths, we acquired a boxer rescue, who we originally took in
to find a new home...we did, it happened to be our home.  So now i have Mr.
Yoda and two dogs, my son is eleven months old and I have time to play with
Yoda while Ben takes naps.  Or sometimes I allow Ben to crawl around while
Yoda is out, but the exercise room is not baby proofed so it makes for an
interesting time.  (It is ferret proofed;Yoda doesn't try to play Daddy's
guitars and turn them over on him.)
 
However, I do look back on it and I know that if I could have found the
suitable new parent, I would have given away at least one of my ferrets.
It was a difficult time in my life, a great deal of burdens were on me; and
I felt I wasn't giving them the best care they could receive....but noone
just fell from the sky and I didn't go looking, so....I kept three ferrets
until their untimely death which Yoda is still hangin on thank goodness.
 
Without my husbands help keeping all three would have been impossible.  He
is not a ferret person...He likes Yoda, hated Jawa, and was totally annoyed
by Meeko.  But he cleaned litter pans while I was pregnant and took care of
them as much as he could when I couldn't.  He would supervise their play
and let them out if I asked him too(Meeko was an escape artist and had to
be watched at all times.) There would times when I didn't let all three
out because I couldn't stand there and watch them.  Yoda and Jawa were
trustworthy, Meeko was not.
 
So while I can see how having no time for ferrets is a excuse to a degree,
I can also see a person who feel they are doing a wonderful pet a great
injustice and there must be someone out there who can offer what they
can't.  I have been there, I will keep my pets to the end...the worst is
over and everyone is doing fine.  Yoda gets his exercise time, the dogs
play with each other, and I spend time with all as much as I can.  But I
always have that lingering thought, did I do enough for Meeko and Jawa?
That is a question which will forever be left unanswered.
 
Mind you I am in no way condoning abandonment of a beloved pet; I am just
saying I can see when you are in the moment of desperation why finding new
homes seems like such a great answer to all of your problems.  And no
matter what your decision, you always look back and wonder if you made the
right choices... I have been there...
 
Melissa
[Posted in FML issue 3210]