Hi, all.  I'm new to the list and would like to say how much I'm enjoying
it.  Usually I just lurk but I have a little problem.  It's more intuition
so far.
 
We have an eleven month old female (Tink) that we bought from a store in
February.  We fell in love immediately.  You all know what I mean.  It's
ferret fever.
 
We adopted Slinky in mid-summer from a shelter.  Unfortunately, she had
been taken to a Chicago shelter while she was sick.  I don't know if they
were told she was sick.  She was then picked up by a shelter here
(Iowa/Illinois border).  Her papers were lost so we didn't know she was
sick.  Long story short, at our last visit to the vet we had decided to
help her to the bridge but she went on her own before it could be done.
We didn't know her long but we miss her dearly.  I'll always wonder if her
last six weeks would've been better in the shelter where she seemed happy
or if a loving family made up for the illness and pain.
 
At long last I've come to my problem.  We just adopted two more.  They got
to the shelter the day before we got them.  A cinnamon male (Frankie) and a
mitted/bibbed sable female (Willow)(who incidentally does have blue eyes
(by the way could you explain the Waardenburg syndrome?)).  They're both
wonderful.  Immediate love.  Both are healthy and well cared for.  Athough
Frankie is very itchy.  The problem is that two days after they arrived I
came down with a head and severe chest cold.  And now two days after that
our little Tink is acting funny.  Not much that I can put my finger on
mostly just intuition like I said.  Sleeps more than normal, isn't playing,
not really interested in food.  Is it coincidence or can a ferret catch a
cold as well as carry?  Could the two new ones have brought something but
don't show symptoms?  And, incidentally, even though they are both Marshall
ferrets I can't find a tattoo on the female.  Is this possible?
 
Sorry for the length, please edit if needed.
 
Thanks to everyone in advance and also for the laughter (and the tears).
 
Please give extra hugs and kisses to your fuzzies; they're so very special!
[Posted in FML issue 3246]