I've been going up to Rocky's every chance that I get.  I know the
ferrets and Barb both need the help.  Well, I'm about to switch jobs and
ended up with a week off.  I was up there all day today on two hours of
sleep cleaning out cages, feeding and watering, playing with the furkids,
getting them in the sunlight, and generally making a nuisance of myself.
 
I filled up the water bottles, like I mentioned, and as I was putting
one back, my heart nearly broke.  Here are all these kids, who never go
without food or water now freaking out because I took the water bottle
away.  There was one girl in particular that really drove home to me
what they went through.  I talk to her and her two cagemates a lot
because they're fear-biters.  They think they have to defend themselves
from....everything.  I've worked somewhat with feral cats before and can
wrap my brain around this "evil, scary, bad world" mindset.
 
Let me see if I can capture this moment in words.  Please keep in mind
that the water bottle was about 3/4 full when I took it off the cage, but
I like to top them off as I go along.
 
As I reach for the water bottle, all three heads pop up.  Three furry
little bodies rush to where the water bottle is hanging and one starts
drinking frantically.  The other two are trying to grab onto the water
bottle hanger to keep me from taking this precious liquid away from them.
One of them reaches out with her sharp little teeth, but I manage to
avoid them and get the wire detached.
 
Three fright-filled little faces watch me as I step outside the shelter
with their bottle.  You see, I fill them up outside so as not to spill
water on the floor inside.  As I step back into the shelter, these same
three faces are still staring at the door, anticipating what will come
next.  They really seemed to think that I wasn't going to give it back.
The wire had fallen to the floor, so when I bend down to pick it up, they
start to run back and forth in the cage, nearly frantic.
 
When I stand back up with water bottle and wire in hand, they calm
down a little.  The part that really broke my heart, though, was when I
reattached the bottle.  Even before I had the hanger reattached, all
three of them were at the end of the bottle, licking frantically.  Some
water always dribbles out when you jostle a bottle and a few drips hit
the bedding and a little tiny drop or two splashed on the cage door.
One of the girls is so stuck in that shed that she immediately started
licking the bedding and the cage door to get every little drop of water
out of what was given to her.
 
Can we possibly understand what they had to have gone through in order to
create such a response?  But, what do they really matter?  They're just
animals.  I mean it's the ribbons and the money and the prestige that are
important, right?  Right?
 
--
Karen Balle
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[Posted in FML issue 4287]