Greetings to all, and condolences at all your losses.
 
I'm writing this from work-got to read the list at home, just didn't have
time to write this morning.
 
Kevin: I read your post yesterday and felt elated-you had a new baby to
care for, to ease your hurts.  By the end of the post I was close to tears,
but couldn't cry-God had sent you Little Boy to care for so he would know
not all humans were ignorant, and when he knew this lesson, he was called
back home.  Your story this morning, though, did have me in tears-was glad
I was home reading it.  You, dear sir, are a very special person, and I
think that the members of the FML would agree on this.  I'm not trying to
slight any shelter operators or others of the list who give their all, but
you, my friend, are beyond words to describe, except to say "Thank you for
being there for the fuzzies".
 
Okay, I"m into this 'first sighting'.  Mine wasn't the type that made me
want to rush out and hug a ferret!  I was watching a TV show and it was
showing talk shows from around the world.  There was an Australian talk
show host-could have been Paul Hogan.  He had a guest with a ferret, and
the ferret obviously didn't like him-grabbed his finger and went to the
bone.  Of course the talk show person didn't help by swinging his hand
around half screaming that the ferret was biting to the bone!  That ferret
had a definite death grip on this guy and I think I remember the owner
trying to get the man calmed down and the ferret pried loose.  Ferret was
in the 'limp' mode, just hanging there.
 
My next encounter, which was up close and personal was through boarding a
ferret.  My mother owned and operated a boarding kennel, and it was from
her I developed 'ferret prejudice'.  She always said they were elongated
rats, smelled, etc.  But-she took one to board!  I believe it was a male,
sable.  I knew nothing about them but tried to make friends with him
because I was fascinated.  He did try to bite, and wow-did he smell!!!!  I
cleaned, fed and talked to him, but didn't handle him after he grazed my
hand.  All I could think of was that guy on TV.  My husband and daughter
worked for years to get me to accept ferrets, and then one day I went to
the pet store, held a baby, and well, the rest is history I guess you could
say.
 
I read the post yesterday about the "Honorable Mayor Giuliani" (have copied
the post and have the correct spelling of his name there) and am working
on a letter to him.  I'm going to have at least 4 people read it before I
send it.  Don't want to sound like a "rabid nut" to him (but hey-since he
obviously is one, think he'd notice it?) but want him to realize that I
think he's abusing political power there.
 
Nibbles, my newest, went into a depression on me Saturday night-quit
eating.  I was so sick with a massive headache and chills that I didn't
notice till Sunday, when whatever it was had given up on making me sick.  I
immediately went to the store, got the duck soup ingredients, prepared it,
and much to her disgust, force fed her.  I brought her into work yesterday
and had her cage under my desk (she's here today, too) and fed her at noon.
Plan on doing it again today, then making a new batch of soup for her
tonight.  She went to Dr. Kubisz' this morning for a vitamin B12 shot and
he said that should help perk her up.  At this time I am no longer trying
to integrate her with the rest of the group.  I told Dr. K that the
previous owner said at first she was between 3-4, then about 2 years old.
He checked her teeth and said she was probably 2+, but definitely not 3.
I did put Alix in with her for a few nights, as Alix is the most mellow
ferret I've ever seen, and Nibbles didn't mind her.  She and Suzy though,
whoa!  You'd think Suzy was going for the "Lady Ferret World Championship
Wrestling Federation Award"!  (Hey, can you see the belt and buckle for
this??)
 
We've barricaded the kitchen so Nibbles can't get in there and she alone
has free roam downstairs.  The cats are totally fascinated, except for this
morning.  I couldn't find Nibbles and saw Chewie & Tigger glaring at their
food bowls.  I look over and Nibs is cleaning her face on the carpet, near
their Whiskas canned cat food.  I pick her up, smell her little face and
yep, you guessed it-she sampled their food!  I was delighted, they were
ticked.  Ah well, they'll get over it!
 
Rebecca & the Crew of Merry Mayhem
 
=======================
Rebecca McFarlane
Secretary
Basic Medical Sciences
School Veterinary Medicine
Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN  47907-1246
Phone:   765-494-8632
Fax:     765-494-0781
"Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste
good with ketchup"
[Posted in FML issue 2926]