>Wolfy, Very well put!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I have always wondered why
>people got rid of their furkids when they had skinkids..  Although I
>don't have any skinkids myself, but I KNOW I wouldn't feel any different.
 
Thank you so much.  If you know that, then it's true.  I knew before I
had kids.  In fact, part of my excitement about having human kids was to
share my love of animals.  I'd say that was pretty high on my list of
things to do with my new baby.  I mean I could NOT WAIT.  And when I was
pregnant, my animals would sniff and crawl on my naked belly.  I included
them from the start.  I tell you it made everything so much sweeter.
 
We had a baby with two ferrets, no problem.  We have hours of beautiful
video footage of our ferrets visting our baby as he layed on the floor
with us.  Then later footage of him taking his first steps and one of his
first words "No-ball" (Snowball).  It'll make you cry.  It's usually fun
for the animals when approached correctly (no matter what kind of pets),
and it helps develop a healthy child to have animals in their lives.
 
Sadly, we have one ferret that was adored as a single pet and treated
just like a baby by a couple.  When they had their first baby, they could
not wait to get rid of him and neglected him at the end to the point that
he had some urine burns on his paw pads.  It was just "too much" for them
they said.  I can understand being overwhelmed with a baby and having a
new life.  Dealing all the new responsibilities of a child on top of your
old ones is not for everyone.  But I was really shocked by how quickly
they gave up on Gizzie.  I'm floored that they still do not ask about him
when we run into them.  It was like they transferred or traded all that
love they had for their ferret to their baby.  It's just bizarre to me.
But I know it happens.
 
Anyway, to end this with a positive note ... having human kids with my
ferrets just made me love my ferrets even more.  And it made me adore my
children even more to see them learn to share such love with our beloved
animals.
 
Wolfy
[Posted in FML issue 4432]