Blessings to all and their fuzzy counterparts.
 
I've been watching different threads about the "old days" and thought I
might add my experience.  Also I want to relieve something from my
consciouse <sp> from long ago.  The information available on ferrets
today would look like the Library of Congress standing beside the comic
book stand of what we knew then.
 
You see the first time I ever saw a ferret was at a flea market in
Northern Alabama (Mountaintop Fleamarket for those who may be from my
home state).  The guy had about 4 or 5 kits in a big cage for sell.
$45.00.  I thought, "oh how adorable, just what I need to have).  I
remember them being a rusty brown, not the standard sable look of today.
My mom was less than thrilled and told me no, but being a willful child
who knew everything at 14 (senility set in soon afterwards) and having
sold some items so I had the money) I defied her and bought him.  He
was so sweet and inquisitive.  He came with a little leash and harness.
He spent the rest of the day asleep under my chair in our booth.  The
man I got him from said to feed him canned dogfood and that was it.
So home we go.
 
He goes exploring the house (what is ferret proofing??) and explored the
dog who was also less than thrilled.  So off to bed we go with the little
one loose (what's a cage???)  The next morning I awaken and he is at the
foot of my bed (I had kept my doors closed to keep him in my room) I
picked him up and put him on the bed with me.  I'm laying there and he's
sniffing around and checking out the bed and me when he came up to my
throat.  Before I knew what happened he had bit into my throat and his
jaws locked shut!  I sit up immediately with a ferret hanging from my
throat and try to pry his jaws open.  No good, cut the h*ll out of my
fingers trying.  I tried covering his nose, again no good.  I wound up
almost strangling him to death to get him loose.  My mom of course had an
"I told you so."  And dad kinda laughed.  He picked him up and started
handling him and playing with him when all of a sudden he went for dad's
wristwatch and clamped down into his wrist.  Again nothing would get him
loose but strangling him.  That was that.  Into a tiny cage in the garage
he went.  I called my vet the next day.  He, of course, only knew the
name ferret not how to treat one or anything about them.  I explained
what happened and asked him for his advise.  He suggested neutering and
descenting along with removing his fangs!  He would only charge me 60.00
to do it all.  He said this sometimes calmed them down.  He explained the
reason his jaws locked was he was a whole male and this is how they held
on to the female to mate.  Great, now I've been used by a ferret!  I kep
him for a couple of weeks in the garage.  Fed him cheap canned dogfood
and kept him watered but would not dare stick my hands in there.  I'm
trying to think of what to do with him.  I would never turn an animal
loose in the wild that was "supposed" to be a pet.  So I take him to the
local petstore that I was friends with and had worked for a couple of
summers.  Trent (the owner who loved exotic birds and was great with them
and also where Smokey came from) said he would try and sell him for me.
That was a Friday.  On Saturday morning I get a call to come to the
petshop.  Trent doesn't tell me what's up only to get there.  It was like
7 in the morning.  I go in and the shop looked like a train wreck.  The
ferret had got out overnight.  He had ripped open all the dog and cat
food bags on the shelf.  Knocked everything off possible and the worst
part, got into the parakeet cage.  There HAD been 20 parakeets in there.
I won't describe what was left of them.  Needless to say, Trent told me
to take him and go.
 
So the next day its back to the flea market.  "I want my money back.
This thing is crazy." I describe all that has happened.  The guy at first
said no, but he agreed to handle him awhile and possibly trade him.  I
walked off and down a ways until the guy couldn't see me but I could see
him.  I waited, sure enough the kit latched on to him for all he was
worth.  The guy and his buddy are desparately trying to get him loose
when I walked back up.  "I want my money back now!" He did refund it.
Thus was my first experience with ferrets and I swore to never have one
again.  But things change and enlightenment comes......
 
25 years later in Atlanta, a dear friend comes down to my apartment to
visit.  He and his partner had just bought....you guessed it...a ferret
named Sky.  I was terrified and would not even touch him.  But after
awhile of him running around and watching Tony and John interact with
him, as well as Pyewacket our cat (who adored him BTW) I got a little
braver and held him, and petted him, and let him slurp me....and let him
give me kisses.........and to make a long story short I now have 5 (soon
to be 7) of these darling creatures.  I wouldn't trade them for the
world.  They are my absolute saving grace after a stressful day and even
at my darkest moments they shine like rays of purest Sunlight.
 
I've written all of this to try and do 2 things:
 
1. To clear my consciouse about my first experience and how I treated
this poor little backyard bred guy.  I can understand from that
experience why people have the attitudes about ferrets that they do.
 
2. To show that its not always bad pet ownership, but childish ignorance,
not trying to be abusive, just uninformed, that leads to how ferrets are
sometimes treated.
 
3.  To say that petshop, rescue, found whatever, I have come full circle
with ferrets and finally I understand.  Its been a long guilty road but
I hope that through caring for the ones I have (both from petshops and
rescues) that I can in some way make up for how I treated that little
guy so many many years ago.
 
Thanks for listening.
 
Blessings,
Hawk & Patrick,
Salem, Faye, Bandit, Bowser and Bailey the ferts
Pyewacket & Azriel the cats
and Smokey the African Grey
Blessings to all animals great and small and those of us who love and
adore them.
[Posted in FML issue 3965]