hi my fellow ferret-fanatics.
 
this is linda, the one who originally posted the question about the
difference between declawing, descenting, and all those other de-things.
 
i'm absolutely amazed at the number of people who responded to my original
post.  and i'm absolutely stunned by the quality of those responses.
 
i brought up a potentially explosive subject, one that just *begged* for
rude, crude, and unattractive responses.  but what i received were honest,
caring, intelligent, wonderful responses.  i didn't receive a single flame.
you guys are great.
 
for those of you who didn't receive (or don't remember) my original post,
here's my situation.  i have 4 fat and sassy (and declawed) felines, 13 and
14 years old.  i love these cats.  i usually sleep without a pillow because
joshua and raven get to it first, and i don't have the heart to shoo them
away.  and i also adore resting my ear against joshua 'cause his purr is so
soothing.  loud, but soothing.  he purrs like an old car that badly needs a
tune-up.  he idles kinda rough.  and misty curls up in the bend of my
knees, and i cramp up because i have to stay in the same position all
night, because i just can't disturb misty.  and i worry about flossie, my
shy puss, because she won't come share body warmth, and i'm scared she's
freezing to death.  oh yeah, we're all known to lick yogurt and ice cream
from the same spoon.  yum.
 
and i have 4 dooking, wardancing, speedbumping, pooping (NOT declawed)
weasel-faced juvenile-delinquent furry little kleptomaniac ferrets. i
love these ferrets. they're all less than 2 years old. you know, you're
ok until you get one. just one. and then it becomes just two. and how
much more trouble could a third one be? and then you simply must get a
fourth...they curl up in pairs. and they give me the giggles like you
wouldn't believe. and they absolutely terrorize the fat cats. the cats
hate it. but they also love it.
 
it's a zoo around here.
 
anyway, the point is that my pets are my kids. i'm sure you all know
the feeling.
 
and when i asked why declawing was different from neutering, etc., i
was sort of playing devil's advocate. but i was also sort of serious.
and i thank you all for sharing your insights with me. i'm seeing
things in a completely different way.
 
and, may i say just one more thing? (i know this post is getting
unforgivably LONG....)
 
to all of you who have recently lost a little friend...within the past 10
years or so, i've had to face the loss of skippy (a ferret-friend) and
kitty (a feline-friend.) and it hurts so much.  and you look back, and you
picture their sweet little faces, and how they were always so happy when
you came home.  and you remember how their whole little lives were centered
around you.  and it hurts like hell.  so take time to grieve.  you need to
grieve.  cry and scream and pull inside yourself.  you have the right to do
this.  they were your little soul-mates.  you need to do this.  and,
slowly, day by day, the pain will lessen.  it really will.  and you'll come
to realize that these little critters led happy, secure, warm and contented
lives, just because of you.  you made them happy.  and when you realize
this, it feels really good.
 
anyone out there grieving over the loss of a furry little friend, if you
need someone to talk to, please e-mail me.
 
anyway, thanks for all the wonderful info. you guys are great.
 
linda
[Posted in FML issue 1373]