I had an interesting letter about my decision to adopt ill or sick ferrets.
It's true; currently I have a number of ill floor monkeys.  Sandy has
adrenal disease.  One surgery did not cure it, and she will go back later
this spring for another try.  Apollo has severe heart problems, which
sometimes result in fluid building up in his abdomen and lungs.  Fraggle and
Trillian are blind in one eye.  Sam Luc was baddly mistreated and has a
stumpy tail where a door amputated part of it.  Foster, fantastic for 13
years of age, is mostly blind, and quite arthritic.  Frank, on loan while a
friend off digging stuff up in a foreign land, is severely brain-damaged
from having his oxygen cut off while trapped under the corner of a couch,
and requires a push just to walk.
 
All these ferrets require considerable work just to maintian their health.
Yet I did not hesitate for a second to take in Pooh, even after being
bloodied by Jet's death.  When I saw Pooh, I knew immediately I was in for
a $300+ vet bill.  And I knew the situation, at least in the long run, was
hopeless.  Two weeks later, I'm out the bucks, lost lots of sleep, and have
nothing to show for it.  Well, nothing physical anyway.  My vet keeps
threatening to place a "This wing donated by Bob" sign on the door of room
three, my personal favorite (the farthest from the barking dogs which make
some of the ferrets nervous), so I guess I have that to look forward to.
 
Believe me, I'm not complaining.  My sweet friend Troy Lynn has amassed more
than $13,000 in vet bills and debts, a direct result of the care of ferrets
coming into her shelter (She is one of my heros).  I can't speak for her,
but I can tell you why I do it.  Because it feels right.  It doesn't always
feel good, sometimes it feels damn bad, but it always feels right.  I do it
because ferrets didn't ask to be domesticated, so we have an ethical
obligation to care for them.  I do it because ferrets didn't ask to be pets,
so we have a moral obligation to care for them.  Not own them, *care* for
them.  So even if I need a book or want to see a movie, I would rather
invest my last buck into medicine for a ferret that will die next week, just
so this week it can enjoy just a few pleasant days.  It is the right thing
to do.
 
One thing that really boils my blood are people who want the benefits of
ferret ownership, but refuse to take on the financial responsibility.
Sometimes it's a person with a houseload of ferrets and can't afford the
bills, so the sick ones lead shortened lives and die of untreated disease
or injury.  More frequently, its a breeder who loves baby ferrets but never
has the money to treat the sick ones.  I have seen ferrets with solvable
problems die because of no vet care.  Very occasionally, it is a shelter
run by a person who loves ferrets, but never understood the financial
impact a house full of sick ferrets can make.  Sometimes, these are people
pleading for ferrets to place, yet they never have the ability to care for
the sick and unadoptable ferrets under their care.
 
You guys know I am about as far from the PETA camp as I can be without
going into orbit.  Yet I believe each life has the right to live in health
and dignity, regardless of species.  Regardless of my spiritual beliefs, I
have the body of an animal, which consumes to survive.  I refuse to feel
guilty for eating foods my body evolved to eat.  But there is a world of
difference between food consumption and neglect.  It is upsetting to see
someone discard their ferret because it is ill, or they are tired of its
cute antics.  But it is *understandable*.  But it is not understandable
for a shelter or breeder to "discard" ferrets by allowing them to die by
neglect or lack of vet care.  Breeders and Shelters are ferret *caretakers,*
and that implies a moral and ethical responsibility to take care of the
little critters.  It is the right thing to do.
 
If you know of a shelter or breeder not caring for their charges for any
reason, let someone know.  Sometimes just a kind word or a little bit of
help cures the problem.  If you are looking to start a shelter (or start
breeding) look at your financial base first.  I can't afford to be a
shelter, but I can afford to be a half-way house on occasion.  Be realistic,
and assume each ferret will cost you $500 (or more) a year in vet costs and
upkeep.  If you can't afford that sum (probably a low guess), then please
resist the temptation and either be a half-way house or adopt a few extra
and leave it at that.  It is much better to do a little less and make people
happy than fail at doing more and making people upset and hateful.
 
Check into a shelter or breeder's background before you do business with
them.  If they are reputable and ferret caretakers, they should not mind
answering a few questions regarding their animal care.  Please, do not do
business with breeders or shelters that are not caregivers.
 
If you are going to take the moral high-ground, then empty out that bottle
of pennies and donate the cash to a shelter.  Quit smoking, donate the money
you save to a shelter and save yourself and a ferret.  If I could give up
cream cheese, guacamole and sour cream burritos, smoking shouldn't be too
hard, and I didn't even have a patch.  (Must...not...weaken...)
 
A spiffy way to help a shelter is by adopting a ferret that cannot be placed
because of illness or behavior.  Bring the beastie home (and some can be
very *beastie!*) and make its final days one of love and attention.  If you
cut out the middleman and pay the vet bills directly, you also get the
benefits, one of which is a ferret that bonds to you in a way most don't.
You become thier favored companion, and they truely enjoy their contact with
you.  You may find your heart ripped up from time to time, and it will
certainly be extra work, but trust me.  Its worth every moment, even the
tears.
 
One last comment from Philosopher Bob.  Some people think it is wrong to
feel anger or hurt over something in thier lives, like the death of an old
ferret friend.  IMHO, that is silly; you can't balance on a high wire
holding one end of a long stick.  The honest (and appropriate) expression
of emotion is what keeps us healthy.  Taking in sick or dying fuzzies might
be difficult at times, even quite painful, but it is balanced with
emotional benefits as well, quite worth the effort.
 
Bob C and 19 MO Floor Monkees (Missing Jet and Pooh) off the soapbox
[Posted in FML issue 2254]