Hi Everyone,
It's been AGES since I have posted.  I am so far behind on the FML that I
gave up trying to read the back issues and resolved just to save them and
try to catch up on new business.
 
In response to the request for information from Marshall Farm ferret mom's
and dad's, my Lucy is a MF ferret and is without a doubt the most loving of
my three.  Although I love them all very much, Lucy is "special".  She is
extremely affectionate.  She kisses and cleans us all until our skin starts
to feel raw and sore, then she checks our ears and cleans as needed and
finally she checks our eyebrows (and mustache in Steve's case) for fleas.
She does this for everyone, the dogs, cats, people and other ferrets in our
home.  I know she would have made the best little mother.  She never bites
or chews up stuff (except her squeaky toys) and she's a big cuddle-bum.
You've never seen anything cuter than my Lucy squeazing up between the arms
of one of our other fur-children while they sleep and laying her little head
on their arm, then she looks up at them for a moment and finally closes her
eyes to sleep.  Sound like a ferret parents dream?  She's all that and more!
 
I also saw Trish Curtis' post about the toilet loving ferret.  Well, we have
a fellow worshiper of the porcelein ""God".  Chelsea LOVES to watch the
water when the toilet flushes.  She runs from where ever she is in the house
at top speed.  Unfortunately, there has been an occasion where she missed
the actual flush and she was obviously disappointed.  She just hung on the
toilet (she grabs onto the inside of the toilet seat and lets her feet hang)
like she was waiting for it to happen again.  So now we call her or run the
shower to get her in the bathroom before the awe inspiring FLUSH!
 
Finally, in response to the issue of "shelters selling ferrets".  I would
just like to add my two cents.  I agree with all of those who stated that
anyone who feels that this is wrong has no idea how much it can take in time
and money to take care of injured or terminally ill kids.  Unless of course
you have had a human child with an on-going illness.  In many situa- tions
the costs are comparable.  By no means can I pretend to know the hardships
that the shelter parents endure but I do know how hard it can be just to
take care of the occasional stray or injured wildlife.  I recently picked up
a young, male siamese cat that had been hanging around my mothers house for
about a week.  He was thin and had a bad case of worms but other than that
he was fine.  We had him immunized (rabies, distemper, and feline leuk.  and
boosters), wormed, and neutered.  It cost us $140.00 for a HEALTHY animal.
Many of us have insurance to off-set our health care costs and if we don't
there is still the "free clinic" which may not be free but signifi- cantly
reduces the cost of gyn.  visits, immunizations, prenatal care, and etc.
There is nothing to off-set the costs of caring for animals.  Shelter
parents have to rely on the kindness of others and their own resources.  Now
please consider "child-care".  Just like a human child, ailing animals need
super- vision.  Depending on the age and type of animal, they may need to be
fed or medicated every 2-4 hours.  Very young animals cannot regulate their
own body temperature and need a source of constant warmth.  Who is going to
be there to make sure that they don't become exposed or that they get too
warm.  If the care giver has to work then they have to be able to care for
the "kids" at work or they have to find a sitter able to meet the special
needs of the "kids".  I only do this once every two or three months, most of
the "kids" I care for are older and don't need CONSTANT attention and the
most time consuming I have had is 5 NEWBORN kittens (as in still wet from
birth) abandoned by their mother in the factory I used to work in.  I had to
warm, feed, cuddle (touching is important for animal babies as well) and
even go to the bathroom for these little guys.  Unlike human infants, many
animal young cannot even urinate/deficate without stimulus which the foster
parent has to provide by rubbing their little bottoms with warm, wet
washclothes or risk having them die of constipation.  Imagine trying to do
some or all of these things with anywhere from 10-45 animals at one time
while still trying to come up with the money to feed them and get them
medical attention and ask yourself if you think they are "selling" ferrets.
 
God bless and love to all,
        Irena and the gang
[Posted in FML issue 1808]