Hi all.
 
I went to the King of Prussia Mall today feeling much in the Christmas
spirit to do some shopping.  I left with tears in my eyes, feeling like what
are we all really accomplishing, in trying to save our furbabies.
 
I'll be brief, because I'm working on a page on my website explaining in
more detail my thoughts, as there aren't enough lines permitted per FML
message to express myself.
 
We've all heard it before, go into a pet store, ferrets are kept in glass or
plexiglass containers with little to no ventilation.  This is nothing new.
Ferrets in dirty conditions.  Nothing new.  Ferrets not being fed the proper
foods.  Get the idea?  Well let's add a twist to this situation.  There were
approx.  20 ferrets in this window-display.  Some looked fine and healthy.
Most, actually, thankfully.  But there were babies and there were some that
were more like 6 months old.  One of the older ones was so skinny I gasped
when I saw him.  I don't know if he was returned to the store, or what.  He
was active, though, so I was hoping that maybe he'd turn out all right.  I
kept looking into the window, sadly down at these twenty or so furballs,
thinking "What does Christmas have in store for these guys?  Will they go to
good homes, or lousy ones, or will they spend their Christmas Day locked in
this glass casing, all alone because nobody works that day?" And then I saw
her.  She was a tiny, tiny little grey ferret, not even old enough to know
what color she wants to turn out to be.  She was sleeping, half buried in
the sawdust-like shavings of the display window.  She was breathing like she
was convulsing, which later I realized was probably just due to a nightmare
she was having.  But it was enough for me to go in and say "This ferret
looks sick, can I see it?" After several workers being quite annoyed at me,
I got to hold the ferret.  Guys, this ferret couldn't have been more than
five weeks old.  I was told she could be a runt.  I looked at her
teeth...there was NO way she could eat the hard solid food that was in the
display!  I was so sickeningly sweet to the workers, I did not want to tick
off anyone, but inside I was seething.  I asked who the breeder was, I was
told someone in Barto, PA.  I live less than 15 minutes from Barto, I've
never heard of any breeder here.  None of the other ferrets looked this
young.  This ferret was so tiny that I couldn't even tell at first if it was
a boy or a girl.
 
The bottom line here is that I spent a half hour being passed from worker to
worker, while asking for a manager.  Finally, I was greeted by a kid who
claimed to be the manager; he must be 20 if that.  He brushed me off by
saying (oh so politely, though) that he'd put the ferret in a separate cage
and make sure she got food moistened so she could eat it.  I insisted that
he put other babies in with her; who knows if that was heard.
 
I know this message is getting to the point where it will be rejected for
length, so I'll just say that I am so frustrated right now.  We are all
trying so hard to make a difference, and for what?  I know, we can only do
our part, but I'm now determined to find a way to make MY part a whole lot
bigger.  The second my web site is updated I will let you all know, so if
you're interested in helping to change things, watch for that post.
 
No longer in the Christmas Spirit :-(
Kymberlie Becker Barone
Director, Pennsylvania Ferret Rescue Association
"Forget Puppy Love...There's nothing Greater than Ferret Love!" TM
http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/ferretlady
[Posted in FML issue 2160]