My name is Jennifer Ahler, and I work full time for a pet store in
Milwaukee, WI.  Our store sells Marshalls ferrets.  We got a shipment in
last week, and the ferrets seemed to be a little young.  Well, I feed,
water, and clean poop boxes everyday (first at work, then at home.  that
is alot of poop!).  One day I noticed one of the ferrets didn't seem to
be very active and just seemed to be too small.  When I took her out, I
noticed that she had a prolapsed rectum, and was not doing well.  So the
ferret was going to spend the day with me.  I encouraged her to eat "duck
soup" every 2-3 hours.  At the end of the day, I knew this ferret was not
going to make it on her own.  So I told my manager the ferret needed 24
hour care, and she said I could take him home.  I got home and called my
shelter operator and asked what I could do for her, and she said to keep
doing what I was doing.  After 2 days I thought this ferret was going to
die.  The shelter said the store could "donate" the ferret and get a tax
deduction, which I thought the store would never do.  I was wrong, when I
asked the manager, he said that I could give the ferret to the shelter.  5
days later little "Raindrop" has gained 5 oz.  and seems to be doing fine.
The vet thinks she will be ok.  We found out the ferret had eaten some
pine.  Even though I had ben preaching that pine is bad for a long time.
But now we don't use pine, we use pellets.  So this story seems to be
ending fairly well.  IT is just sad that this little ferret had to start
out life so hard.
 
Jennifer
[Posted in FML issue 3390]