Well first off, in light of what all has happened in WA, I would like to ask
a question that I dont think has been asked yet...and that is why?  Why did
this person do this in the first place?  Any clue?  This whole thing reminds
me of somthing my aunt told me as a child.  She claimed it was told to her
by a wise old Indian.  It went somthing like this...."Remember this, if you
ever harm or kill an animal needlessly, that animal will be waiting for you
at the gates of paradise and you must then answer for your actions...."
 
And speaking of animal cruelty I need some advice.  I have a friend who owns
a female <?> ferret.  I am not totally sure if it is indeed a she though.
She is only 4 months old and she is huge!  As big as my one year old male at
least.  The main problem I see is this, if she is a female she is not
spayed.  They dont ever get her out as their house is not ferret proof and
they own very large dogs who would without a doubt try and eat the ferret.
She was bought at some sort of farm auction and was supposedly 8 wks old,
the people who bought her gave her to my friend a month later.  And my
friend has now had her for about a month.  Like I said, she is never let out
except to be held, which is difficult since she squirms and bites.  It
always looks as though she is trying to get down and run, but cant, so she
bites.  She has not bit me so hard as to make me bleed, but she definitly is
hostile about the situation.  They have not taken her to a vet, even though
I keep warning them.  She is kept in a very small cage (under someones bed I
think) and has no litter pan, she just goes wherever in her cage.  I get
really upset just thinking about this.  We brought our ferret to my friends
home to show them how wonderfull they are when someone takes the time to
tame them.  But it will never happen as long as she is caged up and never
held or loved on.  It really hurts me to think that this baby does not get
the love and affection and the chance to run and play like our ferret does.
Part of me says just stay out of it, and that it is none of my business.
And another part of me says to throw a fit!  If they wanted a cage animal
they should have bought a hamster, but not a ferret!  As of right now I
think the damage can be reversed.  She is still young and with some love and
consistancy I think she can be brought around and taught not to bite.  But
how much longer until there will be no chance of taming her?  Any advice
would help
 
Thanks
Michelle
[Posted in FML issue 2146]