Hello My name is Callie and I am a deaf ferret.  Yes, I was born with WS
but I really do not mind.  DA Ma Ma has been reading the FMl about deaf
ferret stories and said I should share my story to help other ferret
parents understand why we are different.
 
I was born just about this time, May of 98.  I am a panda blaze mitt girl.
I have a question mark on my head that was over four inches long and
covered my whole body.  In July of that year Da Mama received a call from
a frantic lady with a very sick baby ferret.  Since I was so sick DA Ma Ma
told the lady to meet her at the vets office.  The lady surrendered me to
DA Ma Ma right at the vets as she did not know how to help me and did not
want to have the vet bill.  You see I was smaller than a ladies hand.  My
paws and stomach was bright red and I did not know what was going on.  The
lady said I was brought to her by a friend because she healed animal with
herbs, but the lady did not know about ferrets and she knew I was in deep
trouble.  I weight in at .25 pounds and the vet did not think I would
survive.  She gave me sub Q fluids and sent me home with instructions to
be fed every hour.  No one knew why my foot pads and stomach was bright
red, but I was put in nice warm water to soak them and keep me clean.
Everyone suspected I put my feet in something bad.  On calling owner DA
Ma Ma was told I played under the porch then got real sick.  Da Ma Ma
suspected I had deck preservative on my feet and made me real sick.They
also fed me cat food.  She said a young boy had given me to her son and I
came from the Holyoke Mall.  She would not give her name so Da Ma Ma
called the store and they said two ferrets were stolen from their store
two days before and one was a small female blaze.  The store called three
weeks later and said they had caught the boy and they did not want to pay
the vet bill and to keep me.  I was not home an hour and my pads on my
feet burst and bleed.  DA Ma Ma suspected unine burn.  Well, DA Ma Ma was
not going to let me die.  DA Ma Ma and Pa Pa fed me every hour for over
two weeks.  By then I was eating the duck soup by myself.  Oh how I love
that stuff.  My feet healed but I still was only .35 of a pound.  For the
next month I started to grow but my back legs never quite grew right
because of being so sick for so long during my growing time.  I cannot sit
up unless I have the door or a leg to support me.  By the time I was five
months and went for my last shot the DR told DA Ma Ma she never thought I
would make it.
 
By the time I was eight months I stole every member of the Educated Ferret
Club's heart.  I was voted as the Mascot forever.  I would be with DA Ma
Ma the rest of my life.  I am an Educating ferret and have taught Da Ma Ma
and many humans what I am, what I do, and why I do it.  She also said to
keep todays post to my history so tomorrow I will post the things I taught
the humans during the past three years.  Oh I forgot I may be deaf but I
teach education classes on ferret care, and created my own ferret sign
language,have my own photographer, costume designer, and an assistant
junior mascot named Josiah.  So you see God made deaf ferrets special.
Me TOO.
 
Love Callie
[Posted in FML issue 3796]