I am new to the FML.  I was just wanting to tell others about my new ferret.
It goes like this.  I bought my large male ferret from a local resident,
back in March.  He was just what I was looking for appearance wise.  He was
a dark sable, large in size.  He was a bit too rough though.  But I figured
I would train him, and everything would be ok.  These people I got him from,
also had two females, which were nippers too.  They explained that they
didn't believe in discipling them, because it would make the Ferrets afraid
to play with people.  They just said that they dealt with the toe biting, by
wearing their shoes all the time.
 
Well, when we were leaving their house, the lady owner said, Oh I'm going to
miss him so much, he was my baby.  I then said, oh don't worry about it,
I'll take good care of him.  Anyway we took him home and I started training
him not to nip, by flicking his nose, when he nipped, because he was just
too rough, and the day we got him he bit a friend of ours, and made her
bleed.  So, I just knew that I had to get him trained.  Well, within a few
days, he was getting better, and not being so aggressive about attacking our
feet.  One week after we got him, my boys brought their friend into the
house.  The ferret was out roaming.  The boys were playing some video games,
and the ferret ran over by one of the boys, and bit him on the toe.  It
started bleeding.  I said it would be OK.  Well, he left a little while
later.  Then a few hours later, he came and asked if my ferret had it's
rabies shots.  I said yes, because I thought his shots were up to date, the
people I got him from said he was due for shots and I planned on getting his
shots within the next couple weeks.  They didn't show me the ferrets shot
records when I got him, and I didn't even know too much about rabies to
begin with.  Anyway, about an hour later, the Humane Society came out to
pick up my Ferret.  I was shocked.  I had no idea they could take my pet
from me.  I had to let them take him, or else get fined or something.  I
asked when they could bring him back, but the lady said she didn't know.
Well, after she left, my husband told me they would kill the ferret.  I
cried, and wondered why they would want to do such a thing.  Anyway, I tried
to get a hold of shot records.  I did, and the shots were over a year past
due.  And according to the vet records, he was about 1 or 2 years older than
what I was told.  Boy did I feel screwed on this deal.  Anyway they had to
put my Ferret (Tyson) to sleep, so they could test for rabies.  The tests
came back negative, and I was very angry about the meaningless of it all.  I
even felt angry toward the people that reported the bite.  Well, since then,
I got two ferrets.  One is a 1 1/2 lb.  sable female, light in color, and 1
year old.  My other I just got 2 weeks ago.  It's a 2 1/2 lb.  sable male
and about 12 wks old.  I just love them, and my male loves to cuddle more.
I have read alot about ferrets in the past few months, and I do all I can to
keep strangers from touching either one of them.  Thanks for your interest.
 
        Debbie
[Posted in FML issue 1669]