We got Lami in 1990 to keep Freddie, our first ferret, company.  We snuck
over the border to Reno and went to several pet stores.  Most of them had
babies and my husband was concerned that Freddie would hurt them, because
they were so little.  We found Lami in the last pet store we went to.  I did
not want to get him at first, because he seemed to be very timid and afraid.
The pet store employee said that somebody had brought him in, that did not
want him anymore and they did not have any information on how old he was.
We don't know if he had been treated well before he came to us, but he sure
seemed awful skiddish and afraid.  My husband named him Rambo (a strong
name, so he would stand up to Freddie.) but it was soon evident that even
with a name like Rambo, he would not be able to dominate Freddie, who was
half his size.  She beat him up several times and my husband divided the
cage into two sections and it took a couple of month for both of them to get
used to each other.  My kids renamed Rambo, Lambo and eventually it turned
into Lami, because he was such a sweetheart, a real lamb.  Not a mean bone
in his body, he could not hurt a fly.  He would not even defend himself
against Freddie, he would just cry.  Everybody that met him, fell in love
with him.  Shortly after Freddie and Lami started living together, Freddie
was accidentally killed by the dogs when she got out.  So we made another
trip to Reno and got Sid to keep Lami company.  He was not a ferret that
should live alone.  Him and Sid got along right from the start, even so Sid
was only eight weeks old and only a third of Lami's size.  Lami took Sid
under his wing and they were never parted again.  From November 26, 1995 to
December 22, 1995, when Fish and Game took them away from us, was the only
month that I worry that Lami and Sid might have not been with anybody that
really loved them.  I don't know who was keeping them for the Fish and Game
and how they were treated.  On December 22, 1995 they were flown to Texas to
be with my dad.  A year later and several moves later, my dad was going to
move to Atlanta and Margie graciously agreed to take our Lami and Sid in and
take care of them.  They had been with her ever since.  Even so my dad did
not take the best care of them, I do know that he loved them.  There is no
doubt in my heart that they received nothing but love from Margie.  We don't
know how old Lami really was, but we know that he was at least eight years
old.  We attribute his death to old age.  I can only blame myself for not
being with him in his final moments but thank god that Margie was there to
hold him and comfort him.  We owe her so much!
 
Lami will be sorely missed by all his family here in Fresno and by Sid and
Margie and the gang in Illinois.
 
Sorry this is so long.
 
Ilona, Ferretless in California
[Posted in FML issue 1954]