>I have another challenge for those who are able.  Contact your local
>shelter and ask if there is any older ferrets who need a loving home....
>I don't know about other shelters and will not presume to speak for them,
>but I know for myself... the *adoption fee* on a ferret like this is like
>$10.  All I want is for them to be able to live out their days being loved,
>cuddled and happy.  We try to give them that, but with many to care for...
>they don't get the amount of one on one attention a loving home could
>offer.
 
Exactly.  This whole post was dead on.  We don't ask much for the older
ferrets, even when they have no medical problems--otherwise we turn into
a retirement home for older ferrets.  Sigh.  But the old ones with health
issues, who need special care, hand feedings or even just careful
monitoring--no one wants them.  My "adoption fee" for ferrets like that is
minimal if if exists--at this point they end up with people who've adopted
other ferrets from us in the past, people I know I can trust.
 
Our adoption fees range from $30 to $75, depending on the age and health
of the ferret, and I think we're in the middle range for most rescues.  And
we are so definitely not making money here it's sick.  I don't want to go
under for lack of funds, but I also would like to be able to buy groceries
now and then.  I'm not begging for money at present, not at all--just
trying to make a point.  Every ferret who comes in our door needs a vet
check and nine out of ten don't have current vacs.  That alone is a solid
$55 per ferret.  Some have adrenal disease and are operable, which is
another $250 or so.  One right now is awaiting a tooth extraction for an
abcessed canine, about $200 all told, although the extraction itself is
minor.  Many of the older ones get sick from the stress of transition and
require antibiotics, liquid diets, frequent feedings, and multiple vet
trips--more money, more time.
 
I'm not trying to complain.  I could stop if I wanted to (well, actually, I
couldn't; I tried to take a break and got a call a week later from someone
surrendering 11, but that's just the universe's way of telling me
something).  Anyway, I do this for a lot of really good reasons, and I know
my limits.  As long as I have to work outside of my home for a living, we
shelter only a few ferrets at a time--preferably no more than 15.  If none
of them get along and a lot of them have health issues, that's too many
anyway.  And I get so angry when someone tries to bargain with my adoption
fees, tries to get me to knock the cost of adoption down for them.  If they
want to spread out their payments, I'm okay with that.  We've been known
to barter before, too, if someone has a service they can perform that we
need.  But the reason we ask for money is simple.  I would say we shell
out at least, on average, $150 per ferret (maybe more), and get back, on
average... er.... $50.  And that's not really counting food costs, or
supplies.  Even if there's nothing medically wrong with a ferret, and he's
under a year old, and we get a $75 donation and he's adopted by a wonderful
person who doesn't mind paying the money and loves everything we do--even
then, we're only $20 in the black on that particular ferret, not including
food and other supplies, and our own time.  Add flea treatments, heartworm
tests, CBCs and glucose tests when applicable.
 
We get occasional donations, and we're looking at the rather long road
toward 501(c)3 status so I can go begging a bit.  Still, I don't mean to be
talking about us in particular.  I'm sure others out there also run small
rescues, and the large shelters deal with this even more.  Please, if you
choose to adopt a ferret, don't think in terms of "This is a used ferret
and I have to pay how much for it?"  Think in terms of "This ferret needs a
home and the shelter has taken care of him until now.  He already has his
shots for the next year, and they can tell me all about his specific
behaviors, and a vet has just seen him recently so I know he's healthy."
If you buy a pet-store kit, you'll pay more for a ferret you know very
little about who has not had any vaccinations to speak of.  Sure, it'll be
a baby, and kits are adorable--no arguments there.  I'm not saying "Don't
ever buy a ferret from a pet store."  Just weigh the costs a bit.
 
For every potential adopter who complains about our fees (which very nearly
disqualifies you in my eyes--if you won't pay $55 once for a two-year-old
ferret current on vacs, you're not going to pay it yearly for a vet check),
there are two or three who thank us for doing what we're doing and don't
complain.  Still, it's the ungrateful ones we remember most clearly.  Ergh.
 
Jen and the Crazy Business
http://home.maine.rr.com/tesseract
[Posted in FML issue 3048]