Hi everyone
 
The pictures of Kodo's feet are now up on my website, along with the feet
of a normal ferret.  Notice that on Kodo's left foot, he has only 3 toes,
his right 4.  For some unknown reason, the vet amputated toes instead of
merely removing the first digit!
http://www.kozykingdom.com/ferrethaven/mutilated.htm
 
As far as shelters go, I have a couple comments to make.  Sweeping,
generalized statements do no one any good - just like some folks will say
"All ferrets bite" saying that "shelters produce neurotic biters" or "
shelters are bad for ferrets" will do what no one wants: Keep ferrets in
shelters or keep people from turning to sheltters for ferrets.
 
I have very few shelter ferrets that I consider unadoptable - but I don't
believe in my mind that would make me a collector.  My unadoptable list:
Kodo, the declawed insulinomic ferret who currently is not eating on his
own; Tigger and Trella - it was requested by their former owner for me to
keep them in the shelter.  Thats it.  Everyone else, to the right home (and
thats the kicker) are adoptable.  But tell me, how many people are willing
to adopt a ferret that has screaming insulinoma seizures twice a week and
is not a surgical candidate (vets opinion, not mine)?  or is 7 years old,
bald, on medication?  Or doesn't like strangers and bites to the bone?  Or
has cardiomyopathy, bilateral adrenal and is deaf?  All of these ferrets
have been here - and I did the best that I could for them.
 
I don't stack cages and I try to limit the amounts of stress that new
ferrets are subjected to, but I am no different than any other shelter.
 
I agree that ferrets are better off in a loving home that is willing to
invest the time and that has only a couple of ferrets - but until that
time, a shelter is better than euthanasia, isn't it?  To anyone that thinks
that a shelter is evil, I challenge you: walk a mile in my moccasins.  For
24 ferrets: Clean littterbox 3x a week, drive 45 miles to pick up a ferret,
give vaccinations, make 2x a week trips to the vet for regular check ups,
answer the phone calls, the emails, screen or mail adoption paperwork to
potential adopters, change the bedding, clean the cages.  I could go on
and on.
 
Bottom line is: I give a damn whether or not the ferrets are happy and
healthy.  I make no determination between my shelter ferrets and my
personal ferrets - everyone gets the same quality of care - only the
checks that pay for there care are different.  It eats me up to see what
kind of condition ferrets are turned into the shelter.  Dirty, bedragged,
flea-infested, eating trash food, locked up in cages for weeks at a time
(the released parent's statement), injured or sick - I have taken them all.
Two ferrets currently in the shelter were turned into the shelter other
than being euthanised - Emily and Kodo.  Both are recovering fine - in both
cases, the owners didnt want to or couldnt afford surgery.
 
Suggesting to do the surgery and releasing the animal back to the person -
I tried that - Emily's owner didn't want her back, even though she is
healthy.  Kodo's mom said she could no longer afford to keep him, even if
he was okay.
 
Whats ironic to me is that everyone assumes that a home with one or two
ferrets is the best environment - but if thats the case, then how come I
have so many single and paired owner-released ferrets?  The most common
reason for turning in "I don't have enough time for them".
 
I don't think the number of ferrets is the key - I think its how much of
your time you invest in them!
 
So, I have to disagree with Bob C's comments on shelters and ferrets.  If
that makes me a bad shelter, then I guess I am.  The ferrets are the only
ones that could really say, and they ain't talking.
 
Lisa, Head Ferret
The Ferret Haven "By-the-Sea"
URL: http://www.kozykingdom.com/ferrethaven
[Posted in FML issue 2515]