Hello, everybody!  I'm Sara, my husband is Matt, and we have as of yesterday
four fuzzbutts in our house -- all rescues and all very special to us.  (The
ferret math gods are appeased.) We also have three cats and two dogs, all
rescues as well.  Seven months ago we'd barely heard of ferrets, but fate
sent me a stray at work one day and I couldn't say no.  We have learned SO
MUCH from the internet, it's amazing, so here I am to learn some more!
 
Our newest little girl, Monica, has quite a story to share.  We got her
from a foster home down the road.  She was surrendered to animal control by
a "breeder" who was going out of business.  She was born in a cage in his
backyard, then put in another cage as soon as she was weaned.  She'd never
been out of it, never been handled, never seen a toy or done the weasel
dance.  She is barely two years old and has had four litters, the last of
which she cannibalized, presumably because she was starving to death -
starving to the point of beginning to break down her internal organs.  Her
cage was so small she'd forgotten how to walk.  (!!!) She had salmonella
and was bleeding internally.  Carolyn nursed her back to health, taught her
to walk, and socialized her with people and other ferrets.  She is still a
little shy and will nip if you surprise her, but no longer draws blood; she
just needs to be handled a bit more.  There's no evidence of permanent
damage from the starvation.  =) She is SO tiny, I can't believe anyone
would THINK of breeding her!  I have to go buy a new scale today because
she doesn't register on the one we have.  I doubt she weighs half a pound.
She is still a little thin but is eating well on day one in her new home.
She doesn't war-dance yet but she does play.  And she is feisty!  Our two
big (4&5lb) males already know who's boss...and I'm sure the cats will
learn as soon as we introduce them...<evil grin> She and Ana seem content
so far to share the "queen" position.  In fact they were curled up together
in the hammock this morning, with the boys relegated to sleeping on the
floor...hee hee hee!
 
That's all for now...I will share Dimi's story with you next time.  Till
then!
 
-Sara.
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[Posted in FML issue 2426]