Otter:
No, your not being maudlin or crazy.  Everytime I look at the trusting
faces of our 7 FLO members, and the faces of our cats, I keep wondering how
on earth anyone can mistreat one.  I know it goes on.  Child and animal
abuse.  And I always wonder WHY???  Is it a power trip?  Stupidity?  No one
will ever know the answer.  I stand in the pet store near the fuzzies, and
I'll hear kids talking about how neat it would be to have one, and I'll
start 'grilling' them as to "Do you know......." I'm sure I've killed
several sales (at least I hope so, considering what I was hearing).  Our
student worker here in the office, I've managed to talk him out of a ferret
because of where he lives-a frat house full of guys that we all know not
everyone would like a ferret.
 
But how many more go out to people who don't give a damn, they think its
just another toy to be discarded.  Or someone who thinks they don't have to
take care of them, just stick 'em in a cage, feed and water them, don't
tend to their needs or wants.  Who cares if it's sick, fed, watered--we
bought it-it's ours to do with what we want.  To people who take care of
and love fuzzies its unimaginable.  But then you go to the web page of the
shelters, look at the babies turned in there, and your heart becomes broken
and sick.  You read the stories.  You get furious and want to help them
all.  God knows I'd love to be able to send every shelter money, but I
can't.  I can only hold CJ, Randy, Dayna, Ferret Wise, Friends of Fuzzies,
the list goes on and on, in the highest esteem---I stand in awe of them.
Someone would bring me in a ferret like I've seen the pictures of, and
somebody else would have to have bail money to get me out of jail after I
slapped the snot out of them.  How they do it is beyond my ken.  My hat is
still off to the attorney who rescued the baby and busted the cage up.
Sounds like something my husband would do.
 
There was a 'found' ferret in the paper over the weekend.  I called to see
if it had been claimed, and if not what would happen to the baby.  They
never got back to me, and now I keep wondering what happened to the poor
thing.  I want to go to the pet stores and rescue all the babies there, but
I can't.  Do I wonder what happens to them, do I worry over them?  Damn
skippy I do.  How do I cope?  By trying to talk to people in the pet stores
when I see them observing ferrets, by taking care of mine, by everytime I
can I light a candle at church and pray a lot.  By talking to the folks
here in FML.  By telling myself that someday the so-called 'intelligent
members' of the human race will wake up.  Until that time, all you can do
is do all you can to educate people.  Anytime you need to let off steam
and want to contact me, feel free.  I know the need to talk about it.
 
Rebecca & the other two human slaves
The real bosses of the house:
Socks-I'm the oldest leave me alone
Kit-Ms. General of the FLO
Genie--Ace spy
Scully--Secret agent
Suzy Derkins---war dancer extrordinaire (2nd in command to the General)
Calvin--walrus butt--staff sergeant
Mookie---Body surf me, mom!---When do I get a promotion???
Chewie, Dribble, Sarabi & Tigger--Meeeooww--this tape hurts-get us undone.
=======================
Rebecca McFarlane
Secretary
Basic Medical Sciences
School Veterinary Medicine
Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN  47907-1246
Phone:   765-494-8632
Fax:     765-494-0781
"Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste
good with ketchup"
[Posted in FML issue 2638]