First and foremost, thank you ... big weepy thank you's ... to the
several people who send condolence cards on Toast's passing.  Please know
that I will respond to each of you; this is just the first time I've been
able to type coherently since the little bugger crossed over.  Who would
think one small, simple, silly yet profoundly endearing little creature
could have gotten so deeply into my heart so very quickly?
 
Toast was only with me for about eight months ... one of several that
came as a group right before I had to move and close down the shelter.
I'd determined only a few days before that we'd not be taking in any more
so I could prepare for our move, and then the call came in from a woman
whose mother had passed on.  Two groups of ferrets (nine in all).  Five
went to a really terrific gal who also runs a shelter, and these four ...
mostly because I immediately fell in love with Toast ... I broke the
cardinal rule of shelters for and kept.  They were immediately part
of the family.  The dogs and cats both fear and protect them (I hear
Toasty's response to that in my mind "We da aminal gods!  Them must fear
and potect!"), and they get along happily with the rats and iguana ...
weird, but there you have it!  Toast was a very, very, very dear and
special baby, and will be missed always.  So ... thank you again for the
E-cards ... I have printed and am making a memorial book for this first
ferret I've ever lost.
 
Toast's best buddy-bro Jelly is doing o.k., I think.  I have been taking
him to work with me, and moved his house from the ferret room to the
living room so he's always at the center of things.  He has developed
a slight ... I guess its a cold.  ONe eye is a little runny, and he's
sneezed a little.  Seems perfectly fine otherwise ... the living room is
about five degrees cooler than the ferret room at night, and he doesn't
have Toasty's toasty body warmth to curl into now. :*(  He did have a
one-day bout with diarreah, which scared me terribly ... then looking
frantically for causes decided to quiz the family.  ALL of us were so
concerned for his health after loosing Toast that we decided a bit more
suppliment was needed ... unfortunately we didn't talk to each other
about it.  I just figured "he's mine, I've always been the caretaker, I
am now." The children wanted to help me by making sure I didn't loose him
to grief but didn't want to communicate their concerns to me ... or each
other ... and worry us more.  EACH of us (me and three children and even
DH!) had been giving Jelly a teaspoon of NutraVite morning and night for
two days!  Ever read the ingredients?  Little guy got major vitamins AND
his pipes cleaned!
 
Anyway, I moved Hamza's house in the living room yesterday.  He and Jelly
have never roomed together, only as next-door neighbors with cages
touching, but play together very well.  I'm planning on tubing their
cages together in the living roomin the next day or two (once Jell's
cold has cleared up).  Then he'll be warm and snuggy again, even if
Hammy's musty musk is slightly different than Toasties' was.
 
WOW ... this turned into a long post.  Sorry :)
 
Anyhow ... the Georgia thing ... my husband has just gotten a six
month to several years job offer in Georgia.  Could be a tremendous
opportunity, and doing what he loves.  The deal would include transport
of family (including furry family) ... but what are Georgia's rules about
ferrets (transporting, keeping, etc.)???  Are special permits needed?
What sort of travel papers, if any?  They'd be going overland (driving
rather than flying) from Arizona.  Any help on this MUCH appreciated ...
this is one of the big factors in deciding if we're going or not.  The
other being that we just got into a lease-purchase (with an escrow due to
close in August), and I really am not happy about the letting go aspect.
 
Thank you ...
 
Peri
[Posted in FML issue 4050]