After reading Kirsten Hansen's post asking what happens to older ferrets
at Petco when a shipment of new kits come in, I'm letting y'all know
about one cute little guy named Tatonka.  I had wanted a kit for some
time and my daughter thought this would make a nice birthday gift for me.
I met her in Chicago and we proceeded to her pet store (a Petco).  The
ferret tank there was filled with an assortment of tiny babies in every
color imaginable.  I noticed these kits had a big brother who was much
larger and much more frisky than his tiny cagemates.  When I reached in
my arm to pick up a kit to examine, Big Brother suddenly scrambled up my
arm to my shoulder, insisting I take him home with me.  I cuddled him for
a while and then set him down to pick up another baby.  Big Brother had
other ideas.  Every time I reached into the tank for another baby, Big
Brother repeated his insistent behavior.  Then I heard the store clerk
say, "He does this with all our customers.  No one will buy him because
he's so frisky."
 
That settled it.  Tatonka had been neutered and could not be used for
breeding.  What would happen to him if he remained in the store with all
this competition?  So I picked up my new birthday ferret and said, "Your
name is Tatonka.  I belong to you now.  You're going home with me."
Nearly two years later, this happy, healthy, bouncy little guy is still
lighting up my life.
 
Cordially, Greta Hoisington
[Posted in FML issue 4273]