Several of you have written on the FML addressing me that there are other
animals to support in the world besides ferrets.  I couldn't agree with
you more.  But BIG would like for this to be a forum about ferrets.
 
Personally I say a prayer each morning for God to help me balance my life.
I do a balance check at least every few days.  Limiting oneself only to
ferrets is certainly not a balanced position.
 
Early every second morning in spring, summer and fall I go down to the
small lake and feed the fish.  They somehow know me and swarm around now
before i even sprinkle their floating pond food.We use sprays to kill the
bugs, and people fish here like crazy, and drop garbage all over.  In
addition to helping the fish survive, I clean up 4 to 7 bags of garbage
every month in the area around where I live.
 
Every few weeks, i find myself saving a bird caught in fish line.There is
fishing line left all over the place.  I feed the mother ducks sitting on
their eggs so they can safely guard their babies.  Last year I fed a wild
turkey, and snowy egret that must have been lost big time.  I also fed the
ducklings-green poop machines.  I leave food blocks, salt blocks, and
pounds of apples for the deer and other herbivores in the woods once a week
since a friend and I discovered a small group of deer so weak they could
not stand as we passed.  One was shaking and convulsing.  When i can't feed
them, my friend goes with 50 pound bags of corn: even in the deep snow we
had this year here.We see their little poops and hoof prints so we know
they are getting the food..
 
I feed about 14 feral cats on my porch each night.  I am not home enough
to catch them.  My neighbor has permission to do that.  I have a home for
animals on my porch.  Each year I throw out the old one and make a new one
so I won't breed parasites.  I have a heating pad I put inside for whatever
animals need it when the weather is cold.  I have a place to plug it in
outside.  Had a little black kitty that would not let me near him this
year?  I fed him kitten milk stuff [don't remember name] and heated his
food for him.  He just disappeared one day.
 
I also spent last year trying to feed an injured goose without feeding a
flock of others.  I ended up feeding the flock and injured one.  But the
goose survived, and stays close to my porch.  He steals the bird seed for
the little birds and sunflower seeds that are for the squirrels.
 
I teach the children fishing that fish can feel the pain of the hook, and
have a right to life.  They catch dozens of fish out of boredom just to let
them die.  This ceaseless, senseless loss of life upsets me so much.  No
one eats these fish.  They are just slaughtered for amusement-poked and
prodded, and left to flop on the grass.  It tears me up.  Many stop fishing
and help me feed the fish instead.  I tell them to tell their friends how
to really "fish" Others just ignore me and continue killing living
beings-one after another.
 
Today I found an opossum in a window well by a dryer hose that was roasting
to death.  The owners were busy getting drunk and wouldn't do anything.
Their daughter came to get me to save it.  The well was deep and narrow.
I paid $60. to have it gently removed and carried to the woods.  The guy
who took him said he bounded away, and seemed to be fine.
 
I used to feed the feral cats where I used to live.  I moved but obtained
the permission to continue feeding them by the bushes to the side for one
year.  I drove 40 minutes every day but Sunday for a year with 5 or more
pounds of food each day to continue caring for them.  I slowly cut back on
food left, and stopped feeding them last summer only because people didn't
like the skunks that the food was attracting.
 
A 6 year old feral cat was the only cat I was ever able to capture.  I
thought it was a girl and had named it Princess.  I stalked Princess for
several hours in 90 degree heat before I grabbed it and dunked it in a
carrier.  I thought I was going to have a heart attack I was so afraid of
it.  Princess had worms, fleas, ear mites, male parts, and had been in an
ugly fight.  He weighed 8 pounds.  He was an expensive booger to fix up.
No shelter would take an old feral cat, and I wouldn't let him go or put
him down.
 
He is racing around right now because there are wild animals on the porch.
He gets all excited over this and rips around bouncing off walls.  Great
exercise!!  .  He weighs 15 pounds now and loves to Leap and kerplop on my
chest at 3 A.M.
 
I just save a puppy about 3 weeks ago that was thrown in the woods [sadly
by someone I know] and by the grace of God was able to find him, get him to
come to me, get him cleaned up, make calls, drive around to dog lovers, and
find him an excellent home.  He was such a bouncy happy lover.  His new
family is crazy about him.  I am still on a high from this one.
 
I save newspapers and have my family do the same.  When I have gathered up
a bundle I drop them off at the local animal shelter.  I purchase nearly
all my gifts at pet expos from various shelters and animal organizations.
I already have almost all of my Christmas presents for this coming DEC.
 
I perform free work on those in need, in poor areas where people cannot
afford a car, and need care.  I was right there not long ago, and am still
struggling.  I donate all my odds and ends and clothes and jewelry I do not
really need to Save a Pet.  They have a small store.  I take my things, and
pick up stuff my friends and family don't want and drop it all off there.
I also try to buy as much as i can there when I go.
 
I hope since several have made direct comments about My only giving to
ferrets that BIG will print this.  I am not done with all the things that I
do.  But suffice it to say that I believe that we all need balance in our
lives.  Just because I personally believe that anyone with a ferret should
be responsible enough to give to their local shelter doesn't mean to limit
your giving to this.
 
And as far as my dream for ferrets-if $200 to donate once in your whole
life to ferret shelters [which is Only about 60 cents a day for one year]
for purchasing a healthy ferret is too much for anyone-who cares?  Anyone
can buy a ferret that comes from a puppy mill at the pet store..  No one
ever has to give to a shelter or volunteer.
 
Being responsible in this particular way was just My Dream for the ferrets.
 
Lisette
 
[Moderator's note: Yes, this is a forum about ferrets.  There are other
forums for other animals, forums about animal rights, forums about animal
rehabilitation.  Or communication.  Or rescue.  Or training.  Or cooking.
In other words, forums already exist for all this -- and generally, posts
which are not specifically about ferrets and/or their keepers will be
rejected here.  They are best posted in the applicable and already-existing
forums, not the FML.  BIG]
[Posted in FML issue 2694]