When I read Greta's account of Tatonka, I had to tell you about my Max.
 
I went into a pet store in a shopping mall, "just too look".  In the
middle of the store was this octagon glass enclosure full of little
ferrets, and one big one.  He was not a fancy color, not cute big black
eyes....truely a mutt in the ferret world.  He stood up on his hind
legs to look at me when I went up to the case.  I asked the store
employee/jerk if I could hold him.  His answer was "you don't want to
hold him, he bites"  I said "please take him out for me'.  He walked away
a few feet to the counter and reached behind and picked something up.
When he came back he had a bird perch in his hand.  I figured, maybe
there was some trick to opening this case, and the perch was the key.  As
he flipped off the top of the enclosure he proceed to beat this little
guy with the perch.  We don't even have to ask what my reaction to this
was.  This was where I started to make a scene.  I grabbed the perch from
him and and said "what the h___ do you think you are doing?"  His answer
was " don't want him to bite me"
 
I scooped the ferret up, and sure enough he tore a strip off my
hand....blood everywhere.  I said, " I will take him for 1/2 price." This
guy though I had lost my mind, when in all honesty, I had lost my heart,
to this big fellow.
 
I wrestled him into a box (no small accomplishment in itself) and left
with my new baby.  I had to walk the full lenght of the mall, which is
about 3 blocks long, with this little box, banging and little sharp teeth
trying to rip the side out of it at the air holes, with blood running
down my hand.
 
It turned out Max was only 3 months old, and scared to death.  He drew
blood on me every day for three weeks.  Every time I walked past him, I
would pick him up by the back, so he couldn't reach my hand and gently
blow in his face and talk to him, telling him what a good boy he is.  He
finally stoped biting, and the day of the first kiss was amazing.
 
He turned out to be the gentlest ferret, with other ferrets and people, I
have seen.  Max's beauty was all inner.  He was not a dapper looking guy,
but radiated love for everyone.
 
Rest in peaceMax....you and I will make the trip over the rainbow
together....with all the crew.
[Posted in FML issue 4274]