Hi all--
 
I'd mentioned in Aol's Ferret Chat Saturday losing 2 fuzzies to animal
control in WI.  I was able to give only a very shortened version, and would
like to clarify here that it was NOT the ferrets' fault.
 
Here's the full story: I had to move, and my new landlady flipped out over
two ferrets and a dog.  She was sure they would fight and destroy the place.
I ignored her upset until the ferrets started destroying the new carpeting.
Then I sent the fuzzies to live with some friends until I could find a
better apartment.  My friend, Kelly, is a wonderful mother of two beautiful
little girls, Kim (4 at the time) and Samantha (3 at the time) . . .
Unfortunately, Kelly's mothering skills did not yet apply to animals.
 
Ferrets and girls got along great for 4 months, until the ferrets were
confined almost completely to their cage and developed ear mites that were
not noted or treated.  This is partly my fault--I was so grateful that these
people agreed to care for my babies long term that I was fearful of being
too critical of the care they received.  I won't make that mistake again.
 
Smokey was 2 yrs and Whiskey 7.  Whiskey was fine with being caged--she was
old, lame, and did very little but sleep and eat.  Smokey, however, had never
in her life been caged long-term.  She was handled constantly at the pet shop
before I bought her, and always had free run of my residences.  She had a
very sweet temperament.
 
But one night she got out of the cage, climbed into 3 yr old Sammy's bed,
and chewed up the child's face.  Smokey had bit Sam about 30 times before
Sam got hold of her.  Smokey was put into the cage, and immediately got out
and came to attack the child again!  She was freaking out, convulsing,
snapping--definitely not her sweet self.  This was at 4 am.
 
The hospital where the child was treated notified Animal Control, and they
came to pick up the ferrets at 8 am.  There seemed to be no question of
arguing the confiscation of the animals because Smokey was still flipping
out.  In four hours, she hadn't settled down at all, she was acting crazed,
viscious, and convulsive, so there was a question of rabies, even though
both animals had been vaccinated.  Something went wrong with Smokey--it was
not just a sudden temperament change, it had to be an organic or
psychological factor that made her flip out.  Consider this: Can a normal
ferret sustain a state of total stress for 4 hours w/o collapsing into
sleep?  Not in my experience, and not my Smokey, who was one of the most
easy-going, stress-free ferrets I have known.
 
I allowed Whisky to be put to sleep because of her age, handicaps, and
because it was *very* hard for her to adjust to a new home.  I expected her
ability to adjust to yet another new home would be even tougher w/o her pal
Smokey.  Before I got Whiskey she handn't been handled nearly enough in her
6 years of life, and did not have a good temperament.  She was given to me
when her litter mate died and she became depressed and even less friendly.
I decided it was kinder to put her to sleep rather than put her through yet
a fourth difficult adjustment.
 
Lab reports on Smokey showed an infestation of mites in her brain, which
perhaps drove her insane.  I think being caged all the time had a hand in
that, also.
 
All "mean" ferrets I have met have been mistreated in some way.  The first 2
ferrets I ever saw lived in a small bird cage, w/o bed or litter box .  .  .
when I asked to take them out, I was told that they were mean.  Gee, I
wonder why?  The owners thought they were canaries!  After that I assumed
all ferrets were mean.  Until I met Smokey.  And what happened to her still
brings me sadness.
 
I recently got a male ferret, Pepper, and my dog (who was raised with
Smokey) still thinks ferrets are wonderful pals.  Our family feels complete
again.  The little girl who was bitten will have no permanent scars, and has
no fear of ferrets--she fell in love with Pepper immediately.  In fact,
Samantha refuses to remember that it was her pet who bit her.  When she
tells the story, it was some other ferret, not Smokey.  Even Kelly (mom),
who was so traumatized that night, has forgiven, preferring to think Sam
somehow hurt Smokey in her sleep.
 
That's what happened.  The Saturday chat was very busy, and I didn't want to
leave anyone with the impression that a normal, healthy ferret had attacked
a child.
 
--Sherri
[Posted in FML issue 1729]