When Ferrets are no longer wanted:
 
If you are a young couple (or an older one) and decide to have a baby,
it's normally a wonderful time.  However, during pregnancy, the female may
sometimes regret her choice, since there is alot of pain and weight-gain
associated with the decision.  Then the birth.  Well...we won't go into
that.  You all (male and female, both) know the pain involved there.
 
Now, we have a bouncing baby somethingorother.  Diapers.  Formula.  Baby
furniture.  Baby clothes that are too small LONG before they are worn out.
More formula.  More diapers to hold the formula in.  More baby clothes.
Nights when you only get a few hours of sleep...maybe.
 
Suddenly, having a baby isn't such a happy thing.  Little sleep.  Little
remaining money.  Knowing that the money and sleep thing may last for some
time.  Knowing that there is no guarantee that the baby will develop into a
kind and gentle being.  Knowing that it will eventually become a TEENAGER
(OMG!!!!)!
 
OK...you decide you can't deal with the responsibility.  What do you do?
Well, you can ask other relatives to help.  You can try getting a relative
or friend to take over the job.  You can put the baby up for adoption.
 
No matter *which* choice you make, you do NOT ask them for money for the
baby.  You give the baby up.  In many cases, you may actually be asked to
PAY to help offset the costs of giving up that same baby.
 
Second scenerio.  You decide (with your mate, or maybe just by yourself) to
purchase a 48" Big-Screen TV.  It comes with all sorts of extras and they
set up a payment plan that allows you to purchase it over a 5 year time
span.  After six months, you decide you just can't handle these payments.
Knowing that these payments will last a long time only makes the whole deal
sound bad.
 
So...you decide to get rid of the TV.  You have several options.  Take it
back to the store and lose the money you put into it (if they even take it
back!).  You can get a friend or relative to take over the payments.  If
that works, you can even ask them to give *you* a little money, as well!  :)
Or, you can have a yard sale.  If you sell it for more than you need to pay
it off, you get to put the rest in your pocket.  You can also put an ad in
the paper to try and sell it.  Typically, you will try to list it for more
than you paid, so you make a few dollars off of it.
 
All of those are good choices.  All of the options for the baby were good
choices, too.  However, you will notice that the *live* item was not sold,
it was given away...possibly with money for taking the responsibility.  The
inanimate item was "sold" to someone else...usually for a profit.
 
What's the moral of the story?  Buy a ferret and enjoy it...wait...that
wasn't it.  Uh...feed the baby only the *best* cat food...no...wait...wrong
again...oh...I got it! :)  You *sell* inanimate items.  You *give away*
things that you normally have responsibility for...maybe even paying a
little to the person helping you out.
 
Don't sell fuzzies.  You paid out the cash with the intent of taking care of
them.  If you can't take care of them, find someone else that can and hope
they do as well as you had hoped.  They may not be human babies, but they
are your responsibility, nonetheless...they are not merchandise to be sold.
 
Todd and the (Get off that soapbox!) Fuzzbutt Rodeo Clowns!
 
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[Posted in FML issue 2311]