Hello all.  I joined the list yesterday, and enjoyed reading all of the
letters.  I am, as the rest, very concerned for Kodo and send my blessings
to him and to all ferrets.  I look foreword to becoming more familiar with
each of the situations being dealt with on this list.
 
I'm seventeen and I've lived in Oregon for approximately five years now.
Previously, I lived in California.  I am a big animal lover, and I longed
for the companionship of a ferret for years.  I did manage to accumulate one
dog, three cats, one rabbit, some fish, and my beloved rat.  However,
ferrets being as expensive and controversial as they are, it was very
difficult to get ahold of one.
 
I finally managed it last Thanksgiving.  I had saved up enough money, and
pulled the old trick of falling in love with the animal at the pet store so
that dad had to let me take her home or else suffer the wrath of my
disappointment.  I chose my ferret because, of the litter at the pet store,
she seemed the calmest.  I may have judged too soon...
 
My dilemma is this: I've visited many of the wonderful ferret homepages,
read the ferret books, as well as your letters.  I always get the same
impression from every ferret owner: ferrets are some of the most wonderful
pets; right up there with cats and dogs.
 
Again, I love all animals, and try never to judge them negatively.  The
trouble is, I feel for the first time as though I'm not really connecting
with my new pet.  Part of the problem is that - and it's hard to admit this
- I'm a bit frightened of her.  Not seriously frightened.  I don't consider
her a danger to me or to anyone.  I just can't relax with her when I keep
worrying about her biting me.  I'm angry at myself for this too.  My cats
bite me, and it doesn't bother me.  She - her name is "Kazul" by the way -
does bite harder than the cats, and has broken the skin.  She hasn't broken
the skin often, but I worry that that may be because I simply don't give her
the chance.  When I hold her, I try to keep my hands away from her face.
 
I think that another cause of my fear is my family.  No one else will go
near her.  They don't like her at all.  I get angry with them and say that
they don't give her a chance, and I pretend that I am not bothered by her a
bit.  But that the whole family avoids her does tend to stress me out a bit
as well.
 
I can't teach Kazul not to bite.  I am a terrible trainer.  I have asked
advice on the subject and consulted books and homepages many times.  I have
tried swatting her gently when she bites, yelling, "No", covering my hands
and arms in bitter apple, etc..  All were tactics suggested to me by other
ferret owners.  One such person told me to try hissing at her when she bit.
I later read, however, that hissing only encourages them, as they take it as
a challenge.
 
Another reason that I do not feel real close to my ferret is that I can not
have her out and about, running around freely.  My house is very large.  I'd
be afraid that I'd lose track of her and she'd slip out the door, or that
she'd get into the wires behind the computer or t.v. cabinet or something.
My house is definitely not ferret-proof, and it would be impossible for me
to try and make it so, as my family would not cooperate with such a request.
Therefore, I do not get to spend as much time with her as I'd like to.
While I'd like her to be able to just run freely about the room while I
work, I just can't seem to make it work.
 
I realize now that I probably should have put off getting my ferret until I
lived in my own house.  But it's too late to turn back.  I wouldn't make her
pay for my impulsiveness.  I'm going to stick it out.  I just hope that it
won't always have to be like this.  We may be stuck with each other for
quite some time.  I don't wan't to go on feeling like a stranger to her.
 
Heck, some of you live with and manage *multiple* ferret friends...  I
should be able to handle just one!  I feel guilty to tears that I have not
managed to strike a solid relationship with Kazul.  I want to have the kind
of relationship that I read about so often; a relationship in which the
ferret enjoys being with the human and would stay with the human even when
unleashed.  One in which the ferret and human are like family.  Right now, I
don't even think that she considers me much of a friend.  I don't play with
her enough.  I want so much to just be comfortable with her, but I'm
beginning to lose hope.  Does anyone think that there is hope for her and I?
I love her, and I don't intent to give her up, but I don't want it to always
be this way between us...  I'm really quite worried.
 
Well, this turned out longer than I expected it too.  Sorry about that.  I
don't believe that I exceeded the 125-line limit, though, so hopefully it
will be alright.  Thank you for "listening to" my troubles.  Any responses
or opinions would be welcomed and appreciated.
 
                              Sincerely,
                              Jenna Leigh
 
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"...when life's struggles weigh heavy, there is the temptation to only see
the happiness of other lives.  But this is folly, for each life contains
it's own burdens, though they may forever be hidden to all but the one who
carries them."
 
~"Goliath" of "Gargoyles: the Goliath Chronicals"
[Posted in FML issue 1930]