Dear FML,
Today I picked up an adorable little ferret girl.  She was trapped in a
garage, where she had been living for over a month.  The people who owned
the garage finally called animal control when she didn't go away after
"about a month." Animal control took her to the pound, or the humane
society, who held her for whatever period of time they hold animals before
euthanizing them.  Just in the nick of time, she was picked up by some
people who run a dog rescue.
 
The dog rescue place took her to a vet who told them she was approximately 7
months old, and has not been spayed.  This vet proceeded to "de-worm 6-97"
and give her a "ferret combo vaccine" a "feline lukemia vaccine" and a
"feline distemper." I have an appointment to have her spayed, and get a
rabies shot in two weeks.
 
I am worried about her though.  I have never heard of de-worming a ferret,
or of giving feline lukemia shots to a ferret.  I have also never heard of a
ferret combo vaccine.  Does anyone know what these might have been, was it
o.k. for her to get them?  I am going to find out the name of the vet and
call tomorrow to get brand names of the vaccines that were given.
 
The new ferret doesn't have a name yet.  She is an absolute love.  I am a
little worried though because she makes a little noise when I hold her and
pet her, it sounds like a short one beat version of the noise the other
ferrets make when someone is being bitten too hard.  It sounds like a beep,
sort of.  She is much more vocal when she plays, and she seems thrilled to
be here.
 
The other problem I have is that she seemed to get along really well with
Thelma and Laweasel when they all played together outside the cage.  But
when it was ferret nap time, and I put them all together in the cage, she
was picking on Thelma and Laweasel, she was guarding the food, and fighting
with them if they tried to snuggle with her.  Please, anyone with any
experience on anything I have mentioned here feel free to e-mail or write in
the FML for suggestions on how to help them get along.  Also, anyone who
knows about the shots etc.  that she got at the vets.  Please tell me if
they sound like the right kind of shots for her.
 
Thanks, Dawn
[Posted in FML issue 1986]