Mark, what I always found useful years ago was to avoid the standard
meeting places like bars completely, and instead to volunteer at places
which have similar interests, depending on what in the area.  For you, I'd
guess that would mean looking for ferret shelters which can use a volunteer
(and most can), and if there isn't one then your local humane society.  If
you ned someplace with more people: natural history museums have people who
tend toward critters as do zoological parks if good ones.  Typically, I
have found that people I've known who rely on the standard date finding
places have poor luck, but I never had any problems at all thanks to my
volunteer work; in fact, I got to have some grand other things happen, too,
like travel when helping with some things, getting on air regularly on a
college station (at a college I didn't even attend), working behind the
scenes at concerts, and getting to go to an excellent university (because
I had come to know the admissions director who asked me to apply due to
his coming to find me intelligent while participating in the Unitarian
diversity lecture series) though I had to prove my abilities by at first
being non-matriculated.  Volunteer work often has many unexpected perks.
This might not be right for you, but could be worth a try.  At the very
least you'd help some ferrets and a shelter.
 
Gina, might those scaling gloves break or pull teeth?  We've always just
put up with it figuring that they need to learn hands, but know that
sometimes the situation is just too extreme as can happen in pain and abuse
cases.  Would the gloves hurt or cut skin or tug on fur?  Like you I just
don't know.  Hope someone here knows details about them so we can all
learn.
 
Eric, you sound like you have heart as deep as the ocean.  She couldn't be
in better hands, but wishes are still going out!
 
GENERAL REMINDER: The FML is NOT a substitute for vet care.  If something
might need rapid care don't wait 24 hours or more to learn more about the
general category of problem.  Ask your vet!  (It also helps to have
references around and to save Bruce William's posts, and keep useful
websites handy.)
 
>besides, this coming year is the year of the Dragon, and I love dragons)
 
Actually, we are at the tail end of a Golden Dragon year!
[Posted in FML issue 3282]