Hello Everyone,
 
Thought that perhaps since I have popped up again and there are so many new
folks on the list, I might reintroduce myself to all.
 
First though, some sad news.  Earlier this week I lost my Owen, aka
Jokerboy, to an accident here.  He was always dancing and making me laugh
and I am still in shock over it all.  I miss him greatly.  He was one of
my first ferrets, and there is much grieving amongst us all.
 
With the others, Georgie had about half of his teeth out on Monday due to
abcesses.  He is feeling much better and already begging for raisins.
Hates his meds, but then Dr. Susan said he would.  I tasted it (a liquid
antibiotic) and man oh man, I went around shaking my head for quite a while
afterwards.  Yucky poo poo.
 
I also have 6 very good candidates for adrenal surgery.  We sent off blood
panels and will do the surgeries soon.  Dr. Susan is going to do them all
in one day and invite students from the Mizzou vet school over to observe.
I think it is a wonderful plan.  So keep your fingers crossed for Pookie,
Conan the Toebiter, Miss Sadie, Miss Myrna Loy, Miss Esmerelda and Miss
Maisie.
 
As you can tell I have a lot of ferrets.  29 to be exact.  I am a 42 year
old divorced Southern Broad who has been attending college at the
University of Missouri-Columbia (English major with an emphasis in creative
writing).  This semester I am out of school, the cost of the tuition should
cover the vet expenses and I feel my higher duty is to the ferrets.  So I
will be working on other projects and such and possibly going back to
finish my last semester in January.
 
How did I get so many ferts?  Well, I started out with 2, Stan and Ollie.
I loved them so much I got 5 more kiddos to fill out the family.  And then
I started a ferret club in Houston.  What I didn't realize was the number
of calls I would receive about unwanted ferrets and abuse cases.  I took
in lots, since at the time, I had a very wealthy husband. ;-)  After the
marriage broke up, and I moved here I was slowly discovered by the
community as a ferret lady and have taken in several more unwanted ferts
and adopted some from the Petersen's shelter in St. Louis.  OK, I admit
it, I am a sucker.
 
I am very very proud of what I have done in the ferret community.  I have
helped directly or indirectly lots and lots of ferts.  It is good work.
Does it make me an expert?  No, not by a long shot.  I know a lot about
some things, nada about others.  But I try to help when I can, of late
that has been very little.  But I am ready to get back into things, maybe
up to a level I was before.  I like working with the animals and with their
people.
 
Before you think I am too sanctimonious, I must tell you some things about
myself.  I am a loud mouthed Southern broad of Celtic heritage.  I take
strongly after the Scottish side of the family ( I am also Irish) and have
attitude to prove it.  I love bawdy humor and have a decidedly earthy
mindset.  I also have a bad temper that I am slowly gaining control of.  I
have pissed off a lot of folks on this list, and plan to keep doing the
same in the future.  I don't do it on purpose, but I also don't shy from
stating my opinions.  Or correcting others when I think they are wrong.
In other words, I am good at getting myself into trouble.  ;-)
 
I am also extremely sarcastic and understand the true meaning of satire.
You will see it in my posts and I have been known to put disclaimers on my
posts because of it.  Naturally, two of my favorite posters are Limejello
and Todd.
 
My ferrets have two bedrooms for themselves so they are free roaming, in
that sense.  I let each group out daily and play rough with them.  I am
constantly bruised from it.  All of my friends and teachers at school know
about my ferrets.  They are such a part of my life folks are getting bored
listening to me.  I take Georgie to school to meet folks.  He is so laid
back and such a big lug that he is really impressive to all.  And he walks
very nicely on a lead, so we always walk across campus.  Of course, it *is*
a bit slower than even this middle aged broad might otherwise do.
 
Columbia Missouri is a ferret free zone.  I live outside the city limits so
that I don't have to worry about my ferrets and the law.  I hope that
someday someone who lives in the city limits will start a battle for it and
I will pitch into help.  My vet keeps hoping that it will change too.
 
I will work on a post on all their names.  It takes me a bit to make sure I
haven't missed anyone.  I like to give good strong names that fit the
personalities of the ferrets and don't used joke names.  Well, unless you
count Conan the Toebiter.  But his name isn't a joke, it is a statement of
fact and he earned it the first night I had him.  And he reinforces it
daily.  And he is my ferret that talks to angels.
 
Maggie and her Mid Mo Mob of Mustelids
[Posted in FML issue 2794]