Hello shelter friends--
 
It has been a very long week, losing Pasteur and two nights later losing
Missy, one of our shelter elders.  Our dear old friend Missy has finally
left the confines of Ferret Wise and her companion Lulu to go on to a
better life.  Missy was fine last night-- and shelter Mom gave her the
usual pred dosage.  Within 20 minutes Missy had decided to curl up and she
just never rallied no matter what we tried.  In the AM when it was apparent
her end was this time near, she had managed toi revie from 3 insulinoma
comas in the past year-- this time it was not going to happen.  Shelter Dad
drove her over to the vet.  Missy now rests and we will give Lulu, her
lifelong companion, all the support we can as for the first time in seven
years she faces life alone.  Thank you who were so kind to sponsor Missy's
hospice care over the past few years, without your support and kind
thoughts she well may not have made it this far.
 
Missy and Lulu were first introduced to Ferret Wise in 1995, give ups
transferred from Laconia NH humane society.  Lulu was a nippy gal-- and was
termed a biter.  The first six months at the shelter we did note that Lulu
would nip, but usually when she was not given her way -- she was NOT a
biter.  Missy was a love!  But the two WOULD NOT under any circumstance
tolerate other ferrets.  After 9 months we found what we thought would be a
wonderful home in Berlin NH-- Missy and Lulu went to live with a gal in her
20's on her own and seemingly happy to have them.  We never heard back
until approximate 1 1/2 years later when we received a call-- seems this
same gal was upset with our girls-- she called them savage beasts etc.  It
seems she kept and allowed them to play in the same room that she kept a
cat which had just had a litter of kittens.  ( Doesn't make sense to us
either!!) The long and sort of it is that she was going to turn them lose
if we didn't get them NOW.  I urged their return and subsequently called
the local ACO for intervention.
 
In the end they were returned to the shelter by the same gal ( accompanied
by boyfriend) and was told how terrible they were-- for one had actually
picked up a kitten and dragged it off- in the end the kitten died-- The two
seemed to be totally unenlightened by the explanation given that THEY were
negligent in placing the kittens in such a precarious situation.  Missy &
Lulu had been severely reprimanded, they were frightened and upset-- it
took another 6 months to get them back into a healthy mind state.  In the
end they stayed at Ferret Wise in a protected environment.
 
We know that we are facing a hard year as the new millennium arrives in
shelter we have now more than eight seven year old residents, and outside
the shelter 11 more who range in age from 6-9 years of age.
 
We give the very best care we can no matter how old our "kids" are.  I
guess that is why they stay so long.  We look forward to making life easier
for more ferrets this year-- and as Missy would say-- "thanks so very
much"!  She will certainly be missed.
 
Alicia
for the many faces of Ferret Wise
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~crassi/index.html
 
PS- The following ebay auction items will help keep our rehabilitation and
hospice programs running.  The ferrets will thank you for the support!
Please consider checking out this selection of fine bedding products.
 
Deluxe top sleeper hammock - a full 14 x 22 inches crafted by X-tasy
Ferrets, Etc
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=266177062
 
Custom dragonfly top sleeper hammock by X-tasy Ferrets, Etc. 14x 16 inches
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=266183642
 
Western print top sleeper by X-tasy Ferrets, Etc.  14 x 16 inches
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=266187792
 
Seaside Holiday  top sleeper by X-tasy Ferrets, Etc. 14 x 16 inches
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=266191305
 
Sunflower print Peeper Sleeper by X-tasy Ferrets, Etc. 14 x 16 inches
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=266195005
[Posted in FML issue 2967]