Okay, let me explain our reasoning on unadoptables.  When we get old
and pretty sick ferrets in, be it insulinoma, adrenal or other terminal
illnesses, we chose to not stress them out by relocating them.  Imagine
if you will, being a senior citizen yourself and having cancer.  Your
family suddenly up and dumps you off on somebody else, who in turns sends
you to somebody else.  How confusing and stressful can that be?  I'm not
saying that if the right person/family came along that I wouldn't adopt
them to them, however, is it really fair to allow them to settle in,
being ill and elderly already, then turn around and uproot them again?
 
I will use our permanent resident Blade for example.  Blade was only 4
when he came to us.  Yep, I was going to adopt him out and all would be
fine.  Upon being here for a few days, Blade stopped eating.  I had to
nurse him around the clock.  Before he got too unwell for vaccinations,
I took him to the vet to get his rabies shot (he was severely allergic
to the distemper), he had such a severe reaction to the rabies that we
almost lost him.  He was hanging on by a thread.  The vet kept him for
two days because the reaction was so severe.  Blade still refused to eat.
We had to feed him around the clock for almost two months.  The vet did
exploratory surgery on Blade only to find that his liver was a tinge more
yellow than normal, but there was no other explanation for his behavior
other than he didn't adjust very well.  We finally got Blade to eat but
he followed me everywhere.  If I was out of his freedom range, he would
just lay there flat ferret and wait for me to get back within range.
 
To this day, we still have Blade.  He came in Feb. of 2004.  If I
adopted Blade out, even to the most loving home, he would surely die as
he doesn't handle changes well at all.  When we nurse those ferrets that
come in hanging on to life by a thread, they learn to love us and trust
us, they bond to us and the majority of those bonds are severe.
 
Again, I am not opposed to adopting out elderly ferrets, as long as it
wont jeopardize their health and well being, and I am finding that in
alot of cases, it surely will.  I think that the families that are
willing to take one of the special kids on should be applauded, it takes
a special person to be willing to do that, we are like that ourselves.
 
I hope I have clarified my reasoning for how we do things.
 
Lora Blaisdell
President
Michigan Ferret Rescue inc.
www.miferretrescue.org
[Posted in FML issue 4986]