Monkeys: yes, there are service monkeys trained to aid those without the
use of their arms or with greatly reduced arm use.  They are taught to do
simple tasks: bring phones, providing water, feeding, wiping chins, etc.
Because I'd worked with monkeys years ago I had a heads-up from a prof
I'd had when trying this first began in case I wanted to get involved in
the structured pre-training raising but the legal troubles I'd have had
due to the attached housing rules where we've lived prevented it even
though our state's laws would have allowed it for that specific situation
with proof.
 
>My next will be to pursue this issue legally with the "sitter."
 
What did they look like: very thin, thick, etc.?  Yes, there are worms
ferrets can get.  Some of these are addressed in:
http://www.smartgroups.com/vault/ferrethealth/common_parasites.txt
 
There are also the larvae of insects that can eat certain types of litter
to consider (Do they have legs on their forward body segments as some
wood, paper, or starch eating larvae do and do some of them look like
they might have a hard casing?).
 
Certainly some maggots eat fecal matter.  Maggots look soft and kind of
waxy.  The turn over (from eggs to larvae) varies among the species,
being very rapid in some -- more so than most would expect; this timing
is actually used in biological forensics to decide how long a new cadaver
may have been dead by figuring out which species the maggots are from;
the species that goes longest to hatching often can give a better idea
of the length of time involved to help the investigators.  I have only
read a little about this so I do not recall the shortest time frame
involved though it's something you could look up.
 
While your pet sitter may have goofed up or may have not shown up it is
always possible that is not the case.  I recall a time many decades ago
when I was babysitting.  Everything went perfectly after the first tears
of separation passed -- loads of giggles and games, a good time having
the food her family had left for her, etc..  When the parents came home
the toddler (who had used the bathroom perfectly not all that long
before, complete with her insisting on waving bye-bye to what was
flushed, and had changes also during the day) got so excited on seeing
them that she had an accident.  It was only because she was in the very
beginning stages both of learning to not have a parent around all the
time and of toilet training but the father assumed that I had not helped
her use the bathroom and that she had been soiled for a while and they
never hired me again even though his assumptions were just plain wrong
(something his wife realized, knowing their daughter, his temper and his
ability to jump to conclusions).  He jumped to an invalid conclusion and
became angry and he held that anger to his chest and just would not let
go of it ever; that is a combination which tends to cause trouble because
when people attach anger to an invalid conclusion they don't listen, in
fact some never listen after such an occurrence.  So, be careful to not
let anger get in the way of considering what may have happened and then
weigh the information to come to your conclusions.  If the sitter did not
show up for an extended time then (without a wound present) if they are
the type that goes for decaying matter I would not be concerned about
future aspects of the insects themselves if they are maggots because you
got rid of them but I would be concerned that the ferrets perhaps went
without checking because there is always the risk of an accident, or of
water being dumped so there is no fluid, or of food running out, or...
So, please, try to explain calmly what you found and ask the sitter what
occurred.  I know this is greatly upsetting, but get the sitter's
statement and then weigh it along with what you saw and what you learn.
 
(Your e-mail address reminds me of the name of someone I've always
admired, a childhood friend who nursed her mother and cared for a much
younger sister while her mother was terminally ill during our teens.
Her strength was what I used to recall whenever I felt incapable while
I was later doing the same sort of thing in my 20s.  Marvelous person.
I am glad that I finally found a way to let her know how she helped me
years later.  So, thanks for reminding me of someone who unknowingly
served as a hero for me when I needed that inspiration; I've been
grateful to her for the example she set for a very long time and guess
that I always will be.  It's a good feeling to remember her.)
[Posted in FML issue 4148]