I am writing you all to warn you. An older ferret came to my shelter today. She is totally blind and the owner said that he thinks she is 5. The owner Felt it was good to feed her stale cheerios for treats, and couldn't even give me the name of the Ferret food she is use to eating other than it didn't look like the kibble in the bowls of my other ferrets. He chose to give her up for adoption because she is old and blind (cateracks (sp?)). Then saw some of my other ferrets and pointed one out saying that would be his next Ferret. I got very upset with him and did yell at him, not only because he wised to get rid of her because of her age and blindness but because he had brought her to me asking that I put her to sleep. I of course refused him and told him that I would take her at no cost to him all he had to do was give her over to me. He did just that. I grabbed the bottle of Ferritone from the ferret shelf and started asking him questions. He pointed out the Ferret vitimans and said that is what they would give her. I offered her the bottle of Ferritone, he then said that he had never given it to her because he always gave the vitamins. I asked about hairball or laxatives he uses and he said that he never used them. I asked if her poop was unusually smelly or green, or if she had been eating well. His answer was if you asked my wife she would say it stinks to high heaven however i must be use to it because the smell really does not bother me. (he never answered the question on how she had been eating) She is missing a very very small patch of fur at the base of her tail and on her rump, I fear the worst Adrenal. Durning the questioning I set the feritone bottle down and She started showering my hand with kisses! She is an absolute lover. He called her Runt I do not believe this is an apropriate or fitting name for her. What do you say people lets put our heads togather and send me some suggestions for names. As well this same man insists that he will be getting another younger ferret. I would urge you all to refuse him, if he comes to you. I will be happy to give you his name through a private e-mail but I will not post it over the list. UPDATE since the writing of original message! Well we noticed she had not been eating, we removed the kibble from her kennel and put a modified Chicken gray in with her. She sniffed at it but wouldn't eat. So I pulled her out of the kennel and dipped my finger into the food, She licked it off my finger, then I placed some on my hand and she ate it faster than I could get it on my hand We got a baby spoon and she cleaned the spoon off then shoved her head into the gravy and started eating away. When she can her fur was course almost wiry and very matted, just from a good bath her fur has softened up considerable. She has pirked up a good deal and was investigating her kennel (bumping around alot but she has not hurt herself yet doing it) We are seeing an exteam change in her in just a few hours of intense cuddling and care. Now if we can only get a real name for her. Thank you Trish Dawning Sky Ferrets [Posted in FML issue 2943]