("Miracle Max" is a character from the movie "The Princess Bride". He could resurrect dead people, depending on how dead they were.) Max, a 3 year old sable hob, came to the shelter mid August. When his young owner moved to California, his parents turned him loose. When a neighbor found out about this, she contacted her mother-in-law, a ferret owner, who contacted the shelter. Max had been living outside in a wire cage. He was very thin and stressed. For two weeks, he would seem to improve briefly, then regress again. Each time we tried something new (Colloidal Silver, antacids, Vitamin B shot, antibiotics, etc) he would rally and then fade after a day or two. Even with forced feedings, he continued to lose weight. Finally, after one feeding, he vomited a small piece of cloth. He was taken immediately for a barium series, which confirmed a blockage. Surgery removed quantities of cloth from his stomach and intestines. For the first couple days after the surgery, he was so weak we didn't think he would make it. A month later, Max has been resurrected and is a new ferret. After a week, he learned to dook and trot about the house exploring. After two weeks he started to war dance, probably for the first time in years. He likes to turn over small trash cans, empty them out and sleep in them. He will chase us around the house, but quickly learned that biting our feet when he caught us was a no-no. He sometimes comes when called. He has a wonderfully expressive face, and has mastered the woeful look when put back in his cage after playtime. Max was neutered on Friday, and is still moving a bit gingerly. But he is ready for a new home to continue his wonderful new life. For information on adopting Max or one of his shelter mates, see http://www.oberlin.edu/~liroff/ncfs.html Linda Iroff North Coast Ferret Shelter Serving Northeast Ohio [Posted in FML issue 1708]