Just a quick up-date on Oliver. He's doing fine now, the abscess which came up on his neck on Christmas Eve has gone just leaving a small bald patch. Oliver has settled in with Brock, Spooky, Lulu and Amanda. I received a 'phone call around 2pm today - the owners of a ferret were rather worried about her as she wasn't eating and kept falling over. I was also informed that her companion had died a few days previously. Ron and I went up to the house where the ferret was in the living room lying in a straw filled box. I picked the ferret up and was horrified to find that it was cold and I could feel every bone in its body. Ron and I beat a retreat clutching the very sick ferret. When we got home a felt inside the ferrets mouth and my heart sank when it felt icy cold:-( I put the ferret on a heat pad, covered it with tin foil and a couple of blankets - it was really suffering from hypothermia as well as starving, the main priority was to get her temperature up. When her body temperature had been gently raised I managed to get her to take some glucose. Half an hour later she was lapping on her own and even attempting to sample a bit of Ferret Complete. When I weighed her she was only 7oz just over a pound underweight! I'm not sure if she's going to make it but I know one thing if we'd been delayed by 30 minutes in picking her up she would have been visiting Rainbow Bridge and not be wrapped up snuggly in a pile of blankets in front of the fire. Her owners also have two more ferrets and I'm wondering just what sort of state they are in. Anyway I think as far as her owners are concerned this little girl will be crossing RB tonight - I reckon she needs at least a month of TLC before she can look the world in eye. She has had a little wander around our living room, a bit wobbly but a least a vast improvement on her previous state. I must go now and brew up some "Duck Soup" for the little girl - it'll be UK version but I reckon it'll do the trick. A Happy New Year to everyone. Sheila [log in to unmask] http://www.btinternet.com/~sheila/ferrets.htm Bolton Ferret Welfare & Newsletter Editor of the National Ferret Welfare Society of the UK The opinions expressed by me are not necessarily those of the NFWS [Posted in FML issue 1802]