It was one of those 'once in a lifetime' bargains! Just too good to pass up! All that terrific cage wire, heavy gauge too, and for practically nothing. The wire company was going out of business and was selling off the production rolls at a public auction, and you bid a few bucks and got a whole roll of the perfect size and gauge wire to make the ferret cage of all ferret cages. Granted it was pretty rough, hadn't been through the deburring machine yet, but you scrubbed and scrubbed to be sure all the chemical residue was totally removed. And then you painted it three coats with the pool decking paint that was thick and non-toxic so all the rough and kinda sharp places were thoroughly covered and smooth as glass. Then did a fourth coat just to be sure. And Boy what a cage you made.. with four stories and tunnels and enclosed boxes for hidey holes and snooze spots.. and open platforms for lots of litter boxes.. and places for hammocks and toys and eats and water bottles.... and lots and lots of ramps to run up and down and even a little spiral one just for fun. The fuzzys loved it! In a year you had six of the little sweethearts and when you had to be gone they had the 'Ferret Fantastic' to keep them happy and content. It was a snap to clean, just wheel it outside [it was on industrial rollers and fit, just barely, thru the patio double doors] and turn on the hot water hose and grab the car washing brush and the metal parts cleaning brush and fifteen minutes of scrubbing and it was spotless. Then you got that new territory at work and started working all that overtime, and met your future wife and that gobbled up most all your little bit of spare time, and except for short stops to pet a few minutes and pass out treats and clean the wonderful cage you didn't spend a lot of time with the ferrets for several months. You just didn't notice... it was just such a busy time... it didn't occur to you... until it was far far too late... that the paint had worn or been scrubbed away from nearly all the ramps and platforms and tubes and boxes. It was during the long Christmas break when you finally had a couple weeks to just relax at home and catch your breath, that you realised your little fur family wasn't running or playing or doing anything at all. They were all piled into one sleeping box on one medium blanket... and in spite of keeping the cage spotless something smelled awful. You wheeled the cage out onto the patio and got set to clean it and when you reached in to take the little ones out you discovered they were dreadfully thin and their fur was matted with some stomic turning gunk. They were burning with fever and limp as rags. So you grabbed a big towel and put them all on it and took them inside to give them baths and try to figure out what on earth they had gotten into. Only ten seconds into the first ones bath she started to struggle frantically and scream.. a horrible pain filled crying that tore your heart and scared you half to death. So you pulled her quick out of the warm soapy water and wrapped her in a towel and just sat there holding her and trying to dry her off while she cried and struggled harder. Finally she was dry enough to put her down in the warm bathroom on the soft rug to finish drying in the fluffy towel like always, but when you set her down she couldn't stand up and just lay there panting and making little hurting noises. That's when you saw her little feet. From the ankles down her feet were a mass of cuts and punctures... all of them were deeply infected. Nails were gone on some toes, and bone showed in places. One look at the others feet told you what the smell and gunk in their fur was. Everyone of them was the same or worse! Since ferrets were illegal you had only had them to a vet at a Saturday morning shot clinic in another county once a year for shots and didn't know of any vet that treated ferrets much less knew anything about them. You called several and were bluntly told that ferrets were illegal to own and the vets didn't treat them and didn't know who did. So out of desperation you called a buddy who knew some lady who knew a lot about animals and begged and pleaded till you got the pager number and code to reach her. That's when my pager went off... I found myself talking to a half coherent young man with six fuzzys that were in pretty desperate shape from the sound of it. I told him I would meet him and would take them and would do my best... Fifteen minutes later I was receiving a box of dying fur kids in various stages of severe blood poisoning. One little girl died four hours later in my arms. I had deadened her legs and cleaned her fur and wounds and bandaged her feet. But the infection was so massive you could see the streaks up her legs and no amount of hydration, antibiotics and support could even slow down the wave of poison engulfing her body. She was free of pain and at peace when she crossed over but it hurt terribly to lose her. Two others were so close it was scary. Both fought very hard for three days before they started to improve. The other three were a little less involved and in hours had begun to fight and beat the infections. All of them are improving and gaining weight and beginning to eat a little on their own now.. Some have lost toes and parts of feet, others have just lost nails and toes. None of them will ever run or climb normally again. But like all members of their bred they are full if the joy of life and rapidly creating fuzzy chaos right along with Mittsy, the adrenal girls, and my fuzzy family. They are going through two whole 1 oz. tubes of neosporin plus daily and loads of bandages and must be syringe fed at least three times a day but they are going to live to dance and dook for a very long time! They still stop... all of them... all at once... and look and look for the sister no longer with them.. they miss her so... and somehow for a minute they are so very sad.. but then they take a little nap and wake to good cheer and fuzzy fun again. What a very High Price that Fantastic Bargain finally cost one young man and six fur children! dayna to all of you I have so neglected over these last weeks.. I apologise for just fading away like that... and you have my promise I will catch up on all the back mail and late Christmas cards and everything... just as soon as this broken wrist of mine heals a little and the little ones demand a bit less of my time each day.. until then please forgive my neglect of you and be patient just a little longer.. I have missed you all and value you more than you know... gentle hug dayna Please correct your address book for all non compuserve related mail so it goes to my internet mailbox at woozles@ecom.net...thank you.. If you want to see my critters.. stop by my web page at .... http://geocities.com/Heartland/Plains/2322 "Resident of... Marvelous Menagerie Of Mirthful Mayhem" Dayna Frazier 102046,3162 11-Jan-1997 01:42:54 PST [Posted in FML issue 1812]