Hi all, we got the new boy today, we tried to go yesterday but the manager at the shelter wouldn't let us bring him home because they were "closed" to the public. Kinda ticked me off since I work in the hospital part, andhe REALLY needs the TLC. The vets there checked him out, and they were going to put him down if I didn't take him deeming him "unadoptable" because of his weakened state. Mybest guess is that he's over 3 due to his teeth, and he was on the street for quite a while, mats in his coat, soooo thin, and his ears were so black with grime that he probably had the world's biggest colony of mites living in them! But oh what a shine in his eyes...this guy wants to live, and is incredibly sweet. I got him home about 2pm, and he had very limited use of his hind end, mostly dragging himself. After 3 feedings of duck soup and lots of pedialyte, he's up and walking although very weak still. I'm pretty disappointed with the shelter care he did NOT recieve, his nails were so long and he had bits of thread hanging out of each of them, his coat is filthy, although no fleas so I'm staving off the bath for now till he gets a little more energy. We're going to call him Pheonix because he literally is rising from the dead just about....it suits him well. I'm sure a lot of you shelter mom's have seen ferrets in such a weakened state, and I really think he will get his strengthback to walk again. No hair loss, so i don't think adrenal is an issue, but I realize he could have an underlying insulinoma, so it will be off to the vet soon for bloodwork to make sure. Someone else posted about knowing animals and knowing that spark in the eye, so yes, even thoughI barely know this little guy, he deserves a chance at least. Take care, Michele & the fuzzy bunch [Posted in FML issue 2804]