On May 7th, 2007 I did something very unusual. I went shopping. I was in the store approximately 5 minutes when I got a crisis call on my cell phone. The girl was sobbing so hard, I had trouble understanding her.
Apparently she was going through a bad divorce, working very long hours, and had a lot of guilt about leaving her ferrets alone so much.
One day, she had run into another girl at Petco, who had also owned ferrets. Her ex had gotten their ferrets, and she was saying how much she`d love to have ferrets again. The now crying girl had made an almost instant decision of love to offer hers to the other girl. That way, Laurel & Curly could get out to play more---get more attention---and from an experienced ferret mommy!!! And the mommy would have babies again. It was a very unselfish act--and seemed like the perfect solution for all.
She had visited Laurel and Curly a week later and all had been fine.
Then, I guess the girl ran out of ferret food. She expected the ferrets would share the cat`s food...
Two weeks later, the former mom said she`d had a "bad feeling" at work. She just couldn`t shake it, so she called the new mommy, asking how the babies were. The girl said "Oh--I`ve been meaning to call you. You might want to come and get them. They`re sick."
When Laura saw her babies, they were bony little skeletons---starving and dehydrated. Laurel`s eyes were sunken way back into her head and appeared to have dried up. Curly`s weren`t much better. They weren`t moving. She rushed them to the vet.
The receptionist at the vet `s office told Laura "I`m sorry, our ferret vet isn`t here today." Laura was sobbing, saying they HAD to do SOMETHING----that this was all her FAULT. The one gal started to jot down a phone number of another vet who only takes appointments. The other one slipped our cell # into Laura`s hand and said "Call this lady NOW."
Funny, she was in Rockford and so was I. (I almost NEVER go shopping!) I had Laura meet me and follow me home. I really thought they`d die, but I gave fluids, a B complex injection, and carafate. They both had terrible mouth ulcers. I gave subQ fluids three times a day, pet tinic, and soup every three hours around the clock.
I prayed that they could live so that this poor girl who tried to do the right thing would not carry terrible guilt for the rest of her life.
I`ve never seen a ferret come back from that far down. I gave Laurel maybe a 30% chance--and Curly maybe 50% as he was a little bigger. They got intensive, round the clock care for three full weeks----Then they turned around---BOTH of them!!!
Laurel and Curly are still with us. You`d never know how terribly bad off they were when they came. They dance, they play--and Laurel bites toes! It is a miracle--and they are proof that miracles do happen, sometimes!
More later!
Love, Zoo
Laurel
We lost Curly at approximately 11:00 last night. He went comfortably, in his bed. He was such a joy. He got along with absolutely everyone, never bit toes, and had wound up being really good about his potty habits. Curly didn`t finish his evening soup, and he wanted to sleep, rather than play, when his group was out, last night. He simply cuddled down & drifted off. He was never any trouble--even when he died... Curly was about six years old.
I`m still amazed at the way these two beat the odds. It`s a miracle they both survived for over a year, after being so far down.
Laurel has always been so much more fragile than Curly. From the very start, I always believed she would go first. She`s a fragile six year old with insulinoma, & is on meds for life. Her adrenal disease is being controlled by lupron. I`m not sure how long she has--but we`re making each day as happy as possible for her. She loves her soup, enjoys exploring & running with the babies on the meds wall, and still feels good enough to nip toes occasionally!
Although the former owner visited them, & volunteered at first, it`s been many months now since we have heard from her.
More later.
Love, Zoo