An Update On Clair

Welcome to another edition of ferrety Friday where you get to learn about ferrets and all their ferrety ways. But today, instead of writing about other ferrets and their ferrety-ness, I�m going to write a little about my own ferrety ferrets. Well, actually, I�m going to write about one of my ferrets, Clair to be precise, and what�s been going on with her since she came into our lives.

So.

I wrote awhile back about Clair�s story; how she came to be with us, how abnormally thin she was when she first arrived, how she trembled like a leaf whenever we picked her up or held her and how sickly her bowel movements were. I�d assumed at the time that her diet had been poor or that she�d been depressed, which readily happens with ferrets that aren�t given sufficient play time out of their cages or ferrets whose owners don�t socialize enough with them. I�d also discovered that a) no one had time for her anymore and b) there were a lot of other pets in the house, including a big dog that may or may not have caused her stress.


Basically, I concluded that Clair had suffered benign neglect. The owners didn�t mean to mistreat or neglect her; they just didn�t have the time or motivation to provide proper care. She�d been, for lack of a better word, ignored. And because of that, because her needs had been overlooked, she had deteriorated physically as well as emotionally.

Then we stepped in.

Clair has been with us since Friday, February 19th and, since that time, she has literally thrived. Not only has she put on a significant amount weight, she�s now completely fearless when we pick her up and she always scurries over to be hugged, kissed and petted. Her fur is shiny, her eyes are clear and she�s as full of beans as her playmates Nacho and Bailey are. She is just plain happy to be here. Even the vet that she�s been to twice already for some vaccinations has commented on what great shape this little fuzzball is in. �The food you�re feeding her must be good quality�, she said. �Yes�, I answered. �But she�s also very much loved.�

I�ve never heard from Clair�s previous family since we brought her home, even though the lady who sold her to me asked if her daughter (who was the official owner) could come to my home once to see where Clair is, and to be able to say good-bye to her (Clair was sold without the daughter knowing). I not only provided the mom with the necessary contact information, I also sent her, in an email, the web address for my blog, so she can virtually visit Clair now and again. You know, just in case her or her daughter missed the little fuzzy. But I haven�t heard anything from them since that first day.

Anyhow.

I don�t really care one way or another about Clair�s previous owners or whether they ever think about her or even miss her somewhat. Clair�s health � physically and emotionally � has improved dramatically since she moved in with us. And that�s all that matters.

Let�s wrap up.

Clair, it�s all about you today, so you�re the only one that will comment this week. What do you have to say?


Ah, music to my ears; a happy little fuzzy!