Ophelia wrote:
>
> "Gary" > wrote in message ...
> > Ophelia wrote:
> >>
> >> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/good-news...play-together/
> >
> > Thank you for the pic. The ferret is playing with dog's ear and the
> > dog looks like it's just sighing and putting up with it. Funny.
> >
> > Same here over 12 years ago. I had Mr.Kitty for many years then my
> > daughter moved back in bringing 2 ferrets. Ferrets are super playful
> > and they discovered Mr.Kitty up on a chair fairly quickly. They would
> > jump up on the chair and climb all over him with play-biting. He let
> > them do that. He put up with it but I could tell that he was annoyed.
> > lol! Anyway, he did accept them as new members of the family right
> > from the start.
> >
> > My daughter has one ferret that she's trying to get me to adopt. It's
> > tempting but still a little too soon for me. I don't miss ferrets in
> > general, I miss one certain one. This last death was the worst and
> > it's "the straw that broke the camel's back." I am so sick and tired
> > of getting to know and love one then holding them in my arms short
> > years later as they die. I need a break. I don't deal with death well
> > at all.
>
> I think you are doing the right thing! You will know if and you are ready.
> May I ask, why does your daughter get ferrets and they try to dump them on
> you??

Daughter has never kept ferrets to the end. She has no idea how it
feels to love one then watch them go downhill for many months and then
die in your arms one night...or at a vet to get euthenized. I've had 4
of them and they all died right in my bedroom and 3 of them right in
my arms when the final moment came. The 4th one died after I left for
a few minutes. Ever be right there as a loved one dies? It haunts you
forever.

Her first two, I adopted years ago when she moved out. Now that she's
married she is adopting rescues and she has 6 of them now. Still
though...she's never experienced a loved one go downhill then die.

Of her 6 now, one of them always fights with the other ferrets but
gets along fine by herself with a human. She seems to think I have a
need and this one would be perfect probably. She's said a few times,
let me just bring it for a visit.

Well...I know me. Bring one for a visit and I'll melt. But right now,
I don't want another so I tell her NOT to bring it for a visit.

It's a dilemma for me too. I don't want one right now and maybe not
for several years until I retire. But by then this one will be dead
and not lived the happier life that she could have lived with me. How
do you deal with this? There are always plenty of needy rescues of any
species. I just don't want to hear about them for a bit.

sigh ;-0