#damn Everett plz

[kichimiangra]

Okay I have a story that’s a little backwards to this posts very good message, but I just wanted to share because it reminded me of one of my Best Friends in the whole world and I felt like sharing with y’all.  I’ll start by saying THIS WAS VERY MUCH NOT THE NORM AND WAS A VERY ISOLATED CASE AND IS NOT TO BE MISTAKEN AS YOUR AVERAGE FERRET SITUATION.

Years ago when I was early in my college years a neighbor of mine came to me asking if I could take in a ferret that his friend needed to rehome. His Human had died and the family didn’t want his 3 Ferrets, but had managed to find new homes for the 2 young ferrets, only needing to rehome the old one.  Being the last of the bleeding hearts I said yes and that is how I came into possession of one of my dearest friends Everett! 

When he came he had a lot of stuff:  Toys, a ballpit filled with plastic eggs, pvc pie tunnels, blankets, kongs.  You could tell he was loved.  But I was very shocked to see that he came in a very small rabbit cage.  Before he arrived I had done a lot of research on what would go into his care and that tiny cage would never do for a ferret!  So I bought him a big ass cage.  In fact it wasn’t even called a cage!  It was called a ‘Habitat’ at the store.  I put him in his new home with all these ramps and platforms and levels it looked like the arcade donkey kong game!  Go save the lady Ferret Mario!... Except he never bothered to go up the floors. 

He’d climb halfway up the ramp and then lazily slide down again.  He preferred eating over playing (In fact he liked eating his food.  I could never find a treat he really enjoyed.  I’d run out of food one day and he’d be begging by clapping his hands against his bowl to make noise and I’d apologize and fill it up with treats to hold him over while I wait for someone who can take me to get more food.  He’d give me this look and start hitting the bowl like I didn’t even fill it.  “What the hell is this?!  I’m hungry and you give me THIS!?!”)

He did play a bit, but he’d tire out very quickly and go back to his cage.  Often I’d leave the door open so he could get out, but he tended to laze about in his hammock instead.  We thought maybe he was sick or injured, as this wasn’t how my research told me ferrets were, but after a trip to the vet we found he was physically fine.  My vet called him a “Damn Lazy Ferret”. Eventually because he never went up to higher levels, we put him back in his small rabbit cage that he came with.  It was never a problem, he was outside of it everyday.  Usually lazing in my lap while I did my homework, and often if I was in the room his cage door was open, inviting him to come out if he wanted to.  I have always wondered/been scared that he had depression (I mean, he lost his boy and his two siblings!) so I gave him so much love and attention that I had hoped it’d make up for it.  I don’t know if it ever did...

I think I did something right at least, he was 4 when I got him and passed away at age 9.  I know this post is about getting proper housing for your pet.  I am 100% for this.  But it just reminded me of an old friend and his way too small cage situation, and with the loss of one of my birds today I’m feeling a little nostalgic.

p.s.

I HAVE A NEIGHBOR WHO WAY TOO MANY BIRDS INTO ONE CAGE AND THEY LITERALLY STARTED KILLING EACHOTHER.  I KNOW THAT’S A MEGA EXTREME SITUATION BUT PLZ THINK ABOUT YOU’RE PET’S NEEDS BEFORE YOU SAY “OOH GOLLY GEE FRICKING WILIKERS THAT PET MATCHES MY WALLPAPER~!”