Two can be as bad as one

I want to get two or three ferrets so bad, it's ridiculous.  For whatever reason, every few years I get it in my head that I want a certain animal and then the feeling doesn't go away till I get it.  The only time I've regretted the animal was with this last senegal parrot I had.  She screamed all day no matter what we tried.  I was still said when she died suddenly but I know I should've waited before I got her in the first place.  I won't be getting any ferrets any time soon.  We have other things to worry about.  While their upkeep is generally cheap, their vet bills are not.  And if you get the flu, guess who also can catch it?  I love my rats but they're not really playful.  They like to play on their own but not with us.  They LOVE to be petted and go to sleep in your lap and that's what's great about them but I want to be able to put them on their backs and shake them around like you can a ferret.  (not a violent shake.. just playing) I check petfinder.com almost every day (I've always done it) and I look at all the ferrets on the classified pages.  I think that's what we'll end up doing because you usually get the cage with them and it's less hassle than going through a rescue.  All the ones you can buy from breeders are ridiculous in price (over $300 typically) and the ones from pet stores usually come from Marshall Farms (a company that I vehemently to do NOT support).  While most ferrets you find for adoption are probably from the same company, I would not be supporting that company, only providing a homeless animal with a home.  In case you're wondering, Marshall Farms is a large company that mass breeds dogs and ferrets for sale in pet stores and labs.  Their practices have been questioned many times by animal support groups and I will NOT support anyone who sells to labs.  No ifs, ands, or buts.  I will also not buy any product that is produced from Marshall Farms.  They make just about everything for ferrets, particularly popular food for them.  Which, by the way, is not the best food you can buy for a ferret and can actually cause problems with cancer and liver enzymes as they age.  Now, even though we aren't buying any at the moment, that doesn't stop me from playing with them in the pet stores.  We found one at Petco that was all alone and looked immensely bored.  She was white with a grey mask and definitely no longer a kit.  She was very playful and kept jumping at my finger.  (their cages are completely enclosed in plexy glass... not a good thing either... lack of air circulation and even a de-scented ferret still makes quite a musky smell)

Cash, the doberman, had to go back to the vet this morning and get staples put in his incision from his neuter.  Rocky may have to have the same thing done.  I was a bit upset that no one even talked to my husband, they just took Cash in the back, numbed him and stapled him.  Although I'm sure it was more of a job than they were expecting, Cash gets very excitable around new people and one of the games we play with him is grabbing his nub (his tail was docked as a puppy) and he spins in circles to avoid us.  I'm sure it made for a comical scene as the techs tried to staple his testicles back together.  *grin* They also put him in an elizabethan collar.  I cannot say enough how much I hate those things.  He looks miserable.  My husband had to go out and buy a massive crate because his fat head wouldn't fit comfortably in his other one with the collar on.  I was shocked by the size of it when I walked into the back room.  It's 48 inches tall!  When we got home tonight from shopping, Rocky had blood in his crate.  We're not sure if it was from the incision or his gums as he had been trying to chew the collar off for some time.  Cash will have to return to have his staples out but as long as Rocky heals well, he will not have to return to the vet for hopefully another year.  (wait no, he has to go in for xrays on his shoulder, he limps) All I can think is there is no way I can go through this with my other two boys when their appointment comes up.  Cash and Rocky are so swollen and bruised.  My two aussies are so fragile and emotional that they'll act even more depressed than these two have.  Now boys and girls, this is why you should have your dogs neutered as soon as your vet allows.  Their testicles were fully matured so there was a lot more bruising and swelling to the area.  A younger dog would've had smaller testicles and far less pain.  I just want to make sure our female (born August 30) gets spayed before she goes into heat.  I don't need to worry more about her surgery than I'm already going to.  (female dogs spay surgery IS major surgery, even though it's done frequently and is what's best for a non breeding dog... a dog who goes into heat, even once, has a higher risk for complications from the surgery than one who hasn't... a dog who has had a litter of puppies has an even greater chance)