Susie with Millefiscent, Artemus & Nortin
Please let me introduce myself. My name is Susie and I am the sanctuary Mom and I'm also a registered nurse. I was A.C.L.S. (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) certified and specialized in cardiac care, but all of that changed when I had a serious car wreck. I had already begun my ferret journey when I had to abruptly cease actively rescuing ferrets due to injuries I received from my accident.
It became too painful to leave the house, but I found that I didn't feel quite so sorry for myself when I saw all the ferrets that had come to me, one way or another, and began to show me they needed and loved me just as I was. These little "angelic nurses" covered in fur began to heal me as no therapist or doctor seemed to be able to do. They are incredibly perceptive and I would not have made it through the hard road to recovery without these precious souls that love unconditionally. I want to give them the love that they have given me, which is why this sanctuary is so important to me.
I no longer re-home the fursnakes that come into my care, but provide them with a forever home. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing the look of pure gratitude in their tiny faces when taken out of an unpleasant situation and exchanged for a loving home and caregiver. I am here at WeezleWings Ferret Sanctuary almost 24/7 due to my disabilities, and this gives me a unique perspective and a better chance than most to administer any medical care or special needs they might have and to get to know the fur-babies.
Connie & Bug
Fabri-holic, Ferrent and part-time blogger
My husband and I had each been interested in having ferrets since long before we even met, but we'd only had Great Danes until December 11 of 2009 when we brought 10-month-old Bug into our lives.
I found him listed on a local cheapcycle list for $100 including his cage. I immediately emailed my husband John at work and a rapid volley of questions ensued, chief among them "Why are they getting rid of him?" I figured it was because the kids wanted a video game system. When I asked the woman who posted the ferret to the list, that's exactly the reason she gave. John and I both consider Bug a "rescue" since he came to the best possible home. We then had a crash course in ferrets.
Bug wore out his welcome with the Danes (also rescues) by pretending they were ferrets and grabbing their ears. He was quickly nicknamed "the Jingly Bell of Doom" when he started nipping on the ankles of his ferrents. It was the day before our 16th wedding anniversary and I proposed to John that instead of celebrating with a dinner out that we instead get a buddy for Bug. I even found a likely candidate on Craigslist.
Katy, a pretty little sable girl, was found in a garage on the NW side of Oklahoma City after a storm. The homeowners asked around the neighborhood but no one claimed this dainty beauty. They were relocating to Germany and decided to place Katy with another family rather than transport her with them, so after introducing her to Bug and seeing them both break into instant Weasel War Dance mode (which Katy's family had never seen before), Katy came home with us. She has kept her original name.
A month after Katy came to our household, John and I were at the local PETCO. I was voicing opinions about their poor selection of ferret foods to one of the managers. After a few minutes of talking it over, Maxine (the manager) said "I think you're the right person for this, can you come with me?" "This" was a pathetic looking, dull coated 3-month-old kit, with a scuff on one eye and a big naked patch on the back of his neck. Maxine said that the other ferrets were "picking on him" so they put him in isolation and she was giving him Pedialyte. I went to get John to meet the kit. We agreed to bring Katy in to meet the kit (since he'd most likely be sharing Katy's larger cage). Katy was interested, the kit wasn't afraid of her. John, who had been at the front of the store looking through "Ferrets For Dummies," turned directly to the passage that says the ideal number of ferrets to have is three. He decided that was "a sign" and we adopted the poor kit. We decided to name him Tucker, after character in a Christopher Moore novel. Tucker has lived up to his namesake by being attractive, but not very bright. His initial wellness check showed he had a heart murmur and the vet said that often if there's one health problem, it's likely there's another. Tucker will attempt leap attacks on our pantlegs and will end up splayed on the floor between our ankles. He's a sweetheart, though, and his dull coat changed to a beautiful, glossy chocolate sable within a month or so. While Bug and Tucker were not friends at first, Bug changed his mind a couple months after Tucker arrived and now the two are nearly inseparable.
I have been heard to say that when the Danes pass I want to replace them with "their weight in ferrets." John doesn't think that's going to happen, but I say "we'll see."
I met Susie through the Ferret_Whisper Yahoo! Group and offered to do some sewing for her. We've become good friends and I'm especially glad of that because I know that at some point, I'll need some of Susie's vast ferret knowledge. It also doesn't hurt that Susie's a lot of fun.
I sew, bead, garden, cook, bake and do other domestic goddess-type chores, but I'm not much of a housekeeper. John's hobbies include snow skiing, SCUBA diving, swimming and kayaking. We live in Ardmore, Oklahoma, but are transplants from South Bend, Indiana. All of our children have four feet and tails and we like that just fine..
Donna & Baby Bandit
My name is Donna Hogarth. I was born four months premature, and as a result, I was born legally blind (I only have one eye with 20% vision in it). Over the years, I developed a hearing loss and learning disabilities. Although I was born up north, I lived in Tennessee as a toddler. I was raised by my southern relatives, having grown up with southern manners, values, even a southern accent. I'm truly southern at heart.
It was my disabilities and growing up in the special education school system that gave me a passion for working with those with special needs. I majored in early childhood development in college with the intention of opening a daycare specifically for special needs children. Although the severity of my learning disabilities prevented me from completing college, I never lost my passion for working with those with disabilities.
I met my partner, Ciara, in 2003. We’ve been together as a couple since then. In 2004, I moved to New Jersey to be with her. It was Ciara that got me into domestic (pet) mice and rats. It was then I knew I’d found my calling and my niche. I loved rescuing and socializing special needs animals. In 2006, I started T.A.I.L.S Rat Sanctuary for all of the special little ones we took in.
In 2010, I began volunteering at my local mom and pop pet store. On June 2, 2010, two ferret boys came into the pet store. I immediately fell in love with them. I named them Baby Bandit and Butters. Every day, I held them, loved them and socialized them. I was both heartbroken and horrified when potential buyers for Baby Bandit entered the pet store with their sons, allowing the 7 year old to swing Bandit by his paws and tail. Baby Bandit came home with us that day. While the physical injuries (limping on back paw) healing within a week, he has never fully recovered from the emotional scars of being swung. He still cries and has nightmares as a result.
Butters remained at the pet store and although he’d received a new cage mate, he became depressed, barely ate and got thin. I continued to trust train Butters. I would get Bandit’s smell on my shirt, let Butters smell the shirt, hold Butters, get Butter’s smell on the shirt and let Bandit smell it. On nice weather days, Bandit would accompany me on my daily visits to the store so that he could visit Butters in person. I held Butters’ cage mate, a female ferret, whenever I held Butters so that she wouldn’t feel left out. I named her Nipsy because she liked to play nip.
One day, Ciara went to the pet store to see Butters and to get his smell on her shirt so that Bandit could smell him. As soon as Ciara held Butters, he gave her a single kiss. As the old saying goes, that was all she wrote. Butters came home to us that night. He and Bandit were reunited as cage mates, this time for good. They were once again immediately inseparable. My one wish of the boys staying together and keeping the names I'd given them had become a reality. Now that Butters had his brother back, he was no longer depressed. He had began eating again and he put on weight, so much so that he’s now pure muscle.
Even though Butters and Bandit were now ours, I’d continue to visit with and socialize Nipsy. She loved to give kisses, yet hissed at anyone that did anything that she didn’t like. Somewhere along the way, she acquired the nickname of Nipsy Doodle. We brought Nipsy home and eventually she made herself right at home in Ciara’s heart. Nipsy also quit answering to the name Nipsy and began answering to the sole name of Doodle.
In February of 2011, Ciara and I went into Petco to get ferret food. Ciara noticed that a panda ferret had been bullying a silver mitt. When I asked to see the silver mitt, I took mental note of her under- nourishment, frailty and unanswered cries for help while being picked on by the panda. The entire time I was hold her, she drenched me in kisses. We took her home also taking note that this little girl that I'd named Mittens was only responding to certain noises. A hearing test would later confirm that she was partially deaf. I immediately began teaching her sign language. She's been mine from day one.
June 2011 once again saw us at Petco. As usual, I looked at the ferrets while I was there. I noticed a very big, handsome boy and I went over to say hi to him. He hung on every word I said, especially when I told him that he was my boy and that his name was Truffles (his dark chocolate body and white mitts reminded me of white chocolate truffles). When I came back the following weekend, I called him by name and he came running over to me. I put my hand on the cage and I lost it when he put his paw on the glass as if to hold my hand. It hurt like hell to leave him that day. The following Saturday was the last day of a month long ferret sale. The day after Friday payday and a weekend when kids would be there asking for pets with their parents who were looking to save a little money. We raced to get Truffles before anyone else could get to him. On the way there, I called our local Petco's small animal specialist, Simon, who was kind enough to stand guard over the ferrets for the half hour it took us to get there to make sure that no one else got him. I was very grateful to Simon, as within a few hours of us getting there, there wasn't a single ferret left in the store. Truffles was thrilled to be coming home with us. He wanted absolutely no part of the cardboard pet carrier they sent him home in and was perfectly content riding home tucked securely inside my coat laying on my chest listening to my heartbeat. Our Truffles is a big boy, weighing in at his wellness checkup at 3 pounds at the age of only 5 months!
Baby Bandit, who now prefers to go by “Baby,” has taken to me while Butters has taken to Ciara. Doodle is Ciara’s “daughter,” Mittens is my “pretty girl” and Truffles, my SugarBear. In 2010, I started Hisses & Kisses in honor of my ferrets with Baby as our spokesferret (spokesperson).
I became acquainted with Susie and WeezleWings in November of 2011 via the annual Christmas Ferret Giving Tree. I played Santa to Susie’s Roux and Snoodlebug. I ended up falling in love with them so much so that I offered to not only be Roux and Snoodle’s permanent santas, but also their permanent sponsors (see "sponsorship" tab to sponsor a ferret). Ciara has taken to Susie’s girl, Melfi. Susie has since become my best friend and "aunt" to our ferrets. Due to my disabilities, I’m unable to drive or hold down a regular 9 to 5 job, so I spend the bulk of my time at home. This allows me ample time to care for our ferrets and help Susie with WeezleWings’ online needs such as this website and the fan page on Facebook.
It was my disabilities and growing up in the special education school system that gave me a passion for working with those with special needs. I majored in early childhood development in college with the intention of opening a daycare specifically for special needs children. Although the severity of my learning disabilities prevented me from completing college, I never lost my passion for working with those with disabilities.
I met my partner, Ciara, in 2003. We’ve been together as a couple since then. In 2004, I moved to New Jersey to be with her. It was Ciara that got me into domestic (pet) mice and rats. It was then I knew I’d found my calling and my niche. I loved rescuing and socializing special needs animals. In 2006, I started T.A.I.L.S Rat Sanctuary for all of the special little ones we took in.
In 2010, I began volunteering at my local mom and pop pet store. On June 2, 2010, two ferret boys came into the pet store. I immediately fell in love with them. I named them Baby Bandit and Butters. Every day, I held them, loved them and socialized them. I was both heartbroken and horrified when potential buyers for Baby Bandit entered the pet store with their sons, allowing the 7 year old to swing Bandit by his paws and tail. Baby Bandit came home with us that day. While the physical injuries (limping on back paw) healing within a week, he has never fully recovered from the emotional scars of being swung. He still cries and has nightmares as a result.
Butters remained at the pet store and although he’d received a new cage mate, he became depressed, barely ate and got thin. I continued to trust train Butters. I would get Bandit’s smell on my shirt, let Butters smell the shirt, hold Butters, get Butter’s smell on the shirt and let Bandit smell it. On nice weather days, Bandit would accompany me on my daily visits to the store so that he could visit Butters in person. I held Butters’ cage mate, a female ferret, whenever I held Butters so that she wouldn’t feel left out. I named her Nipsy because she liked to play nip.
One day, Ciara went to the pet store to see Butters and to get his smell on her shirt so that Bandit could smell him. As soon as Ciara held Butters, he gave her a single kiss. As the old saying goes, that was all she wrote. Butters came home to us that night. He and Bandit were reunited as cage mates, this time for good. They were once again immediately inseparable. My one wish of the boys staying together and keeping the names I'd given them had become a reality. Now that Butters had his brother back, he was no longer depressed. He had began eating again and he put on weight, so much so that he’s now pure muscle.
Even though Butters and Bandit were now ours, I’d continue to visit with and socialize Nipsy. She loved to give kisses, yet hissed at anyone that did anything that she didn’t like. Somewhere along the way, she acquired the nickname of Nipsy Doodle. We brought Nipsy home and eventually she made herself right at home in Ciara’s heart. Nipsy also quit answering to the name Nipsy and began answering to the sole name of Doodle.
In February of 2011, Ciara and I went into Petco to get ferret food. Ciara noticed that a panda ferret had been bullying a silver mitt. When I asked to see the silver mitt, I took mental note of her under- nourishment, frailty and unanswered cries for help while being picked on by the panda. The entire time I was hold her, she drenched me in kisses. We took her home also taking note that this little girl that I'd named Mittens was only responding to certain noises. A hearing test would later confirm that she was partially deaf. I immediately began teaching her sign language. She's been mine from day one.
June 2011 once again saw us at Petco. As usual, I looked at the ferrets while I was there. I noticed a very big, handsome boy and I went over to say hi to him. He hung on every word I said, especially when I told him that he was my boy and that his name was Truffles (his dark chocolate body and white mitts reminded me of white chocolate truffles). When I came back the following weekend, I called him by name and he came running over to me. I put my hand on the cage and I lost it when he put his paw on the glass as if to hold my hand. It hurt like hell to leave him that day. The following Saturday was the last day of a month long ferret sale. The day after Friday payday and a weekend when kids would be there asking for pets with their parents who were looking to save a little money. We raced to get Truffles before anyone else could get to him. On the way there, I called our local Petco's small animal specialist, Simon, who was kind enough to stand guard over the ferrets for the half hour it took us to get there to make sure that no one else got him. I was very grateful to Simon, as within a few hours of us getting there, there wasn't a single ferret left in the store. Truffles was thrilled to be coming home with us. He wanted absolutely no part of the cardboard pet carrier they sent him home in and was perfectly content riding home tucked securely inside my coat laying on my chest listening to my heartbeat. Our Truffles is a big boy, weighing in at his wellness checkup at 3 pounds at the age of only 5 months!
Baby Bandit, who now prefers to go by “Baby,” has taken to me while Butters has taken to Ciara. Doodle is Ciara’s “daughter,” Mittens is my “pretty girl” and Truffles, my SugarBear. In 2010, I started Hisses & Kisses in honor of my ferrets with Baby as our spokesferret (spokesperson).
I became acquainted with Susie and WeezleWings in November of 2011 via the annual Christmas Ferret Giving Tree. I played Santa to Susie’s Roux and Snoodlebug. I ended up falling in love with them so much so that I offered to not only be Roux and Snoodle’s permanent santas, but also their permanent sponsors (see "sponsorship" tab to sponsor a ferret). Ciara has taken to Susie’s girl, Melfi. Susie has since become my best friend and "aunt" to our ferrets. Due to my disabilities, I’m unable to drive or hold down a regular 9 to 5 job, so I spend the bulk of my time at home. This allows me ample time to care for our ferrets and help Susie with WeezleWings’ online needs such as this website and the fan page on Facebook.