Welcome to Lakeroad Ferret Farm Rescue/Shelter, Inc.

Henry

   • Surrendered to the Shelter September 9th, 2011. He found a new Forever Home on November 16, 2013!
   • Henry had a previous forever home December 7, 2012, but returned to the Shelter June 28, 2013. He left for the Rainbow Bridge May 8, 2017.

   • Henry is a sable male.
   • Read about how Henry arrived by clicking here, or read his latest updates below.

 

April 2, 2017:

Brenda,
  It is with a broken heart that I have to tell you that Monday night our darling Henry crossed the rainbow bridge.
  He was the light of our lives and we miss him tremendously. We take a little comfort knowing that at least he doesn't have to take his gross medicine anymore.
  We are going to pick up his ashes now so we can bring him home. My parents have a lovely pet remembrance garden and we will be taking him there. On the trip across we thought it fitting to sprinkle a little of his ashes along the way since he was such a road warrior.
  We want to thank you for bringing Henry into our lives. He made us a little family and we have so many wonderful memories with him. It's going to take a long time for us to heal, but it's because we loved him so much. We like to think that between you and us he had a happy and comfortable life and he was well loved.
  Here are a few last pics

        

April 2, 2017:

Hi Brenda!
  Happy spring! Hope all is well upstate! Henry is doing well. I think he'll be excited to head back west where he can go outside. Anyways, we need to order some soup. We go through it pretty quick these days. So a "large" order please.
  Thank you!! Here are some pics of the boy :)

  

January 26, 2017:

Hi Brenda!
  It's that time again. We need to place a big food and soup order. We are in NY at: Staten Island, NY Henry is doing great. Let me know how much we owe you. Thanks!!

           

December 11, 2016:

Dear shelter mum Brenda,
  I wanted to write to thank you for the Christmas presents! It was so fun to get to open the package. As it turns out I love bacon flavored treats mom gave me one and I scarfed it right down. Also, you must be a mind reader to send the soup. We just opened our last bag a few days ago since I've been having soup twice a day. I'm going through it pretty fast. I was also excited to get a new rabbit friend! Now I can beat up on him like I do my fox :).
  I hope you and all of the shelter kids are doing well and are going to have a very merry Christmas and a happy new year! (I'm pretty sure everyone is happy to see 2016 go.
Thank you again!
Love,
  Henry

           

December 11, 2016:

Hey Brenda!
  Just wanted to give you an update on Henry. He's doing really well! He's pretty much back to his old self. He's been eating like a little chunk and putting on his winter weight. We are back in NY for the winter and he's enjoying being at his grandparents house. Hope all is well upstate and the fuzzies are excited for Christmas!

        

October 17, 2016:

Hey Brenda!
  How are things at the farm? We are headed back across again. Henry's such a road warrior! That being said, we dropped the ball and didn't order food ahead of time while we were in NY.
  Here's some of the latest Henry pics

           

August 30, 2016:
Hi Brenda! Henry's great! He had his 7th birthday last Thursday! He got some extra treats to celebrate. How's everything upstate?

June 23, 2016:
  Here are some new photos of the boy.

       

June 2, 2016:
Hi Brenda,
  Here are some recent photos of Henry. Yea he's doing really well. We found a fantastic Doctor out here who really specializes in ferrets. I think she has 6 or 7 of her own. But she loves Henry!

     

February 22, 2016:
Hi Brenda,
  Here are a few new photos of our boy Henry!
  Chris

       

January 24, 2016:
  Mum got another picture of Henry, that boy is one lucky little dude. He is loved and cherished by his 4-ever family. The note below is from his Mom:
  Had to send you this one too. Life is so rough!

 

January 22, 2015:
Hey Brenda!
  How are you and the fur kids faring so far this winter? We are good. Back in NY for some work. Henry is becoming a road warrior! He does so well with the travelling. As long as he knows we are near he just kicks back and relaxes. He also loves exploring all the new places he gets to see. We need to order some more Henry food. Might as well do a big order since we're close. We're staying at Chris's parents place on Staten Island. Thank you!!
Talk to you soon,
  Erin

   

October 7, 2015:
  This is Henry with his cousin Molly and him stealing her bed.

   

October 6, 2015:
Hey Brenda!
  How are things at the farm? Wanted to give an update. Henry is settling in well. He loves all of the space to run around when we let him have the run of the house. He's playing harder than ever before! We took him in for his yearly check up. She did a full blood panel and urinalysis. Everything came back perfect. She said she hasn't seen blood work that good in a ferret in a long time, let alone one that's 6. We also had an ultrasound done for a lump we found in his tummy but they said it just looks like a build up of spleen tissue. Nothing malignant. Also, his adrenals and bladder both look good. So basically we have the healthiest 6 year old ferret ever! We were soooo happy to get that news. Other than that no real news here. Henry is about to take his first trip to the Oregon coast, then he will be a real bi-costal ferret! Still working on a pic with grandpa and grandma, probably be able to get one this week.
  Hope all is well and that you and the kids have a Happy Thanksgiving!

         

October 6, 2015:
  Henry's fine. He's eating and drinking enough. Also he's getting some ferretone every day. He even felt comfortable enough to play with me yesterday. My grandparents love him to death! He has now cuddled with both of them for long periods of time. In general he seemed pretty happy. We'll be getting back on the road Wednesday and hopefully we'll only have 2 maybe 2 1/2 days of driving left. The we can get settled at my parents place.

October 6, 2015:
  Henry in his travels to the West coast.

 

September 29, 2015:
  Road trips are exhausting! Erin

 

September 27, 2015:
  We're getting there. We are taking off Tuesday morning. I had to share that pic because he wants to be not the bed with us now. I'm thinking it's because we put the mattress on the floor so it's not so high now. He's the cutest!! Hope you all are enjoying the fall! One quick question, since we are going to be on the road for a few days will it work to keep his soup in powdered form in the cooler and just mix some up as we need it? Even in the cooler the cubes tend to melt.
Thanks Brenda!

September 7, 2015:
  Just had to share this one.

 

August 28, 2015:
Hi Brenda!!
  How's your summer going? I hope its been wonderful so far. We're doing well, I'm back doing fashion work again so I'm busy as usual. A few things, I'm going to need to order some food and soup mix. The second thing is some news... We're moving to the west coast. Portland tho, not California! So Henry will no longer be a fugitive :) we're taking off September 27. So that being said, we would like to order I guess 8lbs of the food (the one he likes with the kitten chow) and 2 bags of soup. I think we still have one in the freezer. Thanks!
  And don't worry about us taking him and disappearing, we'll make sure you get lots of updates about his adventures!
  Let me know how much I'll owe you for the food. Thanks again!
  Erin and Chris and Henry.

May 17, 2015:
  Henry making himself comfy at home in Rockaway Park

 

May 15, 2015:
  Henry is great! We might be going camping again soon so he'll get more outdoor adventures! He's finally shedding his winter coat so our clothes are almost as furry as he is :)

April 23, 2015:
  Erin and Chris left about 10 they were pushing it to get to Doc on time. I fed them scrambled eggs with cheese for breakfast. They did the dishes. Henry was watching Mom wash, I grabbed the camera.. after dad put him down Dad dried the dishes. Chris got the color back on the Welcome Center TV...
Henry and Dad watching Mom do dishes, and Henry in Daisy's fish.

   

April 15, 2015:
Hey,
  Quick question. When we took Henry in for his check up in November we got his rabies shot, but were unable to get the distemper shot. Is that going to be an issue? And if so, does your vet up there have them?

Shelter response: We do have the distemper vaccine up here but you don't let him outside do you? If not then no worries with bringing him here to us for camp.

Henry's owner: We take him out into our back "yard" so he can dig in his dirt bucket. If we could get it would probably be good because as the weather gets nicer it's more probable that we'll take him outside.

Shelter response: If you are going to take him out than I highly recommend a distemper vaccine.

Henry's owner: There are no dogs ever in the yard. However, if you think we might be able to get him in to get that shot during any of the days from the 22-25th, we would be willing to stick around and just camp on the area so we can get it done.

Shelter response: You tell me how long you can stick around and I will get him in.

Henry's owner: We were going to come up on the 22nd which would be late afternoon on that day and we need to get home on the night of the 25th as we both have to work on the 26th. We could however come up the night of the 21st of need be to be there during the day of the 22nd of that works better. I appreciate you getting us in. Let me know and I'll start looking for camping in the area.

Shelter response: I could get him in on 23rd at 3:15 - can you do that?? You need to bring his medical records because they will do distemper no exam because I told them he has had them if this does not work then let me know...I am not at all sure what you two are up to coming north so I don't want to mess up your plans.. all you need to say is NO.

Henry's owner: That should work. We're just trying to get out of the city for a few days. All of our bigger vacation plans keep getting thwarted by work so we're trying to do a few smaller things instead. But if we can get the shot it would be best because we might be taking a trip out west this summer and my parents have dogs.

Shelter response: I got a call from the hospital they want Doc to deal with this not the tech...so the appointment is 11 does that still work for you? You are welcome to use our welcome center futon and room as your base if you wish to...do your day trips and come back to sleep for free...up to you the offer has been extended...let me know about the 11 am appointment.

Henry's owner: That should work. We're just trying to get out of the city for a few days.
  All of our bigger vacation plans keep getting thwarted by work so we're trying to do a few smaller things instead. But if we can get the shot it would be best because we might be taking a trip out west this summer and my parents have dogs.
  11 works just fine. I think Chris is starting to look at the camping situation but if we can't make it happen we might take you up on that futon.

March 30, 2015:
  Henry is doing very well. As a matter of fact, he's been playing harder lately than he ever has before. It's great!

 

March 2, 2015:
  On another note, we have some of the food that is the mix that Henry probably won't eat. In his older age, he seems to very much prefer that mix you just sent us, the purina and (the other one). Would you be able to use it if we send it back to you? We have 2 bags unopened. Or perhaps we could exchange it? Let me know if that will work and I'll send it up. I've finally escaped New Jersey so things are a little more normal now.
  Again, I'm so sorry about the check. It's on it's way today for sure.
  Last thing, once it warms up a bit Chris and I are taking a short trip up to the Adirondacks so we would hopefully bring Henry to see you if you have space. No dates yet but I'd assume maybe sometime in April. Erin

February 15, 2015:
Hey Brenda,
  Could I order whatever food has the darker food in it (requested by Chris) and some soup mix, please? We blew through a lot of soup when he was sick. He's doing pretty well, he plays more now. He is still preferring the soup and 8-1 soft food but is eating some of his regular food. Only 2 more days of meds. Thank goodness because I'm convinced he thinks we're torturing him.
  Thanks, let me know how much we owe you.

February 10, 2015:
  So much better! He's eating regularly again. Poops are almost normal. He has even been playing the last few days and has enough energy to run up the stairs. He still hates the medicine but it's become much easier to give it to him. We're so happy to have him back to himself! I was so sad when he was just laying flat all the time. One week of meds left to go.

February 4, 2015:
  We just got out of the vet. It's a bacterial thing that I can't pronounce. BG is perfect at 115. No Insulinoma. We have 2 more weeks of meds just to make sure it all get cleared out. He is much better today, and even shoes interest in his regular food. Could you please send us a soup mix cause we've been going thru it fast. Thanks so much!

Awesome news! Coccidia? Giardia? Either way he is on the mend... BG is awesome for his age that is great news I am so thrilled for all of you.. Bless you for loving him

Family response: I think it starts with a g, it's not Giardia I don't know. We got 2 more weeks of antibiotics but we got liquids this time so maybe he won't hate it as much. Big sigh of relief. Also he ate some of his regular food today for the first time in a week! He's lost around a pound so he's a little skinny mini now.

February 3, 2015:
  We have a vet appointment tomorrow morning at 9:30. Yesterday he was doing much better.

Shelter response: Good news did vet want you to fast him?

Family response: I'd have to ask Chris, but right now he's eating like a tablespoon or two of soup at a time so I wouldn't be comfortable starving him out. I hope you're wrong too ;)

February 1, 2015:
  He's doing a little better. His poops are still runny and greenish but more solid than they were. He absolutely hates the medicine but we figured out how to swaddle him ho make it easier. He pooped on me last night. So gross. His symptoms seem consistent with ECE. He's eating more soup and will eat the soft 8-1 but no hard food yet.

Shelter response: This is not ECE - unless you brought in a new kit or took him to a store that had one. I will bet you it is Insulinoma but until you get a BG done you are not going to know that...If you put the meds in the dropper with soup he should take the meds without issue.

Family response: We'll call the vet Monday to try to get him an appointment.

January 29, 2015:
  Chris said that he ate some soup on his own this morning without being fed. No poops yet to report on. He also just ate 2 of the 8-1 soft food treats.

January 28, 2015:
Hey Brenda,
  I hope you didn't get hit too hard by the snow. I have a question. Last night we had to take Henry to the vet because he has diarrhea. They gave him some fluids and sent us home with some antibiotics. They are tablets. Chris crushed it up and put it in his soup. Since he doesn't feel good he doesn't want to eat much. He gave him some from a syringe. We are also going to get him some pepto so I'm hoping once his tummy feels better he'll want to eat more. In the meantime what is the best way to administer tablet drugs? Any pointers would be great. We hate to see him not feel good, it's breaking my heart. They said if the diarrhea doesn't clear up in the next 2 days we need to take him back to get blood work done.
  Thanks!

November 25, 2014:
Hey Brenda!
  We just took Henry in for his yearly. I'm happy to report that he is very healthy! He's gained another 100g so he weighs in at about 3.2 lbs. our very own little chunk. :) He got his rabies vaccine but apparently the distemper vac has been on back order for some time so we were unable to get that one at this time. Other than that all is well. I'm sending a video of Henry in his trance sleep. I found if I rub his neck a certain way it puts him right out. It's pretty adorable.
Hope all is well, and Happy Thanksgiving!

October 23, 2014:
Hey Brenda!
  Here's a little Henry video for your enjoyment!

November 16, 2014:
Hey Brenda!
  Just wanted to keep you in the loop, we're still not sure what's happening over the holidays. Chris might have a job that would keep him in the city while I'm gone, or he might have to go out of the country for a bit. So it's still up in the air as to whether we will need to bring him up or not.
  On a happy side note, today is our 1 year anniversary of bringing him home!

 

October 3, 2014:
Hi Brenda!
  I was just thinking about you the other day and how I haven't been in touch for a while, sorry! Things over here are good, Chris and I have been crazy with work lately. From mid August to mid September I was working on stuff for fashion week which means I was basically living in New Jersey for a month. Then, when I was done Chris was starting on a movie, so he has been out of town for two weeks. He'll be back on Sunday for a few days and then he goes for another week. Then, hopefully, this craziness will die down for a while. The timing worked out though, since one of us has been home with Henry the whole time. On top of all this I am taking online classes so there has been lessons and homework thrown into the mix.
  Henry is doing great, being his adorable self. We celebrated his 5th birthday on August 24. He's our little middle aged man. He's as cuddly as ever, he likes to lay on Chris's chest and with me if I'm in the bed he'll curl up down by my stomach. He also has been having epic playtime and he is really a great jumper and has developed some really good climbing skills for getting on the couch.
  On another note, around the Holidays, we are going to Arizona to spend Christmas with my Grandparents. We were going to have a friend come stay at our place and watch Henry, but some family stuff has come up for him and now he can't. So we are either going to take him with us (road trip) provided I can find a place down there that will board him for 2 days, we are taking a mini trip when we get there, or we are going to have to figure out something for him here for the week. Any suggestions?
  Anyways, that's about all for now, how are things at the farm? Is it really cold up there already?

       

August 12, 2014:
  Had to share this one. He fell asleep in his fort and looks like the wicked witch of the west!

 

August 07, 2014:
  Hey! Henry is great! I was thinking about sending off pics the other day but then I got distracted and forgot. He's loving summer I think, we go outside pretty much every day, either in the morning or the evening. He has a little dirt box that he loves to dig in and some vines that he explores under. We also bought him an air conditioner. We've never had one before. Spoiled.

       

May 29, 2014:
  Just before bed the other night...they're so sleepy!

 

May 22, 2014:
  Just got done at the vet. Henry is healthy. We had X-rays and his intestines are clear. He also weighed in at 3.08 pounds, so he's gotten a little chubbier since we've had him. ;) since he has been basically normal with no more throwing up/normal eating/and normal poops they didn't do a BG test. If it happens again we'll take him back and they'll do some testing. Also, his spleen is "moderate" so that's good.
  They were impressed by how big he is, and said he's a very handsome boy. So, seemingly all is well.

May 18, 2014:
  We have an appt for him on Thursday at noon. (5/22/14) He ate what was left in the soup bowl and no more throwing up. He's been sleeping but seems ok.
  Could you do me a favor? Can you send me the contact info for the vets office that Henry went to up there? The vet wants his medical history either emailed or faxed over. We have his vaccine record but I didn't know if there was anything else for his physical examination.
  He's been totally normal since yesterday. Hopefully it was just a fluke thing.
  Thanks so much for everything!

May 17, 2014:
  Henry started throwing up a few minutes ago. No blood, just undigested food.
  Do we need to take him to the vet?

Shelter Mum's response: Give him soup... his BG may be low. If that helps then you can make an appointment for a BG test at a later date NO emergency expense; if it does not help then it may be something ingested. At this point I would lean towards low BG and the soup will help get that back up where it needs to be.
  What do his eyes look like? Clear with sparkle or dull and lifeless? Poops? What do they look like normal or is he pooing dotted lines, or small diameter pieces? When did you see him eat last?
  Let me know answers to these questions I can better tell you if this is an emergency or not.
  Today is fix the pen day I will be away from the computer from 10 on if you need me ASAP call this number *** this is Donna's cell I do not have one so if I am outside I am not going to hear the phone. She will be here to come get me. Brenda

Henry's Mom: We gave soup. His eyes are normal looking, not dull. His poops also look pretty normal, one of them had a little mucous on it. We haven't seen him eat since last night. His throwing up woke us up. He has eaten though, his dishes were full when we went to bed and there's about 1/3 of it gone.
  Thanks, we've been watching him since 6:45 or so since he first threw up. He threw up 4 times but none since.

Shelter Mum's response: Okay this is a good thing. To make some sense of this when BG is low it causes upset tummy, then they do not want to eat, which in turn causes them to have more of an upset tummy. When we feed them soup their BG increases and the upset tummy decreases, then they start to eat again. If he has Insulinoma his BG may be getting low enough when he sleeps that he does not wake up to eat which then causes the BG to continue to get lower.
  Sound like he needs to have his BG checked so I would get an appointment as soon as you can. It does not sound like it is a blockage. All you need is a blood glucose test, they may want a CBC meaning Complete Blood Count, that is pricey and unnecessary unless you want a whole bunch of numbers that make little sense unless you are a vet. It would not hurt him but IMHO it is not necessary.
  Keep me posted on how he gets through the day.. Thanks for keeping me in the loop. Brenda

Henry's Mom: Thanks! Is also a dab of honey good for this? So here's the last thing, we are supposed to go to jersey to be with a friend whose dad died yesterday. Do you think he'll be ok with a 3 hr car ride?

Shelter Mum's response: Honey is only used if he cannot swallow, and is in an Insulinoma crash...Protein (soup) is best when he can eat and swallow.
  Take soup with you. I put individual cubes in a small container when traveling, then stop at Mickey D's get a cup of hot water to mix on the road. He should be fine. Happy travels, sorry to hear your friends dad passed away. Will tuck the family in my God Box. Brenda

Henry's Mom: Will do. He hasn't thrown up anymore at all. He's drank all of the soup we've given him, has eaten those soft food treats and ate some of his kibble. He did really well on the car ride. We also took him out on the harness around dusk and I have never seen him so excited to be outside! He was burrowing thru the grass and exploring all over the place! He just kept going. I think it was probably about a half hour or so before he came over and told me he was done.

April 28, 2014:
  We're so happy to have Henry with us and I don't think we could love him more if we tried! And spoiled is certainly the word for him. He has perfected pouting when he doesn't get what he wants and usually ends up with it anyway. And we wouldn't have it any other way!

April 27, 2014:
Hey Brenda,
  Here are some pics of our boy.

   

April 8, 2014:
  Just wanted to show you Henry's new dance. I call it the ferret wiggle :)

March 28, 2014:
  Here's our boy playing with some of his ducks. And his extreme close up :D
  I was happy to read that Maggie is getting adopted? I hope it's to a super fun home. She sure is a darling!
That's all for now,
  Erin

   

March 2, 2014:
  This mornings cuddle before play time :)

 

February 23, 2014:
  On another note, I'm on my first trip since got Henry. I miss him terribly. He curled up and went to sleep in my lap before I had to leave.

 

February 23, 2014:
  He's amazing! And SO spoiled. This is definitely his house. Erin and Chris

         

February 03, 2014:
  It seems we have a special touch... left picture - That was Yoshi he is now at Rainbow Bridge. We thought it was really funny that they were in the same sleeping beauty pose :) Henry on the right

 

January 14, 2014:
  The boys are having a lazy morning.

 

January 12, 2014:
  Henry's using his big boy cup today!

 

January 07, 2014:
  Henry says hello from his warm hidey hole!

 

January 01, 2014:
  one day Chris took him in the hall to play so he could run and there's stairs, which he loves. The problem is now he wants to be out there all the time and lays by the door a lot. Our method so far is to let him lay there till he gets bored and comes and plays with us. But he usually makes a beeline for the door. Any ideas on how to change that?

 

December 31, 2013:
  I think the holidays tapped our poor baby out! Hope it was a good one for you and all the fur kids!
Happy New Year!
  Erin, Chris and Henry

 

December 06, 2013:
  This is the nightly ritual. Henry gets to lay in bed with us for a few minutes before we put him in the palace for the night. Last night he discovered the comfort that is pillow.
  Erin

 

November 28, 2013:
Happy Thanksgiving!

Love,
  Henry and family

 

November 24, 2013:
  Got Henry rice for is pool. He's loving it! He's sleeping outside his house more and sometimes will curl up on one of our laps. We had an epic play session yesterday, about an hour and a half! He was going crazy! He especially likes tag and hide and seek. We're having a great time.
  This is a new hidey hole Chris made for him.
Talk to you soon,
  Erin

 

November 21, 2013:
Dear Shelter Mum,
  I just wanted to write to let you know I'm settling in nicely over here. I've found a choice spot to sleep under the bed. It's nice and dark in a container of Erin's clothes. I'm comfortable enough that Chris and I have had playtime for the last 2 days. Erin has the next 4 days off so she can get in on playtime too! I especially love the fox that they got me. I carry it all over the house.
  I have been eating really well and am still scarfing down the duck soup. They might get me rice for my pool, I'm not sure if I like the packing peanuts. But I have been playing in the tube. I think that's all for now, but I'll write again soon!
Miss you,
Love,
Henry

Shelter Mum's response: Dear dear Henry it is so good to hear from you my little man. It sounds as though you are happy and discovering new places to sleep and have some new play friends to hang out with. Thank you for checking in with me. I feel better knowing you are happy in your new home. I love and miss you little man, but being an only child is far better than sharing your time with 38 other fur kids. I love you Henry...your once Shelter Mum.

November 18, 2013:
  We are all good! Henry seems to be adjusting well. He is spending most if his time exploring his new home when he's not sleeping. He is eating his regular food as well as the duck soup. No weird poops as of yet!
  I had to work today and it was hard to say goodbye this morning. Chris was home all day tho, so they got in some play and cuddle time.
  Yesterday he only wanted to sleep in his cage, but he has now found a choice spot under the bed :) I've already started bombarding my family with pictures.
  I think that's all for now. More soon!

 

November 16, 2013:
  Henry has found a new Forever Home!

Hey Brenda,
  We made it home with smooth sailing. Henry spent about an hour exploring his new home. I think the tunnels under the bed are going to be a choice spot for him. On the way we stopped at one rest area, gave him his soup and then he was wide awake so we put him in the harness and took him to the grass. He did so well! We played tag and he found a nice pile of leaves to burrow in! He's asleep in his palace now. More to come later.
  Thank you for everything, and thanks again for lunch today!
We'll talk to you soon!
  Henry, Erin, and Chris

   

November 5, 2013:
Hello Brenda!
  I emailed you yesterday from my phone but I think it didn't send, oh technology. So,we wanted to thank you for this weekend. We had a great time hanging out with you and the fur kids. The drive home was fine, felt a lot shorter than coming up, but I think that's how it goes when you're excited about something.
  I'm glad to hear that Henry has his appointment! We have started cleaning and doing more ferret proofing. I'm attaching the pics of Henry's room and our room. We still have a few spots to block off in the living room so photos of that will come in the next few days. If you'd like close ups of anything or have suggestions about what you see let us know. In our room we checked the closet, no trap doors. The floor has been cleared so Henry will have a nice clothes cave to hang out in. Under the bed just has a few of those long tuppewares with lids for shoes and clothes. Yoshi liked the "tunnels".
  We don't have a full sized blender, we have one of those magic bullets. I have a couple of questions about the duck soup. Where do we get papaya enzyme, What is Pet tab for cats, and What is pet tinic? And can we get those at the pet store? Also, should we give him soup every day?
  Do you have any recommendations for blocking the space under/around the stove? Our kitchen is open to the living room so we can't just block the room off. There's about a 1" space under the stove that I'm sure he could squeeze into if he really felt like it.
  Thank you for the pictures, and we can't wait to come back up and see you guys! Wish we were closer so we could come hang out with the fur kids more (especially Maggie. I kind of love her.)
Talk to you soon,
  Erin

Shelter Mum's email after first visit, November 4, 2013:
  Good Morning Erin and Chris I hope your ride home was uneventful and easy. I want to thank you both for spending time with us this weekend. I am so excited that you will soon have a new fur kid to love on and pamper. Doc opens at 8 I will call to make Henry's appointment just as soon as I walk in the door from work this morning.
  Again I want to thank you for all the time you spent with us, it makes me feel comfortable sending a fur kid out the door. I got word from Sheilla, she will be unable to do the home visit. I had forgotten she is one of our shelter volunteers that does not own a car. If you send pictures of your place and where Henry will spend his time we can call it good. The letter to the landlord will go in the PO box this morning before I go to work.

November 2, 2013:
  Henry, Erin & Chris during their first visit

  

November 1, 2013:
Brenda,
  I have a quick question, One of the requirements is ID with current address. We moved a week after I got a new ID so it's our old address on my licence. I am having the landlord put the apartment address on his letter and we could bring up utility bills with Chris's name and our address on it. Would that be ok?
Thanks,
  Erin

Shelter Mum's response, November 1, 2013:
  That will be fine. See you tomorrow.

Initial contact, Erin, October 20, 2013:
Hello Shelter Mum!
  My name is Erin and my boyfriend Chris and I would like to come see you about an adoption. We are hoping to come up the weekend of November 2-3. We understand that the adoption process might require a few visits, however, we are coming from Rockaway Beach and it's about a 6 hour drive up to you. We are also freelancers so free weekends are a bit rare in our house. We were hoping that maybe we could come up for the weekend and visit you on Saturday and Sunday. We could certainly make the trip up again if necessary, we would just need to plan ahead so we could keep whatever time that might be free.
  Please let me know what you think, and we will come up with the application ready to go.
  We look forward to meeting you and the fuzzies!
Thanks so much!
  Erin and Chris

Shelter Mum's response, October 20, 2013:
Good afternoon Erin and Chris
  That weekend is open you are welcome to come see the fur kids, we will be busy getting ready for our open house the following weekend.
  Yes you do live a good distance from us planning ahead for more than one visit is good.
  We can do that too, I drive school bus for a living so there will be days when there is no school you are welcome to use our vacation days if they work better for you.
  We look forward to meeting you as well, please confirm the days, dates and time so I can get it on our calendar.

Erin's response, October 20, 2013:
Brenda,
  Wonderful! We are very excited! So, we will head up on Saturday November 2, maybe around 1ish? That way we have time to get up there, we're going to be leaving very early... We will get a hotel in the area so we can come back on Sunday November 3rd. Noon will work for us so we can get in some good time. If we need to come back after that we can all decide on a time together, but maybe if we're really lucky we'll get to adopt a fur kid or two!
We look forward to seeing you in November,
  Erin and Chris

June 28, 2013:
  Henry has been returned to the Shelter.

May 08, 2013:
  Hi Brenda, Mr. Pudge says thank you for the harness that will keep me safe for mom but not thank you for the rain that made it too cool for me to go outside. My mom felt the coolness and wetness could make for a sick Pudge and we now need our $ for On're ( alias Henry.)
  Jackie

December 6, 2012:
  Hi Brenda, I have been keeping track of all the goings on and I must say you are a very blessed birthday girl! I am glad Spike is doing better and I sure miss Stevie. Pudge and Henry have not any progress as far as getting along. They have a spat about 2x a week but no playing. Henry is almost as awesome as Mateo-just a real sweet boy. Pudge is living up to his name as he does not want to go out so much. I will have to get him out more to lose some of that weight speaking of which I have been walking at nite and feel somewhat better. Talk to you soon-loveya, Jackie

April 9, 2012:
  Henry plays in some packing peanuts!
  

December 14, 2011:
  Hey Miss Marcia – I love the presents you brought me – thank you soooooooooooooooo much! - Henry

     

September 11, 2011:
  Good Morning – Henry got the kitchen this morning after Luna – until today he had not been interested in coming up stars – this morning however he started up behind me – he struggled with 4 steps and turned around to go back down the stairs – today I brought him up the rest of the way – I expect in a short time he too will be clamoring at the barriers to get into the kitchen to go to mums space.
  He is eating and drinking – adjusting very well to shelter life.

September 9, 2011:
  Henry is hanging out in the Library this morning – he took 15 mls of soup for me by dropper – he was dancing and happy. There was little poo in his cage this morning so I hope that means he slept well and felt safe.
  Thanks Brie for bringing Henry to Naples – he is a cutie.

September 8, 2011:
  Henry has gotten to the shelter – when I got home from work at 5 I went to check on him – he popped his little head out of the sleep box to see what was going on.

September 6, 2011:
  Update! Henry is eating both the duck soup and ferretone all by himself! He's out of his cage and now occupying the ferret nation cage. I'm also mixing both foods and he's eating. I'm not sure how much he's picking out but I'm thrilled that he's adjusting so well.
  Brie

September 4, 2011:
  Henry update!
  I put some ferretone on his belly last night and although he did still jump once I put him in his hammock he went to town on his belly and didn't move till it was all gone.
  I also put a little bit of duck soup in the cage with him and when I took it out this morning the dried soup pattern looks like his may have eaten some of it.
  Yay!

September 3, 2011:
  Henry's good. He's up and around, checking out his other hammocks and he used the bathroom right as I got home! No problem's there.
  The kids dad has to move and can't keep Henry. Their mom already has a zoo and can't take on another responsibility without slacking off on what she already has going on. I think it's something like two guinea pigs, mice, fish, cat, and possibly something else....
  I did put a little bit of the furotone on Henry's belly last night and he freaked right out. I realized after the fact that I should have waited before I tried that.....my learning curve I guess.
  The good news is that for all my jumping the gun on that one, he did pop out to see me this morning. Oh, and yes having him for a full week has already started me thinking. But 7 is just way to many. I've already determined that once my zoo has enjoyed their long and hopefully happy lives I'll stick to just 2-3 ferrets at a time.
  When I bring him down I'll bring some water from my place, and some of the bedding that smells like me. I know a week isn't long to get used to a place but if he tends toward one bed in particular then it's coming to your house with him.

 


Initialcontact regarding Henry, Brie:
  Brenda, If it's okay, may I bring him down after the vet appointment on Thursday? I can also bring the shelter's groceries down then. The appt is at 11:30am so I probably wouldn't get down until 1ish....
  Also, it's a good thing I took Henry in because you would've had a fit! Turns out that the owner's idea of paperwork was the initial marshal farms certificate and Henry has never been to the vet. Hence, his appointment with doc. I have all the paperwork and your surrender form filled out and ready to be brought down to you.
  He will be coming with his cage and one small hammock.....the cage is fine for just one ferret though not our awesome super cages that we're used too. I was told that Henry usually just slept on the floor b/c he didn't like his hammock....well, he now has three hammocks and a couple of blankets and once he found the style that is fully enclosed he got into it and hasn't come out! Let me amend that, he pops his head out when he hears my voice, but he definitely prefers enclosed hammocks to open ones.
  He has food, zupreem, and two bags of bandits banana flavored treats. I thought those were on your 'do not eat' list but if you could just verify that I'd appreciate it. He's never had ferrettone or duck soup. I'm going to try and trim his nails before we get the the vet, as well as get him acquainted with both aforementioned items. Last night he wanted nothing to do with either but this morning I put a little bit of duck soup on my finger and he licked it a couple of times, not to excited but at least he did lick. I'll repeat that again tonight when I get home from work.
  I had a tent in the playpen when he first got to my house and one of his first actions was to walk straight into the tent and use the bathroom....I'm not entirely sure if that was due to the new environment or something else. I removed the tent and he did use the bathroom at least two more times, both times were healthy. I do have one concern, that being that I haven't seen him eat yet. His energy and attentiveness hasn't changed at all so I'm thinking he's eating. Once I put together his cage he dug around his food bowl a little bit but I'll be happier when I see and hear him munching and crunching away.
  Now, he was owned by four kids, and you could tell they were all pretty sad to see him go. I gave their dad your website and even showed the kids the site and told them that if/when Henry get's adopted they can check in to see if there are any new updates about him. That seemed to brighten up their day.
  Have a great day and I'll keep you updated on how he settles in.

  As for my kids, all are doing well, Oliver get's more carafate on me than in his gut by the day it seems but I'm glad he has that much fight in him and still lets me cuddle him ;-)
  Brie and my zoo sending good vibes :-D

Brenda's response:
  Sure bring him Thursday after the appointment - if I am gone I will tell you where to put him and settle him in.
  Welcome to the shelter business. That is why when I say are they vaccinated and vetted and they tell me yes my next words are – with current documentation? Then they stammer and back up, I used to believe people I no longer do – so I appreciate you getting him in to see Doc before you bring him down to the shelter.
  The Zupreen is good if you can get him started on some of your mix that would be great – the treats – not what I would like to see him eat but there are worst things and at this point we need to make sure we do not change much more of his life.
  Getting him to even taste soup is an improvement – to teach him to like ferretone sprinkle some on his belly and let him go – he will stop to get it off his belly – a day or 2 of that will teach him to like it.   I expect he was not sure what to do with the tent – he may have had a covered littler box in his home if he actually got out of the cage. If he has poop coming out of him he is eating – what goes in must come out – so keep an eye on the poop.
  Perfect you do realize that by keeping him until Thursday he is going to have one more big change in his little life. I know we can not do anything about that but I wanted you to be aware.