Once upon a time, because all the best stories start that way, there was a little black ferret born with a beautiful black mask and a rather long tail. He was born in a ferret factory and lived there with his mother, brothers and sisters until he was about 6 weeks old. Then he was put into a cardboard box with not only his brothers and sisters, but strangers as well. The box was put on an airplane and flown a very long way. Eventually, he, his siblings and his new friends were put in a big glass tank and one by one they disappeared from his life.

Four years later, give or take some, the people in his world who had become his family, decided not to keep him any more. In the middle of one of the coldest nights of the winter, they drove him to a place where he could hear dogs barking incessantly, put him in a cold steel cage outside in front of a brick building and left him there. With temperatures dropping to the freezing mark, and his coat thinning due to disease, and no sign of rescue, he decided to break out of the jail cell he had been thrust into – not a difficult thing for a ferret. He went to the door of the building to try to get in where it was warm, but there was no one home. He tried all night, but no one came.

Several hours after sunrise, still cold and now hungry, thirsty and really scared, he heard people noise inside the building. He began frantically to scratch at the door. He needed in and he knew he needed help. A nice lady opened the door, grabbed him up and wrapped him in warm blankets. She gave him good food to eat, a place to potty and a safe place to sleep. Things were better than being outside in the cold, but he did not understand why his family once again had left him.

The new place was clean, but loud. Dogs barked, cats meowed and even an occasional bird squawked. People came and went, but mostly they left him all alone. Not that they didn't feed him or change his box, they just didn't love him. Then one day a nice lady came in, looked at him and said, “you need help and I know someone who can give it to you. Be strong little ferret, help will come.”

Two days later one of the worker people came and took him from his cage. This was a new thing. The worker handed him to a lady who checked his ears and teeth, rubbed the thinning hair on his back and then held him tight. The worker told her he was sick. He knew he'd been feeling kind of funny, but he didn't know he was sick. She said, "So am I." It didn't matter to her that his hair was falling out and his once beautiful long tail was missing most of the jet black hair that had been so attractive before. She introduced herself as 'The Momma” and promised to care for and love him. She took him home.

He got his own room, a big, soft, fuzzy, warm bed. Lots of different kinds of food and once again he had a family. He was a happy boy. Then he caught the flu. For three miserable weeks the Momma held him when he was too weak to eat. She gave him shots and lots of medicines to make his tummy feel better. She even made him soup every 3 hours, and would hold him while he ate from a spoon. The medicines made him feel better, but knowing she loved him made him feel safe. Finally he got well.

But Farli, for that was his new name, still thought he needed his soup. The crunchy foods he used to eat still didn't taste right and the soup was so good! For another week, he ate only soup. One day the Momma started leaving different kinds of crunchies in his cage. She tried this one and that one, but none even smelled good. He still wanted his soup. Momma let him have his soup, but kept trying to tempt him with different foods. She tried six or seven, but none tempted him.

Then she put in one that was shaped different and smelled different. It was a new thing to him, and he was not real excited about new things, not when he could have his soup any time he wanted it, but something about it made him curious. Tentatively he picked one piece up. Hmmmm…kind of interesting. He crunched. Hmmmm…not soup, but still pretty tasty. He crunched another. And another, and another. Soon he had crunched half a dozen. Momma of course was watching. She had been waiting for him to find something he liked, and for him to feel good enough to eat it. Next thing he knew, there was a whole big bowl of this new stuff to eat! And it was down right yummy!

Now he only needs soup as a treat. He loves his new friends and family. He has his very own room still, but gets out every night to play with three new ferret buddies. Momma is giving him medicines now not for the flu or the stomach ache he used to have, but to help his hair grow back. He has his very own dog and his very own cat. The People here love him and he feels safe. Life is good.

What might you ask is the 1st solid food Farli would eat after being so sick, and the one he still prefers?

Why ZuPreem of course!


Thank you!

Brenda, Farli, and the rest of the Furpeople
Henderson, Nevada