Caleb – the ferret

by Sara
(Fort Collins, Colorado)

Well, I used to have a ferret named Caleb. He was 2 years old when I got him. I rescued him from a shelter. He was $75 only because they didn’t want him at all. So, I took him into my home.

Caleb loved to be lazy. Don’t get me wrong, he definitely had TONS of energy! He used to eat in his hammock. He would just lie there and chomp on his ferret O’s. At night he would sneak out of his cage by pushing the bottom tray out and sneak to my mom’s room and into the closet where she kept my brother’s school snacks. My step dad would wake up to sounds of crinkling plastic and crunching. Caleb had gotten into the snacks, he was lying in a pile of cookies and granola bars, looking up at my mom and munching on the snacks.

He also loved to steal my socks. He would hide them under my bureau and lie in the pile of socks he horded. Another thing he loved was a child’s light up pacifier. When I lit it up, he would chew it non-stop. One day I tried taking it away from him because it was about to fall to pieces. So, I went to pull the pacifier away from Caleb, he hissed at me and when I pulled it away he tried to grab it back, slitting one of my fingers with his k-9 tooth. He was so much fun to be around. Of course, he stole snacks, horded my socks, bit my finger and sometimes pooped on the floor, but he was an amazing little guy. This was when I was 12 years old.

I had lots of family issues so I ended up in a program that I stayed in for 3 months. Caleb was staying at my aunt’s house, but my aunt didn’t want him in the house, so she kept him on the porch. When I got out of the program Caleb was still at my aunt’s house. I had to live with my great aunt and uncle at that point. My grandmother’s friend had offered to take him in, since she had just lost her ferret. So, she took him and kept him for a few months.

While in her care, Caleb became ill, so much that he had to be put to sleep. She had him cremated. I was very upset when I heard the news. I will always remember Caleb, the ferret.

I’m thinking about getting another ferret rather soon. I’ll be turning 20 years old on August 27th. I love ferrets and hope to for a rescue some day, out of my own home.

Well, that was the story of Caleb. Rest in peace little guy, you are greatly missed