Appleton, Wisconsin           (920) 574-2277 (main number)

Eden's Story

In April of 2005 I was contacted by "Sue" whose coworker had caught a "large albino ferret" that had taken up residence in her shed.  The coworker knew Sue had a ferret and had brought the "capture" to her.  After a day or two Sue decided that this "ferret" wasn't "normal" and she contacted me. 

Based on the area and the description I was pretty sure this was an escaped fur farm mink before I ever saw it.  The moment I saw her I knew I was right (I also got a fur farm escapee spring of 2004-she went to a nice education facility connected with the Milwaukee Public Schools).  You should have seen the look on Sue's face when I told her she had a mink in her carrier.  The mink was all banged up and it was obvious she had escaped from a cage at a fur farm. 

I brought Eden home and got her set up in a huge cage (the size actually confused her).  She eventually settled in and seemed to especially enjoy her "out" time in my bedroom when she got to swim in a little pool.  I couldn't pick her up but she quickly learned to transfer in a tube.   

I started trying calling all over the state in an attempt to find her placement in a sanctuary or refuge.  Unfortunately, fur farm mink are not the same species as our indigenous mink so rehabbers won't touch them since they can't be released.  Most animal educators want animals that can be handled for school programs, etc...so farm mink aren't desired.  Finally, the programs that are interested are more interested in the "wild colored" mink-meaning brown.  I was hitting all sorts of dead ends and had pretty much decided that Eden would probably live here since there was no way I was giving her back to a fur farm (some people I contacted actually suggested that!) 

Then Eden complicated the issue even more.  On the morning of May 3rd I was getting ready for work and thought "why do I keep hearing kittens?"  I even looked on the porch thinking someone dumped kittens outside.  Then something in the bottom of Eden's cage caught my eye-the "kittens" were mink kits.  Eden was giving birth.  She was a good mommy and didn't seem to mind when I was near the cage or even lifting up her shelter to look at the babies.  She nursed right in front of me.  When Eden gave birth, I actually contemplated having her and her kits all euthanized-if I couldn't find placement for one mink, how was I ever going to find placement for so many?  Was it fair to allow her to raise her babies, knowing that they had little hope of a future?  I doubled my efforts to find placement, I just couldn't give up on her after all she went through.     

The litter actually worked to our advantage since Bay Beach Nature Sanctuary was interested in having a nursing mom on display.  She went there to raise her babies and was a great exhibit for them since she would nurse right in front of the window and was fairly open to having sanctuary workers in and out of her enclosure and handling the babies (especially once they got older).  Even though all the babies were albino, the director of Bay Beach decided to keep some of the young, the Manitowoc Zoo took the rest.   

Once Eden got her young weaned she started being less "cooperative" with the staff and they asked if I was willing to take her back.  I said of course and they spayed her for me before I went and got her mid August. 

She spent some time in a cage in my living room having daily "out" time (during which time she stole a pair of amethyst/hematite/silver dangle earrings off my dresser-I had to move all the furniture in the bedroom to find them).  Then some of my friends built her a big wonderful enclosure in my basement.  This enclosure has a small pool in it and since the basement floor is cement she can splash until her heart's content.  With her thick coat she is perfectly comfortable in the coolness of the basement.  She always has a large blanket to snuggle into if she does get cold.  The cage has a couple of levels and she has decided she really likes the "tower" where her hammock is.  She lies in her hammock and looks out the basement window (which is a full sized window at ground level) to watch the world.  If I am never able to find her sanctuary placement, this is the next best thing. 

Eden knows my voice and responds to me.  She also knows her name.  She takes smelt or shrimp out of my hands and lets me stroke her back as she eats her "treat".  She also sometimes stands up putting her front feet on my hand, so her neck or belly can be tickled, but this is only done if SHE initiates it.  She likes to stick her nose down the sleeves of my bathrobe or big sweaters and into my hair (which was waist length until mid March 2006).  She doesn't have any interest in coming out of the cage though she will lean out and challenge the cats from time to time.  Although she is responsive to me, I don't try to pick her up.  We have an understanding-I won't grab her and she will let me keep my fingers.  She transfers to a carrier using a tube so that I can open the front of the enclosure and clean everything.  When I put her back in she likes to play fetch.  I put ferret jingle balls in her pool and she pushes them out and to my hand so I can throw them into the pool again.  When she gets tired of the game she puts the balls where I can't reach them.  She will also take soft fleece balls or stuffed toys out of my hands and run to the upper levels of the cage to stash them.  Eventually they wind up in her pool too. 

See seems happy here and her picture captioned "the only way to wear mink" is one of our fundraising designs appearing on everything from t-shirts and thongs to throw pillows (if you are interested follow the link on the Fox Valley Ferret home page).   

Ironically, the same day Eden came to me, an area humane society got "a large, mean, smelly ferret" turned in.  I had to go to their facility and tell them they had a mink.  I gave them ideas on dealing with her until they found her somewhere for her to go (or euthanized her-I'm not sure which they ended up doing).  I could not take her since mink are very territorial (so far Eden's babies are being good together-perhaps because they are siblings and have been spayed/neutered). 

I know I am not the only ferret shelter that has had to deal with fur farm mink.  My understanding is that a well known shelter mom in Ohio has two.  A friend of mine here in WI also has one (in addition to multiple ferrets, which are kept separate from the mink). 

Anyone who has lived with a mink (outside of a fur farm) will tell you they are very smart, very quick, fascinating to watch and interact with-but they are NOT pets and never will be.