Shadow is my pride and joy. All of my furkids are equally special, of course; Shadow is just one of those that has a special place that no other ferret can touch. Although Shadow wasn't my first ferret, he's the first of the bunch I have now. Whiskey was my first ferret, but when I was in college he went back home to live with my parents (see Over the Rainbow Bridge for the story). I was so lonely for Whiskey that I had to get another ferret. Shadow was a Valentine's Day present to myself in 1992. I decided that day that I just had to have a ferret, and I literally got in my car and decided that I was just going to drive until I found a pet store that had ferrets in stock. I probably should have realized that since it was Valentine's Day, there would be very few ferrets in stock in any store, but I had it in my head that I would get a ferret, and that's exactly what I did. I don't know how many pet stores I actually stopped in, but I started in State College, PA, and wound up in Holidaysburg, PA, before I found one. I had started to think that I wasn't going to find one when I entered the Holidaysburg store. Then I saw him. He was all alone, just this tiny little grey ferret. He was the most beautiful sight I'd ever seen. I'd never seen a grey ferret (now, of course, I realize he was a dark silver, although he's now a dark-eyed white) and I loved the uniqueness of his color. He was only six weeks old, so tiny, so adorable. I bought him and another $200 worth of food, caging, and toys. I was so happy!

Here's Shadow at about three months old, I believe. He'd already started to lighten up a little (he was solid grey when I bought him), but he didn't become a strict dark-eyed white until he was about four years old. In this picture I had him out running in the snow after a storm. Shadow was so spoiled in those early days (heck, he still is!). He went with me everywhere; to the store, on vacations to the Poconos, to the park for romps. Even though I'd bought him a cage, he had free run of the apartment for the first two years of his life, and he slept in my sock drawer every night.

This is what Shadow looked like at two years old. Shadow is a one-of-a-kind ferret. He's a lap ferret to every extent of the word. When he's out running in the living room while I watch TV, when he gets tuckered out, he climbs up onto the sofa, into my lap and falls asleep. He much prefers the company of people to that of any other animal. He chases the cats around the house and he will never bond with another ferret. In fact, I hate to admit it, but Shadow's a bit of a racist. The only color ferret he will even remotely get along with is white; any dark-colored ferret he attacks on sight! You'd think I'd have raised him with better morals! Despite that, I often wondered how I got such a sweet, loving ferret (to humans); I've even had people offer me large amounts of money for him. I don't think so! He's mine! I think that maybe he's so docile and quiet because he's deaf. Nothing really phases him, obviously not loud noises. In fact, this past July 4th I took him to the fireworks show with me because he's the only one that I knew wouldn't get spooked by the booms. He also loves to play with the vacuum cleaner! One day I put the extension wand up to his face (after testing on my arm to make sure the suction wasn't too severe) and of course he stuck his nose into it...it was so funny! He pulled his nose out, shook his head and jumped back as if to say "what was THAT?" But instead of getting scared and running away, what did he do? Ran right up and stuck his nose right back in! He must have done that a dozen times. He also likes it if you run the extension wand across his body against the lay of his fur. He's such a wierd ferret!

Shadow turned six years old on January 1, 1998. He's much slower these days, and getting quite pudgy. He sleeps more than he used to, but is still in good health, and I pray to God he remains that way for several more years. I retired him from the show circuit last season, and his grand total of ribbons is 21, including one Mitt Specialty first place and a Snow King first place, and his best placing in a championship ring was a third. Not too shabby, Shadow!

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