I'm still in shock and I still have no idea how it happened. It's been a pretty normal evening for the most part... until the doorbell rang about an hour ago. Now who could that be at 8:30pm? I figured it must be my husband's grandma bringing something or other over for the baby... she's been showing up randomly and dropping things off for a while now. It wasn't. It was one of my neighbors, and in his hand was a very ragged looking albino ferret. "Is this yours? Next door said you have ferrets." I was shocked to say the least. I take him from the man and realize, OMG IT'S TOBY! I have NO idea how or when he got out and I feel just AWFUL. I know he was there when we put them up last night and I saw him when we let them out in the den for their evening playtime. After eating and drinking he's climbed into my lap and hasn't expressed any desire to get down any time in the near future. He seems to be fine.. had a few burrs in his fur but that was about it... he wasn't even that dirty.The way Jet got out last summer had been sealed and the only time we left to go outside was to pick up dinner.. We searched the entire backroom for any holes that might have led to outside to no avail and no one else is missing. My only theory is that we forgot to latch the middle gate (we have two set up in the hallway.. a permanent one half way down and a new wooden one we got to keep them out of the hallway or in their room.) and he somehow got over the wooden one and slipped out when we got food? It's the only thing that makes any sense as unlikely as it seems. I can't believe how lucky we are that we still have him. I've been lucky TWICE in that both times we've had ferrets escape the house we've either found them or had them returned promptly... this time he was returned before we even knew he was missing... I think I feel the worst about that... If he hadn't been returned we probably wouldn't have noticed he was gone until we put them up for the night. I'm thankful that I talk enough about my ferrets that someone knew to point that man in my direction.
If I didn't know better I would say that Ollie threw Toby out trying to be rid of him once and for all. Ollie seemed to be in a rather chipper mood after dinner. >_<
