We all have talked about how we can help educate Store Employee's and
Manager's.  Can we list some of the things people have done to educate
store's and employee's?  Try listing things which have worked for you.
 
This one pet store I have gone to for over 20 years tells me: I don't like
people coming in and telling me how to change something, but he will listen
if talked to nicely.  So I shared this info with the WSFA.  At times we
have noticed real young kits and have asked them to put water in the food
because the kits were young and some had prolaped rectums.  We then noticed
the food being dug out of the dish.  So I suggested if they raise the dish
some, the ferret's would not dig the food out.  The dish was raised and
this has helped with some of the digging.  Another thing I did was talk to
the employee's about ferret's.  Some really gave inaccurate info.  I tried
to pick the day and time where the employee would not be so busy.  Found
out the employee's "said the ferret's poop smelled."  So I suggested to the
manager about slowly introducing a new food because Marshall Farms food
will make the poop smell.  So they have slowly introduced a new food on
and off and hopefully this will help all involved.  Also, the employee was
telling customers the poop smelled.  We all know when fed a different food
then Marshall Farms that our ferret's don't smell.  I know the owner of
this store and he is more set in his ways so I don't try to talk much to
him to make changes.
 
To the bigger stores like Petco: I would suggest writing their Corporate
Office and recommend each employee take some short class on the care of the
animal in the store.  Not sure if they have one person for say rodents, one
for ferret's or how they do this.
 
Maybe stress how important accurate information to new customer's is so
important.  If we all did this, then maybe we could make a hugh change in
how these stores educate their people.  Or maybe suggest someone in their
area would like to spend say an hour or so every few weeks educating these
people.
 
Thanks for listening.
 
Debbie
 
Also, I printed out a copy of the Ferret Manual and gave it to them.  This
manual is on the internet.
[Posted in FML issue 2889]