Hello, all!  I've been on vacation -- to many of the same areas as
Chris Lewis was planning to visit :-) -- and have only just caught up.
Following are responses to a few things, good news about US-Canada
border crossings, and a question about the Ferret FAQ.
- - - - -
 
A while ago, Anon wrote:
> Our ferret Arnold used to have two whitish spots in the back
> of his throat, sort of like tonsils. (one on each side) Then
> one went away, and the other became larger.
 
Dr. Williams has already responded, and clearly his opinion is much
more reliable than my own, but I can provide a case study.  Rusty
developed a white swelling in the back of his throat much like what
you describe.  It looked rather like a pimple and grew for about two
weeks.  The vet said it looked like an inflammation of something like
a lymph node (? would that be the tonsil?) and recommended waiting a
bit as long as Rusty was still eating normally.  Sure enough, over the
next two weeks or so the swelling gradually went away.
 
A bit later, Anon (not necessarily the same one) asked:
> At one time she used cedar chips as bedding but stopped when she read
> that this might be harmful to ferrets.  Are there any effective
> alternatives to cedar?
 
Alternatives for flea control, or for bedding?  For bedding, I
wouldn't recommend any wood chips.  Old, clean towels or shirts are
much appreciated and are harmless.  For flea control...well, see the
FAQ.  There are lots of options.
 
Sometime in there, Jim Lapeyre wrote:
> [amusing description of Linatone's use in nail clipping]
 
That's great!  May I put it into the FAQ, with proper attribution?
 
- - - - -
 
As mentioned above, over the last two weeks we (me, hubby, and two
ferrets) traveled from New York up into Maine, across to New
Brunswick, over to Prince Edward Island and back home through Maine.
The border crossings were uneventful.  Since we have a NY ferret
license, US Customs didn't want us to register the ferrets on our way
into Canada, and all the Canadian customs person asked was whether
they'd be coming back to the US with us.  The ferrets were scrutinized
a little more closely on their way back home, but the license and
rabies certificates were all we needed.
 
- - - - -
 
Finally (excuse the long message!), I've gotten a request from Paul
Celestin, who's putting together an Internet CD for Mac users and
would like permission to include the Ferret FAQ on it (along with
access information and software, RFCs, other FAQs, a graphical
interface, etc.).  Paul has already compiled a highly-regarded CD-ROM
of Mac programming utilities, so this one stands a good chance of
being well done. The catch is, the CD would cost US$35 (including
shipping).
 
I'm of a mixed opinion on this.  On the one hand, I'd like information
about ferrets to be distributed as widely as possible, it's unlikely
to get too seriously out-of-date, and the FAQ would still be available
all the old, free ways.  On the other hand, when I wrote the FAQ, and
when so many of you generously gave your input, it was as a "public
service," and I dislike the idea that anyone else should make money
from it, however indirectly.
 
This whole question has been thrashed out pretty well in other places,
but as the creators and "customers" of the Ferret FAQ I'd like your
opinions too.  Please send them DIRECTLY to me, to avoid clutter, and
I'll summarize in a week or so.  Thanks!
 
- Pam in Rochester, NY  ([log in to unmask])
Ferret FAQ 2.0: rtfm.mit.edu:/pub/usenet/news.answers/ferret-faq/*
 
[Posted in FML issue 0931]