When Gilbert was a baby and we had just brought him home about two
weeks before, he had a problem with this too.  It look awful and I
really freaked.  We had just taken him to our vet the day before and
my original thought was that when Gilbert had his temperature taken
and had the thermometer removed...well...let your imagination run
wild.  Anyway, I called the vet and he had asked me if I had switched
food on him recently, which we had.  We had run out of ferret chow,
which contains beet pulp (sometheing that apparantely solidifies
feces), and were feeding kitten food which didn't.  With the lack of
he was going to the bathroom too hard.  Once we switched back to our
old food, he recovered rapidly.
 
On a different note, I spent the last two days in Guadalajara talking
to officials and vets and finally found someone who got me an answer.
Ferrets ARE legal in Mexico (not popular pets at all, though), but
difficult to get across the border since you must apply for a permit
3 months in advance.  Once they are past customs, there are no
problems.  There is a hands-off policy regarding pets in Mexico so
long as you don't own a lion, tiger or monkey.  So. if I decide to
go, they can go too and they can once again enjoy daily walks in the
park.  Chalk up another point on my list of reasons to move.
 
Angelique y los quatros hurones
 
[Tell the Mexicans it's just like a Grison.  In southern Mexico and
farther south, Grisons are kept as pets and are used for hunting
like ferrets are in Europe.  Grisons are similar to ferrets (both
mustelids), but have different colouration.]
 
[Posted in FML issue 0747]