>I'm looking to change to an all natural cleaner for my kids' cages.
>I was wondering if anyone had any experience with Dr. Bonner's and
>cleaning cages?  Does anyone else have any other suggestions on all
>natural cleaners that won't harm ferrets?  ...
>
>Reagan and Ashley
 
Well, I have experience with Dr. Bronner's.  Answer: I love the stuff.
I've used it for years; washing bedding, litterboxes (fert and cat
alike), and myself with no troubles.  The liquid soaps are incredibly
mild, even to sensitive skin.  (I've even used Dr. Bronner's to clean up
one of the kitties after one of his awe-inspiring acts of klutziness.)
 
The peppermint variety might be a little much; I wouldn't use it for the
ferrets just because of their problems with volitile oils.  However,
either the lavender soap or the almond oil variety would be fine.  They
both smell wonderful, and I think that the almond would be especially
complimentary to ferrets' natural scent.  Just bear in mind that you're
going to have to use more elbow grease than you would with Soft Scrub or
another cleanser of that type.  If you need something almost completely
non-toxic, yet abrasive, my solution is a thick paste of baking soda,
table salt, a little liquid soap (Dr. Bronner's again), and cold water.
(Cold, because you don't want the salt to dissolve immediately.) Works
pretty well, as long as you keep the limitations of the mixture in mind.
(In other words, it ain't Ajax.) ;-) Use with the scrubber pad brand of
your choice.  Lather, rinse, repeat as necessary.  As always, Your
Mileage May Vary.
 
On the Great Hogwarts Debate: I saw the movie on opening night, and
truthfully, I was more offended by the people who felt compelled to talk
all the way through it than I was by the fake ferrets.  (Honestly, when
did these people forget that a movie theater isn't their living room, and
nobody paid $9 to listen to their running commentary?  Sheesh!) The props
used were just that: props.  Reasonably convincing ones, but props
nonetheless.
 
My understanding is that, in the UK, "ferret" is a more generic term than
it is in the US.  (Anyone who is in the UK: please feel free to correct
me, as I've never lived there.) The props looked pretty big; they could
just as easily have been intended to represent polecats as anything.
 
There's also the problem of English to American translation: my friend's
daughter was given a copy of "Harry Potter and the *Philosopher's* Stone"
(emphasis mine).  She immediately sat down to do a page-by-page
comparison of the texts.  I've not seen a British edition of "Prisoner of
Azkaban", but it wouldn't surprise me if stoats were mentioned instead of
ferrets.  Stoat, however, is not a word that most people in the US would
know, hence the change.  My point being that I very much doubt that Ms.
Rowling is promoting violence of any sort towards anyone's pets.
 
I'm a ferret mom several times over, and love the little beasties.  Every
single one of my furkids has been a shelter kid.  I'm constantly amazed
at how much of a brain is packed into their skulls, and delighted by the
unconditional affection I get from them.  Is it disconcerting to see a
bunch of pixels in the shape of a hippogriff chomping on a bit of fake
fur in the shape of a ferret?  Yeah, a little; but only a little.  It's
a movie.  Fakery and camera tricks, based on a book.
 
I save my outrage for the real stories of real ferrets in real trouble --
like Buddah, who has recently been discussed on the list.  Yes, the
hippogriff scenes are probably disturbing for many people, but so are the
dementors, which are wonderfully rendered, and scary as all get out.
 
I'm not attempting to start a flame war or imply that anyone's opinion is
invalid -- far from it.  Everyone knows their own squeamishness limits; I
can't watch anything that even looks like a real surgical procedure.  If
those scenes have put you off of the series for good, then that is your
decision.  I'm just saying that it shouldn't be assumed that either Ms.
Rowling or the filmmakers have it in for an animal that we know to be
sweet, loving, and smart.* And after all, it's just a movie.
 
~Becca, who is *really* looking forward to seeing "Draco Malfoy, the
amazing bouncing ferret."
 
"Yeah, well; people can be a bit daft abou' their pets..." ~Rubeus Hagrid
 
*(For an example of an author who really DOES seem to have it in for all
smaller mustelids, see Brian Jacques' Q&A pages at
http://www.redwall.org/dave/askbrian.html .
His bias is so pervasive that, much as I love fantasy literature, I
refuse to read the _Redwall_ books anymore.  He can make a hero out of
a wildcat, but heavens forbid that a ferret could be a nice guy!)
[Posted in FML issue 4539]