>Re: Subject: Chet hiking with Zephyr in TN [fun video]
Dear Chet, 12.31.2009.
1.) For Zephyr's survival in the worst case scenario of taking him on
a forest hike and giving him the opportunity to undomesticate himself,
I would be remiss were I not to give you a few safety tips.
Safety Tip One.
2.) Bell/chain Zephyr around his neck with stainless steel bathtub
stopper chain containing a feedthru closure clip. The ball size is
3/16-inch and the feedthru closure clip is 11/16th-inch. The closure
clip is open both ends for the chain balls to slip in and a large hole
is at the bottom of the clip for excess ball chain to hang free. This
particular choice of a life saving neck chain is adjustable for most
ferrets, except maybe a bit too large for the tiny female ferrets.
Smaller bathtub stopper chain could be used for her.
3.) Attach to the necklace chain a "cowbell" type ding-a-ling bell
that will tingle with most every movement of the ferret. Get the best
quality dig-a-ling cowbell you can find, since it should be heard by
anyone who should happen to meet your lost ferret, especially in a
forest setting.
4.) I am sorry to say to you that an uneducated Tennessee Ridge Runner
will most likely kill a wondering, lost, pet ferret and think none the
worse for this act of murder. Perhaps hearing the cowbell and finding
a bright, silver necklace on the lost ferret, a dufus may realize that
the ferret is a lost pet, and not a wild animal. This necklace and
cowbell may well be a lifesaver for your lost ferret.
Safety Tip Two.
5.) My second safety tip for your ferret is as old as the Tennessee
hills. In my previous posting about Zephyr being permitted to dig
himself out of sight, albeit temporarily, there is the possibility
that he could get into an underground system of tunnels and away he'll
go, ready for new adventures. He may not want to come out, especially
if he finds a mouse or vole, kills it and eats some or all of it. In
all likelihood you will have to dig him out of the underground tunnel
system, unless you are willing to camp at the tunnel entrance and sleep
overnite, while waiting for him to come back out.
6.) Were this to happen, the leash line that is still attached to his
harness (ten feet or so)could give you some better intelligence about
the depth of his penetration into the tunnel system. I would suggest
that the leash line be knotted with tight little knots, one knot per
three feet of leash line. The final three knots should be marked bright
red with a waterproof marking pen and the three knots ahead of the red
ones be colored bright yellow.
7.) Since you will know the actual length of the leash line you will
most certainly be able to calculate just how deep into the earth your
ferret has tunneled simply by viewing the number of knots and their
color still in your hands.
8.) By this method you will have a specific radius beyond which the
ferret has not gone and you can start digging and tracing the leash
line as you go forth.
9.) Don't be surprised when, after digging for a while you uncover
your sleeping ferret deep in his earthy hidey hole. He'll look at
you in complete disgust, or so it seems, and gives you this look
of resentment, as if to suggest that you are a pain of the first
magnitude. But you'll have gotten back your ferret without having to
camp out for a day or two waiting for him to back out.
Safety Tip Three.
10.) After retrieval check him very carefully for ticks and fleas. If
you want you can lightly sprinkle his fur with an insecticidal powder
and rub it in vigorously. I have used Sevin 5 powder and it works quite
well with no apparent harm to your ferret.
11.) In the event Zephyr caught, killed and ate a subterranean creature
while he was way down there (look for remains) it is a very good idea
to confine him to a cage wherein you have a clean litter pan,
preferably lightly filled with compressed cylindrical wood pellets -
the kind used for fuel to burn in an indoor fireplace - and locate the
litter pan inside his cage in such a manner that he must use it to
urinate and defecate.
12.) Collect his feces as soon as possible and store them in a tightly
sealed jar, such as a baby food jar, and store in a refrigerator until
such time that his feces return to normal consistency, form and color.
Learn how to check his feces for parasites and/or eggs or take the
collected feces into a vet for evaluation.
Have a good time with Zephyr and love him dearly. It's so easy to do.
Edward Lipinski
Pet Food Producer Supremacist
The Only Pre-digested Flesh/Veggie Diet in the World.
Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero. (Latin: Enjoy the present
moment, trusting the least possible to the future.)
[Posted in FML 6564]
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