What a goodnews-badnews newsletter *this* one was!
 
I am so saddened to hear about Hjalmar's passing, and Pepper's.
Also, I talked to Stephen Dennison yesterday, and Sasha didn't
make it, either.  *Not* a good day for our ferret family. :-(
 
Steve and Suki -- you were *so* encouraging to me wayback when
Bandit first got sick -- the information on Fritter's case
was so very helpful.  We've been rooting for Hjalmar for so
long; our deepest condolences on your loss.  Give an extra
hug to Meltdown, Chopper, Ruffle, and your new one (the name
escapes me at the moment).
 
Brian -- I'm so *sorry* to hear about Pepper.  It has to be
such a shock to have one so full of life be gone so quickly.
Ferrets can be *so* sturdy and yet so surprisingly delicate.
Did you find out what caused it?  Please hug the others for
us, and know that our thoughts are with you in your sorrow.
 
Stephen -- I'm sorry I wasn't able to help you in time.  In
the time we talked, I got so caught up with Sasha's story
that when I heard back from you yesterday afternoon, my eyes
welled up the moment I read your message.  If it's not too
late for a necropsy, I hope one can be done.  The story reminds
me of how much we *still* have to learn about our furries.
Hang in there; you know you have a lot of friends here who
are with you.
 
Meanwhile, I have to agree with Mitts' dad about contacting
a vet right away, but I do understand that for so many of
us, our vets just *don't know* what to do with our ferrets
beyond a basic checkup.  It seems to me more important than
ever that a more comprehensive list of ferret-capable vets
be developed.  I know Bill Gruber has been working on one
in fits and starts -- how can the members of the list best
assist him?
 
The news about New Hampshire's enlightenment is wonderful,
and let's hope California and New York City are next, but
what's the deal with Maine???  NH is interesting, because
I remember reading more than once that NH would probably
follow Massachusetts, and I haven't heard about any change
*there*.  Are there any more details forthcoming about NH's
change of heart?
 
Finally, a couple of notes about CompuServe.  As most of you
know, we have several active CI$ members on the List, and the
FML is uploaded regularly so readers of the Small Mammals
section of the Pets Forum can access it (so many are intimidated
by the idea of subscribing directly, or who don't wish to pay
the surcharge for receiving Internet mail).  At any rate,
John Edwards, a contributing editor for CompuServe Magazine,
is doing a story on "informal fan clubs" that will very likely
include mention of the ferret folk on CIS.  He's asked for
more info about what we do.  So far, Chip Gallo, Bill Gruber
and I have given him some help, but I would encourage other
CIS members who regularly read the FML but not Small Mammals
to please sign onto the forum and respond to him.  We've
already mentioned Chere McCoy's spearheading the Miami Ferret
Relief effort, but it would be nice for Chere and Craig Hopkins
to give him more of the inside scoop on that. (Yes, we told
him about the FML, too!!)
 
[FYI: there are 15 active compuserve subscribers.]
 
Also, although it hasn't been announced publically on the Pets
Forum yet, I've been asked to take over as Section Leader for
the Small Mammals section of the CIS Pet Forum.  Seems they
think I'm friendly and chatty or something. :-)  I will, of
course, need all the moral support I can get, and answers to
questions I can't handle -- so many of you here know so much
more about ferrets than I do (actually, I have to learn more
about guinea pigs, rats, mice, rabbits, etc., too!)!
So, any CIS members who read the FML and haven't stopped in Small
Mammals lately, why don't you come on back and check in with
John Edwards, and give me a holler!  Ferret traffic there actually
has been rather outstripped by mouse messages recently!  (Not that
I've anything against mice.)
 
This message is getting quite out of hand, so I'll end here.
 
Katie, Jeff, Bandit, Molly, Charlie, Pogo and Sigmund
 
[Posted in FML issue 0399]