Today it finally happened: I've'd people I meat in town guessing
that my ferrets were minks, weasels and even badger kids; Lots of
people also think they bite a lot and some believe they can only
be kept in cages -- But today in one of the larger malls in
Stockholm, a lady shouted that it was cruelty to animals to bring
them there. Since I couldn't get her to say why, I presume she's
one of {here I was planning to say something un-nice, but I think
I'll try to keep this list free from invectives}.
 
(I _know_ they like it, because when I take out the green duffel,
and tell 'em what we're going to do, they get in it and stay
there.)
 
Yesterday, Stockholm was the hottest place in Sweden (+19 degC),
and this only a week after it snowed. My little darlings like the
change, as we now can go for a walk every evening without getting
cold.
 
This Thursday, I went to our local club's bi-weekly meeting, and
when I got some money back from the Aleutian Disease testing, I
recalled that I haven't told you the result from it. 38 ferrets
were tested, none tested positive. (I've got certificates showing
that I've got the 7:th and 8:th to be tested at all in Sweden.)
 
Most of us feel that it's much to early to start scaring people
about AD, as we've had it in farmed minks for years, and no
household pet has ever gotten it. So far, testing isn't required
to partake in shows, something that'd be impractical as there's
so far only one institution performing the testing. But some
people are worried. Our local club's ex-chairman runs a service
where she can take care of your ferret if you go away for some
time, and she requires it.
 
I'm far more worried about the fact that in connection with us
joining the EC (or maybe anyway), quarantine regulations will be
lifted. All that's needed is a rabies vaccination. (Today, rabies
vaccine isn't even permitted in Sweden.) But there's lot of nasty
diseases you can't inoculate against. And the UK won't lift their
quarantine regulations, so anyway it's not like I can bring them
if I go on vacation to Scotland.
--
 Urban Fredriksson  [log in to unmask]
 
[Posted in FML issue 0463]