To Anoymous Brad in California, looking for a ferret:
Despite the ferret legalization bill having passed out of committee and
being on its way to a full vote in the legislature, ferrets are STILL
illegal in California! Contact your assemblyman and tell him/her you
support this bill and desire THEIR support. Contact Governer Wilson and
let him know you support this bill, and would like his support as well!
Contact the California Domestic Ferret Association (P.O. Box 1868,
Healdsburg, CA 95448, 707-431-2277) or Ferrets Anonymous (P.O. Box 3395,
San Diego, CA 92163, 619-497-1085) and ask what you can do to help.
Meanwhile, you also asked about ferrets in Boston, and ferrets & airlines.
You really know how to pick 'em! :-) Ferrets are aslo illegal in
Massachusetts! And not only that, many airlines refuse to allow ferrets
aboard in the cabin. Some will ship them in cargo, but you do NOT want to
do that! Personally, I would think twice or more about shipping my pets
by air cargo. Also, as far as getting a ferret into California -- that
state has been known to be VERY strict about their borders. Ferrets have
been seized at the border, usually to be deported these days rather than
destroyed as in the past (according to my understanding, but I don't live
in California, and my knowledge may well be outdated).
You have to understand that, although I sympathize with your situation, I
can't endorse anyone getting a ferret in an FFZ (Ferret Free Zone). Yes,
there are "underground" ferrets in FFZs, including California, but how
easy a life can it be, knowing that your ferret could be confiscated by
legal authorities at any time? Look at what happened to the McDowells in
Kansas, and ferrets are *legal* there!
I wish you good luck, and hope you get involved with the ferret
legalization effort. (and before you ask, yes, of course we ofer advice
to anonymous folks who already have ferrets in FFZs, but to my mind and, I
think others on the FML, it's not the same as advising someone on how to
acquire a ferret in an FFZ.)
To anonymous asking about feeding fish and fish products to ferrets: it's
my understanding that most ferrets actively dislike fish and fish
products. I don't think thee's any nutritional reason not to feed fish to
ferrets, just that they're likely to turn up their noses at it. Many
commercial ferret foods are based on mink diets, which are fish-based.
Mink and ferrets are both in the weasel family, and thought to have
similar nutrititional needs (though I don't know of any scientific
evidence that this is so), which is why ferret food frequently has a
formulation similar to mink food. But mink love fish, and ferrets don't!
If you are having trouble locating food for your ferret, try one of the
premium dry cat/kitten foods, such as Science Diet, Iams, Pro Plan, Dad's
Gourmet, Nutro Max, Max Cat, Bil-Jac, etc. Most of these are readily
available at the usual pet stores and pet supply places. Avoid
grocery-store type cat/kitten food -- many of these contain dairy
by-products that can cause diarhhea, as well as food cloring that could
affect your ferret's coat color, not to mention being more vegetable
protein-based (corn, cornmeal) than animal-protein based, and ferrets do
better on animal protein. You'll want something at least 30 percent
protein. Mine gets mostly Science Diet.
To Jan Lovell --
I'm so sorry to hear about your loss of Sylvester. It's really wrenching
to lose someone or something you love, and losing a small, furry critter
like a ferret, whose only delight in life was to have fun, isn't any
easier. <uploading sympathy hugs>
To Victoria Hadfield --
I was also sorry to hear about Antigone, and don't recall if I had said
anything before or not. I know this has all been very hard on you, trying
to figure out the best thing to do, both for you and for Antigone. Hang
in there. <u/l more hugs>
---------------------
Katie Fritz
CompuServe Small Mammals Section (S11) Co-Leader, Pets/Animals Forum
Internet: [log in to unmask] CompuServe: 71257,3153
[Posted in FML issue 0762]
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