Hi everyone...as I sit here alone as Santino is in solitary confinement,
just thought I would ask a few questions of my own, and maybe even
brag a  little.
 
Regarding pet stores, I felt lucky to have bought Santino from one
that didn't keep dozens of them at a time in a plexiglass house full
of ceder shavings.  The one I bought my fuzzy from carries just
one at a time, and they even take the time to play with them;  at
least they did with him.  Santino was about 7 weeks when I bought
him, and already leash trained.  However, I've observed since then
that future ferrets haven't even had a bed to sleep in, or a litter
box in the cage.  And there are cedar shavings in the bottom of the
cage to boot.  I tried to tell the kid working there that they could
be toxic, but he scoffed at me, saying that since the cage (a wire
one) had plenty of ventilation and it wouldn't hurt the ferret.  He
also scoffed when I asked if he wasn't worried the ferret would ingest
some of the soft rubber toy they had thrown in with him.  There was
a stuffed toy in the cage too, which the baby ferret was laying on top
of;  it was so pitiful looking, like a picture depicting those experi-
ments on monkeys taken from their mothers at a young age.
 
To make a long story longer, I was advised to turn the store into the
Fish & Game here in upstate NY as they sold Santino to me without a
lisenceand I intend to tomorrow.  It seemed like they were so caring
towards Santino, lucky for him.
 
Now for the bragging.  Santino is a Marshall Farms baby, a sable
male who loves pepperoni and non-fat frozen yogurt (he's somewhat
health conscious).  He walks on a leash, doesn't mind having his
ears cleaned and his nails clipped, tolerates baths without
skinning me alive, and will lay still and let me cuddle him
when I'm holding him (though he's off like a shot soon as he hits the floor!)
Yes, he is a LIVE ferret, lol!
 
BTW, before I could close (sorry this is so long), could someone send
me the article Dr. Williams wrote about ceder shavings?  I'd like
to have it for the future.
 
Oh, Santino is in solitary for clawing the rug, but I don't think
I can take it for much longer :)
 
TJ and Santino the Italian Ferret
[Posted in FML issue 1097]