Show in Stockholm
Friday-Sunday this week, the Stockholm chapter of the
Swedish Ferret Society has as i usual this time of year,
participated in a general animal show (tiny horses, sheep,
doves, rabbits, cats, dogs, rats &c) and for the first
time I was there to help yesterday.
   I dare say that our participation was a success, as
there were almost all the time lots of people. As apart
from example the cats, which were kept in cages with DO
NOT TOUCH signs, everyone who stopped by us who wanted to
hold a ferret could do so. A real smash hit with both the
very small and not so small children.
   Sadly I realised it's almost useless to preach to the
already converted. Most visitors were of course interested
in and likes animals, so at worst a few sceptical ones
asked "Don't they bite?" which of course results in the
answer "Of course they aren't allowed to!" whereupon the
visitors usually wanted to handle them, or at least touch
them.
   With the notable exception of the reporter from the
national TV broadcasting company. The photographer took a
few close up scenes of some of our ferrets, but the
reporter refused to consider that ferrets even can be pets
at all. Didn't want to speak to anyone of us either. :-(
 
Plasmacytosis
In connection with some people here in Sweden importing
ferrets from the UK, some vioces have been raised saying
that that's not a good idea, since plasmacytosis (Aleutian
disease) is common in the UK.
   Does anyone know if there's a good reason for this
opinion; Is it really common among pet ferrets in the UK,
or is the situation like here in Sweden: It does occur
among farmed minks but as far as we know not among pets?
--
 Urban Fredriksson  [log in to unmask]
 Pictures of my ferrets; Text and pictures of Swedish railways and aviation:
 http://www.ki.icl.se/urf/urf.htm
[Posted in FML issue 1067]