To the Killians:  I have 4 BEW ferrets and they can all hear.  I have silver
mitt with a blaze, a cinamon mitt with a blaze, and some of their offspring
have blazes, and they can all hear.  I know that they do because they come
when called; and only the ones I call come at any given time, so I know it's
not a fluke (I'm very proud that all my ferrets know their own names!!)
 
To Kevin Woodyard:
 
Don't give Casper up!!!@!  Did you have them sign a release when you adopted
him?  When we take ferrets in at our Shelter, we always have the ex-owner
sign a release; that way, somewhere down the road we're covered if we need
to be.  (In the future should you adopt privately, get a written release.) For
now, since you have invested all this money in this ferret and 4 weeks have
passed, I'm sure you're okay.  Did you pay the previous owner or did they
give him to you?  Isn't possession 9/10ths of the law or something??!!  I
don't think you need to feel guilty for keeping Casper.  Sounds like he's
doing better with you anyway.
 
When you switch over to Iams, be sure to mix the Iams with whatever you're
feeding now.  I get so many phone calls from owners wanting to switch to a
better food but say the ferret won't eat it.  No, they usually won't if you
just put down a bowl of new food.  Ferrets fix on whatever food they've
eaten as a kit, and it can be difficult to get them to switch.  What I do is
start with 80% old food, 20% new food and see how it goes.  If they eat it
right away, then I gradually change the percentages of mix until the old
food is gone.  If they don't seem to take to the new food at first, then go
slowly; keep the ratio at 80% to 20% until they've accepted it and then
gradually increase the percentage of new food.
 
Butter??!!  I don't know....Might cause diarrhea because of milk content.  Pine-
apple is ok in small quantities.  Any fruit is ok if not over done; fruit is
fiber, ferrets are carnivores with a very short digestive tract and they don't
digest fiber well, but it's ok once a week (1/4 tsp/fruit).
 
The phone number for TOTALLY FERRET IS 1-800-843-1738.  Dr. Tom and Trish
Willard are great people and will probably send you samples if you ask, as well
as literature.  They also have a newsletter; ask to be put on their mailing
list for the newsletter and new info as it surfaces.
 
Debbie Riccio
WNYFLFA
[Posted in FML issue 1141]