Hi Everyone,
 
In reference to Jim Makowski's worries about ferret care at Aquariums
plus Pets in Princeton.  I was at the store yesterday and saw the two
ferrets.  I spoke with the owner/ manager about them, and he said that in
fact the ferrets were brought in by a family who had initially thought
that the animals would be cuddly pets for their 4 year old.  Apparently
the little guys were quite neglected by the family when they didn't
display the expected cuddliness.  So the family brought them back to the
store in less-than-perfect health.  The owner said he is taking care of
the ferrets for now, and when they get better, he will find them a
knowledgeable home.  The ferrets are being treated by the Princeton
Animal Hospital across the road- they've got them on soome broad-spectrum
antibiotics and Duck Soup. The staff takes them out to play several times
a day.
 
I've patronized this store, mostly for aquarium supplies, for several
years.  They moved out to the Pathmark center from the Princeton Shopping
Center when Petco arrived last year.  In fact the store is not a chain-
it's actually a local small business, and the owner and staff are, in my
experience, very responsive to suggestions and inquiries.  The thing that
impresses me is that the owner (and his staff) have never tried to give
me a BS type answer to any question.  If they don't have an answer, they
are very good about saying they don't know, but will find out and get
back to me.  And they do get back to me with answers.  I have a lot of
respect for the confidence it takes to be this honest.  This store does
take in homeless ferrets and other creatures, helps them to get well, and
finds them homes.  That's where a lot of their ferrets come from, which
is why they don't always look healthy.  I mentioned the wood chip issue
to the owner.  He was surprised at the potential for allergic reactions.
He apparently had been trying to give the guys something warm to snuggle
in rather than lining the cage with paper.  I suggested that some old
sweats or t-shirts would be appreciated, and he said he would read up on
the issue and round up some old sweatshirts over the weekend.
 
I was satisfied with his reaction- he was quite receptive to the ideas,
and based on this conversation and previous interactions, I think that he
does have the best interests of his pets in mind.  If anyone has other
experiences, good or bad, with the store, I'd be interested in hearing them.
 
Jim, I hope you feel a little better about the situation.  I think that
most of us tend to assume that pet stores are bad or don't care about the
pets when we see signs of neglect or uninformed care, but it's nice to know
that things aren't always as they seem.
 
Take care!
 
Liesl and Alky in Princeton
[Posted in FML issue 1145]