I too am concerned about the ferret starter kits available here, put
together by Hagen, who basically dominates the pet and pet supply industry
here.  When I got Amelia, I also purchased a starter kit.  Several
problems-- food dish way too big, water bottle drippy (converted tha food
dish into a water pan), cage adequate for a baby ferret but way too small
for an adult, and those cedar chips.  I had read in Chuck and Fox Morton's
book that cedar chips were known to cause respiratory ailments in ferrets,
so I was anxious about using them.  I started Amelia off on an old t-shirt
of mine anyway, so that she would always associate the smell of me with
home and safety, and wrote a letter to Hagen asking them if they were aware
of the potential danger of cedar chips.  I recieved back a two page letter
from one of their house vets, who said that this was an unsubstantiated
rumour with no scientific basis and that sometimes these rumours find their
way into popular publications, and that this vet used cedar chips for her
own baby ferret (which, I must cynically say, I took with a grain of salt--
her own baby ferret, or the several dozen for which she is responsible?).
So Hagen's position was that they are not harmful.  However, I remember
this topic coming up not too long ago on the list, and there's articles on
this very subject cited in the FAQ, so either this vet was shamefully
ignorant or just plain lying to make us all buy more Hagen products.  She
did say that if I really didn't want to use cedar, I could use pine,
although I don't really see the difference-- I'm asthmatic myself, and
they'd both bother me.  AMelia was also extremely sneezy when she came to
us, and I wonder if that was partly due to spending the first seven weeks
of her life on cedar (of course, it could have just been a slight cold, or
all the places we never knew were so dusty in our apartment).  Anyway, the
posting on this is re-motivating me to write to Hagen again and send that
vet the references.  I'm sure economics will rule their decision anyway,
but it's worth a shot.  If anyone else wants to write, the vet and address
are: Dr.  Louise Bauck, Director of Vetrinary Services/ Rolf.  C.  Hagen
Inc./3223 Sartelon Street/Montreal, Que., Canada H4R 1E8.  I have addresses
for Ontario, Alberta, and BC offices as well, but this is the corporate
headquarters.  Sorry this post is so long, but if this stuff is harmful to
ferrets and they're pushing it on consumers, that is profoundly wrong, in
my opinion.
 
Regina Harrison and Amelia, cedar free, saving trees
[Posted in FML issue 1188]