I was very saddened to hear the P.J.'s ferrets horror story.  Here is my
personal P.J.'s experience, and some P.J.'s contact numbers.
 
I was at Yorkdale Friday, after the 401 became a parking lot, and Nic and I
were just coming back from a long hard day of negotiating with computer
wholesalers.  We opted to get off the highway for a while...
 
Yorkdale *is* using shavings for bedding.  I had a long, non-confrontational
discussion with a staff member about this, and lost :-(  Anyhow, the manager
*will not* allow small animals to be bedded in other materials.
 
On the staff member's part: she advised me that newspaper was toxic, and
told an inquiring customer that a 20 gal aquarium was fine for a ferret
home.  This staff woman, incidentally, owned 3 ferts.
 
P.J.'s Yorkdale is also selling a ferret food (Sunshine?  something like
that, in a can) which is about 20% protein and 12% fat.  They also sell,
and feed, Hagen.
 
The ferts we saw were in a large octagonal tank with shavings, food and
water bowls full of shavings, one ferretrail tube out of reach hanging from
the tank top, and a ferretrail ball they used for sleeping.  They were in
the "small animal" department.
 
Nic and I had planned to order a ferret through a store we support, but we
played with the little guys for 45 mins, watched kid-monsters banging on all
the tanks, scaring the animals, and listened to the staff...well, Nic went
to the bank machine and had a name picked out for one of the ferrets by the
time he came back.  Thus, Curtis.  I *know* the right thing to do is to
encourage better care of pet store animals before supporting a store, but
our hearts got trapped, and we were having a hard time leaving the fuzzies
behind (They had already been there 2 weeks.)
 
Yorkdale, to be fair, is not being intentionally malicious, and they do
think that they are caring for the ferts properly.  It would be nice if we
could get together and send the stores some solid info.  Curtis is a
wonderful little weasel boy, healthy, a little jumpy but settling in.  Dodge
LOVES him.  I do think Curt is going to grow up to be a great guy.
 
I also don't want to poop on those people who have P.J.'s ferrets.  After
all, I am sure that they are receiving excellent care in their new homes.  I
kinda suspect, though, that P.J.'s customers should stand up and be heard,
re: their feelings about fuzzy husbandry.
 
My experience seems to show that the opinions of "one overzealous crazy
ferret person" (Me ;-) ) is not going to change the store's opinions of
ferret husbandry, even if I am calm and rational.
 
On the other hand, Yorkdale used to have a great, knowledgeable reptile
manager.  He was breeding Dendrobates (poison arrow frogs) among other
things; knew his stuff, cared about the herps...but left the store a few
years ago.  I learned that he had been having a running disagreement with
the store manager re: care of the store herps.  (I had seen animals on
display myself, covered in mites and ticks, and once got a tick in a bag
of mealworms!) There are also cockroaches in the store.  Anyhow, the herp
manager quit based on his losing battle.
 
To be fair, I don't think that there is much stores can do about roaches
However, ticks and mites on sale animals...!!!!  I knew better than to buy
from P.J.'s, and knew the status of the store.  P.J.'s also sells "live
rock" (ocean reef), something else I am not fond of.  Usually I regularly
visit stores, spending as much as 3 hours cruising around and making the
staff nervous ;-)  (I think they think I'm shoplifting...why does anyone
spend that much time looking???) Anyhow, if you take the time to fully case
a store, you will learn many things.
 
Many voices are louder than one.  While you at it, encourage the stores to
carry Modern Ferret, Ferrets USA, and your fave ferret books (they generally
only carry TFH, which I have a problem with, long story; and the Barrons
books.  I would love to see the Jeans book, FURO stuff, and others in
there.)
 
I have a business card here listing 11 stores, in Toronto (6), Boston (3),
and Edmonton (2).
 
TORONTO, CANADA:
 
Yorkdale                        Scarborough Town Ctr
785-9991;  fax 785-6041         296-0026;  fax 296-0793
 
4750 Yonge @ Sheppard           Sherway
225-2311;  fax 225-7926         622-1173;  fax 622-7284
 
Yonge-Eglington Ctr             The Promenade
484-7077                        764-FISH
 
(Sorry, the card predates the 905/416 area code switch;  I suspect that
some of the mall may be 905, and Scarb. is.)
 
BOSTON
 
K-mart Plaza Saugus             Assembly Sq.
233-4325;  fax 231-3851         628-6688;  fax 628-0510
 
259 Washington
326-6002;  fax 326-4791
 
EDMONTON, CANADA
 
West Ed Mall                    Kidsland Mall
444-PETS;  fax 444-1343         436-PETS;  fax 436-8561
 
regards, Lynn
[Posted in FML issue 1486]
[Posted in FML issue 1486]