Here are some more resolutions--use them in good health:
 
*   I will keep the following phone numbers next to every phone in my house:
    * My vet, including the after-hours number
    * Back-up emergency vet
    * Poison Control Hotline (see info at the end of this posting)
    * Local ferret shelter/rescue
 
*   I will keep my ferret's medical history, vet bills, and rabies tags
    together in a place where I can find them in a moment's notice
 
*   I will train my ferret(s) to come running when I whistle and when
    I squeak a loud toy
 
*   When planning my household's escape routes in case of fire or other
    emergency, I will consider how I can quickly and safely evacuate
    my pets.
 
*   I will practice ferret-proofing as an ongoing activity, not as
    a one-time event.
 
*   I will recognize that, as a ferret owner, I will be a magnet in my
    local community for people with ferrets and ferret-related problems.
    It is my responsibility, at the least:
        * to provide information freely and to the best of my knowledge
        * to acknowledge any deficits in my knowledge and to take steps to
          fill those gaps
        * to locate nearby shelters, rescues, and clubs which act in ferrets'
          interests, so that when I am consulted with a problem that I
          cannot solve, or with a ferret needing a home, I can direct
                people to those who can best serve them.
        * to serve as an example of a caring and responsible ferret owner
 
*   When drawing up my household budget, I will be sure to include
    having enough cash or credit on hand in case of a medical
    emergency for my pets. If at the end of the year my household
    is lucky enough to have been spared this expense, I will donate
    a portion of the budgeted amount to [fill in your own charity, eg. my
    local shelter, the KSU rabies study].
 
*   I will take pictures of my pets frequently.
 
*   I will keep myself open each day to the infectious joy and curiosity
    of my pets.
 
Happy New Year, and don't forget the black-eyed peas and Linatone.
-- Lee, Mark, Black Francine, and Errata Stigmata
 
********************************************
Poison Control Center Info:
 
[The following information is for the U.S.--do the Canadians on this list
know whether they can access these numbers? If not, is there a similar
center in Canada? For that matter, in Mexico? Europe? If so, please let
me know. I will summarize and forward the list to rec.pets, alt.pets.ferrets,
and the FML. Thanks, Lee -- [log in to unmask]]
 
National Animal Poison Control Center (NAPCC)
1-900-680-0000 ($20/first 5 min, $2.95 each add'l min)
1-800-548-2423 ($30 flat rate on your credit card)
 
-- if you call, have this information ready: sex, whether neutered, age,
    weight, chemical name of poison, signs or symptoms, amount ingested,
    how exposed, date and time of ingestion.
[Posted in FML issue 1430]