Re: Ferrets dreaming
<about the fact that ferrets may dream more than any other animal>
Wow.  I knew that they dreamed quite bit from holding them while they were
sleeping, (The little movements and twitches are so cute!) but possibly
dreaming more than any other animal?  I believe it and know now why and how
they get into such "creative" trouble.  They are probably literally dreaming
up new ways to get into trouble!  :)
 
Re: Bathing
Well...we bath our guys once a week.  We started the once a week thing with
Squirt long before I was an FML subscriber.  We've stretched out the time in
between baths only to have Squirt start teasing for a shower.  (He starts
jumping up on the tub looking at you whenever you start taking a shower.
This isn't something he normally does.) We're kind of fussy about the
shampoos, making sure to get one that's not going to be too rough on their
coat.  Their coats aren't dry from the often baths, but I do have to agree
with the folks here that say their scent is a little stronger if you bathe
them often.  Within 2 days of the bath, they smell quite "ferrety".  I don't
mind the scent at all.  I kind of like it.  :)
 
Re: Renaissance Ferrets
My husband has often joked about going to our local Ren-Faire as a ferreter.
(He won't, cuz it would be way too hard on our little guys.) He likes the
local Ren-Faire so much that he worked at it this past summer and he's got a
number of web-links to Ren pages if you are interested.  As far as
information on historic uses of ferrets, you are probably going to have to
glean tidbits from a ton of sources.  Try all the ferret books you can get
your hands on, encyclopedias (look for rat-catching, ferrets, etc.), try
sources for information on other mustelids like weasels and ermines, and
maybe the fml readers from the UK (and other places ferrets have been
recently used for hunting) can tell you some information about how ferrets
are used for hunting now.  The techniques of hunting with ferrets today
would be essentially the same techniques used during the Renaissance.
 
A few years ago our local Ren-Faire had a falconer who did some shows.
Although she told people the historic uses of raptors, she spent a great
deal of time talking about modern falconry and the care needed for the
birds.  You could do much the same with the ferret info.  It ties the past
and the present together very nicely.  'Sides it could be great PR for
ferrets!  ;)
 
-kim,mike,squirt (a "Renaissance Man" of a ferret), pippi (our little
queen), atlas (our WFWF guy, World Federation of Wrestling Ferrets), and
Hijinx (the not-such-a-psycho-anymore girl)
 
Kimberly Burkard     |             _    Everything I needed to know in life,
Michael Burkard      |      _____C .._. I learned from my ferret:
Farmington, New York | ____/     \___/  Frolic and dance for joy often, have
[log in to unmask]<____/\_---\_\    no fear or worries, and enjoy life.
[Posted in FML issue 1352]