Over the holidays I was dog-sitting for a co-worker and my two ferrets, Ren
& Stimpy (and their accoutrements) got a change of venue for a week or so.
One early evening I went into the ferrets' room and I took a moment to
observe them in the waning light as they awoke from a nap.  A brief flash of
light caught my eye.  I thought I had seen a light reflected off the back of
one of their eyes.  Then I saw it again: a blue-white spark arc between
Ren's nose and the cage wire.  He didn't seem to notice the shock.  Even
though I haven't noticed the same static problem at home, where I have
radiator heat, I think I'll keep my fuzzies away from my computer
media...just in case.  (If I gave him a little light bulb, I wonder if Ren
could make it light up like Uncle Fester?  <g>)
 
I also wanted to ask whether anyone on the FML has both skunks and ferrets
and how well they get along together.  A television program on skunks got my
attention and I've been scanning the alt.skunks newsgroup for info.  Skunks
seem to have some of the same behavior traits as ferrets and it seems as if
they'd be compatible.
 
To Pam Grant re: tattoos in ferrets.  In North Carolina, there is a
commercial breeder in Zebulon, NC, called Animals Exotic, which distributes
ferrets at least as far west as Kentucky.  AE ferrets have a red dot
(sometimes an ill-defined blob) in their right ear.  Because of the color,
these have frequently been mistaken for blood from biting/scratching, ear
wax, mites or hemangiomas.  The color misleads most people who see the
tattoo that it is something other than a tattoo.
 
Re: Mike Chaput's comments about grieving posts...
[Moderator's note: About 50 lines deleted here.  The topic is closed.
Actually, all or part of 3 posts (175 lines) have been deleted from this
issue.  I'm saving it and any others and will send the collection to
anyone who asks, but most of it is not FML appropriate material.  BIG]
 
--Jeff Johnston  ([log in to unmask])
[Posted in FML issue 1431]