Hey all.  Hope everyone is starting off with a good '97.  Now if I can just
remember to stop dating everything with the old year...
 
First of all, I have a question.  Is there anyone who knows if there is a
way to test a ferret to see what it is allergic to?  I recently wrote to the
FML with questions about my fert, Edie, who recently underwent surgery.  We
had suspected a blockage, but when the vet opened her up, he saw that her
stomach was severely ulcerated.  Another lab confirmed his suspicions that
the ulcers were reactions to an "unknown antigen." So she allergic to
something, something that she contacts everyday...like an ingredient in her
food (iams) or the carpet, or something in the air...who knows?  If I could
isolate the cause, I wouldn't have to give her cortisone shots every four
weeks for the rest of her life.  I know allergy testing is done on
people...can the do it on ferts?
 
I recently discovered Reverend Maynard has a fetish for the little plastic
or rubber pieces that rest your glasses on your nose.  He was preening
himself on the satellite dish (pampysan) chair, and sometimes while he's
grooming, he will be pretty generous and might deign to groom a human-thing,
too, if there's one nearby.  I sat down on the floor in front of the chair
and laid my head down next to where he was, and he skootched over next to me
and proceeded to use his nose to nudge my head back so that he could grab my
glasses.  Once he had the piece that connects the two lenses firmly in his
teeth, he pulled them off my face (I let him to see what he'd do) and
started to try to remove the little plastic thingies.  I guess now I know I
can't leave my glasses within his reach!
 
Oh, on another note.  My dad is a firefighter and got a catalogue recently
from the firefighter's bookstore.  He saw in there a book about fire safety
that is called something like "Fire Ferret Town."  Apparently some ferrets
teach their babies the basics of fire safety.  It sounded cute.  He ordered
it, so hopefully I'll see it in the mail soon (he loves ferts, too, but I'm
sure the book will be mine).  If it's any good, I'll post the number for the
catalogue...might be a positive learning tool....
 
Anyway.  Have a great New Year.  Any advice on the allergy thing would
really be appreciated.
 
Kelly
Reverend Maynard, Edie, Cosette, and Static
[Posted in FML issue 1802]