Hey.  I'm new to this whole mailing list thing, but am always looking for
advice on how to improve my fuzzy children's lives.  I have only one plant
in my apartment and my adventurous Edie (sable) has figured out how to jump
from the windowsill into the planter, which hangs from the ceiling.  The
plant is some type of ivy, a very common houseplant with long tendrils that
hang down with many leaves.  I've rearranged the furniture to try to cure
the problem, but now, her bud the Reverend Maynard (also Sable) has figured
out the most astonishing trick.  He has figured out how to shimmy up the
macrame' ropes that are on the planter (like a person would climb a rope)
and I can't keep them out.  Although it is an amusing sight, I wonder if the
plant could be poisonous because I've seen them try to bite at it.  Should I
get rid of it?  There's really no other ferret-safe spot unless I figure out
how to mount it on the ceiling.
 
A year ago, I had a MF ferret, Raskolnikov, who got lymphosarchoma at the
age of 8 months.  I consider my fuzzies as important as most people's
children, and so I spared no expense in trying to save his life, because it
took many tests to reach the diagnosis.  Putting him to sleep was the
hardest decision in my life.  After his death, not only was I emotionally
damaged, but I was financially devastated (I'm a poor college student and
had accumulated about $800 in vet bills and that's only because Dr.
Jacobowski (kudos) helped me by giving me a break on some of the bills for
intensive care, etc.  I have heard that someone offers insurance for pets,
but don't know how reputable it is or if it would work for ferrets.  Does
anybody know anything about this?  I know I'd be willing to pay a little
monthly to be able to give the ferts anything they needed in their time of
trouble.
 
Edie seems to be itchy all the time.  I've spent $400 at an apparently
unreliable vet in Houston trying to give her some comfort with no success so
far.  I'm very new to this town and have only recently found a vet I feel
comfortable with (she's super), but I can't afford to take Edie in for a
bunch of repetetive tests...anybody experience this problem?  She's playful,
but she wakes up from her naps frequently and scratches like crazy.  I've
already treated with frontline for fleas and given both my in-houston
fuzzies the ear-mite remedies.  she seems like she may be in pain.  Please
let me know.
 
Also, since I know no-one here in houston yet, if there's anyone nearby who
is ECE free and wouldn't mind watching my babies if I ever need a
ferret-sitter, I'd love to hear from you.
 
        Thanks in advance for all the advice,
              Kelly  ***head of animal optometry, uh, and other
                            fictional departments***
                ---->[log in to unmask]
hi from the pesties, Reverend Maynard, Edie (houston), and the rest of their
business in San Antonio (where ferrets will never be safe until they're
legalized), Bilbo, Harley, Ziggy, Kris, Abbey, Taz (the tailless wonder),
and Spike.
[Posted in FML issue 1703]