Sorry about so many of these but I got waaaaay behind (which is not to be
confused with Bob is a behind.) and with the road trips coming up, well, it
is overwhelming.
 
Q: You said you have lots of books and kept really detailed records of your
   ferrets.  What are your favorite ferret resources, and can you describe
   your records?
 
A: I could if I were a nice guy, but I am not.
 
Ok, yes I am.  As I've said before, I have very high standards for books, so
am not really the guy to ask.  I put all my references into a program called
EndNote, and in the notes column, I usually have little witty commments
like, "Equal to three rolls of TP" or "Waste of time." You might notice I
still buy the books, even the bad ones, but we will leave my personal
problems out of it for now.
 
My four favorite books are (not in order of favor) "The Biology and Diseases
of the Ferret" by James Fox (1988), "Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents" by
Elizabeth Hillyer and Katherine Quesenberry (1997), "Wild Mammal's of North
America" by Chapman and Feldhammer (1989), and " Ethology : the Mechanisms
and Evolution of Behavior" by James Gould (1982).  I would also recommend
Pam Greene's FAQs and a steady diet of the FML.  With these, you can answer
almost any question regarding the ferret.  In the case of the "Wild
Mammals..." just use the section regarding the mink, perhaps tempered
somewhat with the black-footed ferret.  Togther, they are very similar to
the polecat, with is the driving force behind our rug weasels.
 
As for the records, I first write stuff down in a surveyer's field notebook
using waterproof ink (Sharpie).  When I get time, or monthly, whichever is
first, I transcribe the stuff into a Filemaker Pro 3 template that I
designed.  Not that I like designing FileMaker templates (easy) but the only
thing I could download was shareware programs for dogs or cats.  With mine,
it can be ferrets or dogs, cats, mice or the seven dwarves.  Plus, since I
already had the program, it was free.
 
The template has a section for history, breeding, medical problems, cause of
death, etc., and even spots to import a photo or sound.  The fields are set
up to be menu driven so you don't have to type so much.  There is a section
that records all shots, and a window that tells you how much your little
sweetie has cost you in vet bills, etc.  A diary window is included.  I
think it is rather neat, although if you like flashy layouts with metalic
buttons, then you will be disappointed.  I like things simple.
 
If anyone on the FML wants a copy of it, I will up-load one for them for
free.  If you want to send a donation to a shelter, fine, but not required.
Remember, it will only run with FileMaker Pro 3.  I use a Mac, but the
program is not supposed to care, and is supposed to work cross-platform.
I've never tried, so don't know.  If you want to change the template to suit
your own needs, knock yourself out.  With a little tweaking, it could be
used by Vets to keep track of the animals they see.
 
BTW, I think FileMaker Pro is a cool program.  I use it to keep track of
negatives and slides, an osteological reference collection, osteometric
data, and archaeological/palenotological forms.  I have a template for my
Bonsais, one for my auto expensese, school records, and personal medical
records.  What I love about it is the main programs adapts quite readily to
almost any need you can come up with.  It would be an invaluable tool for
ferret shelters or hobby breeders.  Maybe BIG or someone else knows of
something better, or even cheaper, but I'm sold on it.  Heck, Elizabeth
keeps track of her taining and track times with a custom template, and
Andrew uses it to keep track of his comic books and baseball cards.  With a
little work, it could easily keep track of the FML contents.  Oooops.  Now
you know one of my secrets.
 
Bob C and the 17 MO Domesticated Dummies
[Posted in FML issue 1911]