>From:    Julie Thornton <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Ear Cleaning
 
No, frits don't particularly like having anything done to their ears - most
of them pretty much hate it.  A little trick for putting anything in their
ears is to make sure it's warmed to body temperature.  If you've ever had to
put cold drops in your ears you'll know what I mean.  Put it in your
waisteband, or for the well endowed women, in your bra to warm it up.
Bottle's pretty cold when you put it in there huh?
 
I don't know what bath idea you were referring to.  I did the Q-tip thing.
I found it much easier to soap-up & rinse the ears really well while bathing
them, sometimes washing out the ears 2 or 3 times if they're really cruddy.
 
Some frits inherently have really yucky ears that have to be cleaned
regularly (again, I deal w/it during bathtime).  But you might want to have
them looked at by your vet to satisfy yourself that it really is only dirty
ears & not an infection or ear mites which are pretty common.
 
                  *********************************
I can't tell you how many perfectly delightful ferrets have been turned in
to us because of carpet.  Here's another 2=A2.  Too often I read that a pet
is is given up because of an undesireable behavior.  While I can understand
that most can't deal w/a ferret who's a real biter, I can't accept dumping
a pet because of minor inconveniences like carpet scratching & litterbox
training.
 
I think that we've lost sight of the fact that pets, like humans, have
individual personalities - some learn very quickly, others take longer, &
then there are those who never learn.  Have we become so self-centered that
it's easier to dump OUR PET because it's too much trouble to deal w/the
problem?  Especially when it comes to a ferret, how much mess or destruction
are we really talking about that a plastic runner or paper towel couldn't
resolve?
 
I implore anyone anticipating getting a ferret, or anyone who is dealing
w/the inconveniences of pet ownership, to consider that having a pet is a
responsibility whether or not it turns out to be exactly what you wanted it
to be.  They're no more perfect than you.
 
Juliana - My opinions are my own & not necessarily those of the GDFA
Frodo, Rocks, Anola Gay, SNAFU, FUBAR, Tabu, Chaos & Tuxedo
[Posted in FML issue 1909]