Just read of Simon's passing.  I'm sorry that he had to leave you.
 
Quote: In addition, they already had a big problem with moogoose, which is
a close relative of the ferret (both in weasel family)  Actually, mongoose
members are in Viveridea which happens to look a lot like Mustelidea but is
a case of two separate Families within Order Carnivora undergoing parallel
evolution.  Not a big deal for most readers here, since most don't know
any taxonomony, anatomy, or genetics (kind of like me when I try to talk
computers or physics -- a time to get out the spitoon and checker board to
ignore me -- so I avoid it), and many here don't seem to care much about
bio.
 
Oh, just an FYI about the "cooling box" idea.  Fridges in general tend to be
real energy sinks, and the small ones are notorious electricity gobblers
which probably do their best job as small room heaters from all the work the
motors do.  If you were to get a box tight enough to offset that you'd face
suffocation hazards.
 
Re: biting.  Often punishment WORSENS the problem -- it undermines trust,
instills fear, causes confusion (Is the human trying to play, What is this
hand stuff all about, Etc?), gives attention for the wrong things, overlooks
that there may be a medical problem causing discomfort, creates bad habits,
forgets that some ferrets just need to grow up a bit more, etc.  There's a
LOT out there on training without punishment.  We use times out but there
are other great non-punishment solutions.  All involve getting the ferret to
realize that the desired attention comes from doing what is right, some
involve putting foul taste on yourself (vinegar/Bitter Apple spray/whatever)
as a deterrent, and some show that bad actions get a ferret plopped in a
cage or carrier (with or without scruffing, or scruffing and careful
dragging as a mother ferret would do) without attention till it calms down
in a few minutes.  Punishing (things like hitting, choking with finger,
spraying noxious things on the ferret) seems to be most common among people
new to ferrets, to happen now and then among those who have several years of
experience, and to be used by only an exceedingly rare few among the crowd
with many years of experience.  Pretty good evidence that there are better
ways when they are used with consistency and patience.  Those who want are
always welcome to skip right to a higher level of learning by trying what
the experienced folks do.  (hint)
 
I have NO llama experience (but would like to some time in the
not-foreseeable future) but was told once by someone who was a llama person
that sneezing can be a mild nervous behavior for them, so suspect that the
sneezing of the llama could have been that.  Besides, unless they'd been
raised around ferrets they would never have been exposed before.  Allergies
happen when your body (in a previous exposure) decides that a non-dangerous
substance is a dangerous invader, so previous exposure is needed -- in fact,
most allergies are to things to which the individual has had a lot of
exposures.
 
Brenda, sounds like your resident director will just make things up (mites
and rabies, my foot!) and in that case passing on accurate info won't get
you anywhere.  If the location is normally a pets-allowed one (so that you
have a leg to stand on), then there is info available, and I'd be happy to
get stuff to you.  Other (great) sources of info: Dick, Troy Lynn, Pam,
other Pam, Freddie Hoffman at the AFA.  The AVMA is planning on revamping
their web site after the Summer vote and funding are done (writing with Mike
Dutton's help -- wonderful person, and hopefully the help of some involved
and INFORMED vets I don't know about) so that should have info maybe in late
Aug.  to early Sept., and it may be that Dr. Briggs website still is up with
info.
 
Maybe this idea would make sense: there is currently someone who is writing
a serial story (kid level) for some newspapers and it is going over like
gang-busters.  On one NPR report it was mentioned that one newspaper
increased circulation 6-fold because of demand among parents, and that
schools are using the story as a teaching aid.  These are not cartoons, but
supposedly something more in the Dickens genera done at an grade school
level.  Think about what could be done if there were a series of ferret
stories presented this way!
 
Re: LI question.  My father's family is among the earliest (Folke Davis and
various in-breedings until the last two generations) Suffolk County, LI
Caucasian settlers and Brookhaven Township was originally deeded to another
ancestor of mine (but fortunately the family turned out to be rebels along
the line -- giving the land up and later going for self-sovereignty).  There
are some biological factors which indicate Native American blood in us but
when and which nation is uncertain so I may also have old LI NA ancestry if
it didn't come in before that.  Old relatives used to refer to us having
Black cousins so I may also be decended from some of the early Suffolk
county slave families.  I grew up in Port Jeff.  Since this is off-topic
it's the last time I will mention it.  Besides, unless we move back there
with retirement I probably won't wind up living there again and haven't now
for almost 18 years.
 
(Desiring Linda Gaylord ferret cartoons as fake tattoos) Sukie
[Posted in FML issue 2377]