I walked past a pet store in central Illinois, and as I always am no matter
where I am in this country, I was compelled to go in.  There were three
pens with bunnies, open pens so that people could touch and hold them and
so that the animals could be socialized a bit.  There was also one lone
closed wire cage with six small ferrets.  The cage was filled with pine
shavings and there was no litter box.  The corners were stacked with waste.
There was no place for them to sleep or hide except for a small plastic
tube, and all six of them were huddled inside.  One of the ferrets saw me
and came to the side of the cage.  It's hind legs were weak and it had
trouble walking.  I was told by someone who worked at the store that the
ferrets were in the cage because "all of their available open pens were
filled with bunnies that were being sold for Easter".  I told him that
the ferrets should not be kept in pine shavings and that they should give
them a litter box and some soft bedding.  He told me that he "appreciated
my advice".  I asked him if they were going to do anything about what I
had said, and he said, "Tomorrow."
 
What can I DO about this?
 
What can I, who wants to personally help each and every one of these poor
ferrets but has little money, DO?
 
What can I DO in addition to crying?  Because I have already done a lot of
that because of this.
 
[HA]
[Posted in FML issue 2626]