To Carinne--I'm enjoying your postings about Rascal and also your poem. Rascal
is a lucky ferret to have such an enthusiastic mom!
 
To Rochelle--I agree with you completely about choosing who to buy a ferret or
ferret products from--or *anything* for that matter--this extends way beyond
animal issues. I think one of the most powerful ways to change policy is to
either boycott companies or actively support them. I believe that when people
stop buying puppies from large pet store chains, there will be no more puppy
mills (to use a non-controversial example). Just ask Avon. And on the other
hand, I agree that people who really do good work (ie, well-run animal
shelters, companies that don't test on animals etc.) should be supported. We
can all influence things we believe in by our shopping habits. Okay, end of
soapbox.
 
Speaking of soap, my guys haven't discovered soap yet, thank goodness, but they
did climb up on the table and swipe a package of dried figs that was originally
destined for a fruit salad. My first clue was finding a fig in the corner of
the kitchen floor when I came home; soon after, I discovered half the package
on the living room floor and a couple of figs in the bottom kitchen drawer.
Then I found Norman and Ralph hiding in a shopping bag, each of them munching
on a fig. No wonder they sleep so much, they're really *busy* when I go out for
1/2 hour to walk the dog!
 
To Noah's parents: he sounds like a normal mischievous baby ferret to me!
Perhaps more exercise and playtime would wear him out a bit? I think ferrets
need more running around and active play than any other animal, even if it's
only for short periods at a time until they crash.
 
My personal feeling is that hitting anyone (ferret, dog, another person)
usually only (temporarily) relieves the annoyance or frustration of the person
doing the hitting, and that most situations can be dealt with in other ways.
 
Re: feeding tender vittles, meow mix and puppy chow to ferrets--myself, I think
feeding higher quality pet food (ie, Iams) pays off in the long run with most
animals--I have found after *years* of having cats, that it doesn't pay to try
to save money in the pet food department--what is saved on food is often paid
later in vet bills--my experience, anyway.
 
Hope everyone and their fuzzbeans have a wonderful New Year!
 
--Cinderella, Norm & Ralph's mom in the uncivilized FFZ of Massachusetts
[Posted in FML issue 1070]