>From:    "Charleen H. Schuster" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: Clean Shelters, Breeders, Ferret Owners.
>Please shelters, breeders, if you need help ask, don't wait till someone
>offers, people don't know you need help until you ask!
 
Having been there due to the illness of Diane and Courtney, yes people all
over the country will help.  And even other countries.  If Ed or anyone
thinks they could use some assistance than they should feel secure in
asking.
 
What the rest of the people though also need to understand is that there
are evil people who will take advantage of a perceived weakness in someone
and attack.  I still have people attacking me over trying to do what was
best for the ferrets in my charge.  These are people that really really
need to get a life.  Any shelter that ends up overwhelmed even if through
no fault of their own other than a big heart will get attacked by some mean
spiritied people.
 
A better place to make offers to help Ed or any other shelter is directly
to them.  If you as an individual think that someone might be over their
head first try talking to them directly (or through email if its too hard
face to face) and offer to help.  If you still think their is a problem
then perhaps go public.  THe notes I've seen so far about Ed are only
somewhat inflammatory but I'm very sure they are hurtful to Ed.  Put
yourself in the place of someone you think has a problem and decide what
you would want said or done.  Be nice as long as you can.
 
Egos need to be dropped sometimes and the genuine best interests of the
ferrets need to be considered.
 
I can not comment on conditions at FNW as I have never been there.  I have
contradictary statements from visitors.  Some of the contradictions may
lie in that people have different standards - most shelters will have some
odors that those with fewer ferrets won't necessarily know is normal from
larger concentrations of animals.  Its not limitted to ferrets.  Its not
always the sign of filth.  At this point I do not advocate shutting down
FNW.  Okay I can't say much one way or the other since people I trust have
different impressions.  I do advocate that if Ed thinks he wants help he
can ask and if he does we should be caring adults and offer what we can in
return with out reprisals and childish attacks.
 
>From:    Trudi Casler <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: janis
>i am very sorry to hear about your little one..... here are some things to
>try IT CANNOT HURT!!!
 
Actually some of the suggestions can.  Distilled water isn't what you might
think either.  The minerals in water that are removed by distillation are
sometimes necessary for proper bodily function.
 
http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/n095-323.txt
 
>make sure the food does not have BHT< BHA or ETHYOXQUIN in it,,,they all
>can/do cause cancer....
 
No.  They do not.  Unless you can actually show me scientific proof.
Actually even pseudo-scientific proof doesn't exist.  All three actually
have proven anti-cancer properties!
 
Okay.  BHA is high doses might be associated with cancers in people.  But
the same Japanese study that said it might also said it appears that there
is a dosage that is low enough to have NO cancerous connection.  The
permitted levels in food are based on that level.
 
http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fdpreser.html
 
Azmira just wants you to buy THEIR products.  So of course what everyone
else makes in bad for your pet in their eyes.  Some of what they advertise
is rather scary.
 
Holistic medicine has a few good points but a lot of logical problems.
Natural foods aren't always what you'd think based on advertising.  For a
carnivore like a ferret there is nothing at all natural about being fed
herbs.  Ferrets or rather their polecat ancestors eat/ate animals and
perhaps the occaisional fruit.  They didn't mucn on yucca or any other
trendy faddish plants.
 
-bill
--
bill and diane killian
zen and the art of ferrets
http://www.zenferret.com/
mailto:[log in to unmask]
[Posted in FML issue 2650]