Greetings!  I am a week behind on my FML because I was visiting my aging
parents in Gr.Fks,N.Dak last week...I have two pet store experiences to
share:
 
Since we don't have a local ferret shelter where I live in Colo., I have
decided to help the ferts by doing what so many of you do...visit the pet
stores, pass out the mini FAQ, pass along the *important* web sights that
Suki drills into our heads (bless you, I always write notes from you
postings)..ANYWAY, I went into the local Petco in Gr.Fks.  and found a
distressing sight...the ferts had no food OR water!!  I tried very hard to
remain calm and communicate with the employees without throttling them on
the spot.  I asked for the manager, who came immediately...turned out that
she was extremely nice, and explained to me that the two food bowls get
filled 2x a day, that they were still being fed *soft* food before they
would be weaned to the kibbles, due to them being so young.  They were MF
ferts and looked healthy enough.  She said they had formerly sold
Canadians, but went back to MF because she found that they were too
aggressive....don't know which breeder..
 
She said the girl in charge of feeding was busy doing her*rounds*, as I
watched the babies try to suck at a totally dry water bottle.(In my
opinion, it should never get that empty in the first place).  I checked out
their fert supplies..they had just received their first shipment of TF.  I
returned to the fert cage about ten minutes later to find the babies still
sucking a dry water bottle.  I told the manager that they needed water
NOW,(in the nicest way I could) and she personally went and told the *girl*
what NOW meant.  I stopped in the next day to check them, and they had both
food and water.  On THAT visit I took notes (appeared important) and
telling her about the FML and the thread about Petco, etc.  She told my
about a ferret sanctuary in town, and about the vet that Petco uses, and
how this vet was getting *better* at fert care, etc...I got the phone
numbers of both.  I intended to share these important web sight addresses
with them in case they didn't already have them...never could get in touch
with either...the vet was already closed, and I left THREE messages at the
sanctuary.(their private residence) early that evening, but nobody returned
my calls. :>[  Grrrrrr...I had to fly home early the next morning, so now
I have to call them long distance (grrrrrr)and try again.
 
During that week, I went to the other pet store (the mall) and found four
extremely nippy babies (from Canada origins)..they, too, were going through
hell trying to get water out of their bottle that was totally blocked by a
tunnel toy...one little guy was literally hanging upside down on the bottle
trying to chew at the spout from the top.  A big sign said *DO NOT REMOVE
WIRE TOP FROM CAGE* which, of course, I promptly did; moved their tunnel
away from the bottle, enduring blood drawing fangs on my hand from all
four.  I waited until the *girl* had time to listen, then told her about
her need to check the cage more often...she had that blank stare with
nothing registering (hello, is anybody home?) that is so typical of
non-caring employees.  I wanted to throttle her, too, but I am a totally
non violent person.  (but I have visions of putting these people in cages
with no food or water)
 
I couldn't leave the mini FAQ because I had trouble downloading it( I am
not very computer-wise yet) and requested it to be mailed, as was an
option; I never got it, so I need to try again so I can deliver it to the
pet stores.  Why wasn't it sent?  I followed the directions!  Grrrrr...
 
Happy Tails, lizzi in Colorado
[Posted in FML issue 2845]