Saw Sukie's plea for us "old timers to introduce ourselves.  So her I am.
 
My name is Pam Troutman and I have been owned by ferrets since 1985.  In
1988 I started a ferret shelter in Northern Virginia called Pet Pals.  It
was the offshoot of a short lived ferret club/rescue that went under due to
the pressure of a husband and the arrival of a baby.  From 1988 to 1996, I
have rehomed over 1300 ferrets.  In 1996, because of several circumstances
at one time, I had to change my shelter methods and I take in only
emergency rescues now (local animal control overload, strays found).  I
assist people with finding homes for their own ferrets now through my
placement and referral service.  Faith Hood (Ferrets R #1), who had been
a foster mom for me, is now the full service ferret shelter in my area.
 
I also started breeding in 1988, two to three litters a year.  I was the
first to import ferrets from another country to see if it helped health
matters in US ferrets.  My two males, Von Willem and Schultz, came from
Germany.  They passed on earlier this year at the age of seven, both with
heart problems.  I can't say that foreign blood helped health matters, but
it did make for nicer body shapes.  I stopped breeding in 1997.
 
In 1991 I started Shelters That Adopt & Rescue Ferrets (STAR*).  It is a
network of ferret shelters, clubs, vets, and owners.  I put out a
newsletter quarterly, do an annual survey for shelter statistics and to
update my STAR* Ferret Resource listing.  This listing has over 1200
resources for ferrets in the US, Canada and abroad.  It can be viewed on
Ferret Central, or to receive a free listing of ferret shelters, contacts,
vets, suppliers, breeders, clubs, etc., in your state by mail, send a LONG
self addressed stamped envelope to
STAR* Ferrets,
PO Box 1832,
Springfield, VA 22151-0832.
STAR* also supports a booth at the annual HSUS Animal Care Expo, this
coming year being held in Las Vegas.
 
I wrote a book called "Ferret Care & Rescue" which is sold for $5 through
STAR* Ferrets; a children's book called "The Fairfax Ferret" which is still
available through me for $10; and I write for "Ferrets" magazine, but have
in the past written for The Pet Dealer magazine, Modern Ferret magazine,
Ferrets USA, Critters USA, and other smaller publications.  I also trained
as a ferret show judge in the International Ferret Association (IFA now
defunct), and am a judge for the League of Independent Ferret Enthusiasts
(LIFE), though I've pretty much dropped out of showing so I'm semi-retired.
My ferrets have taked Best of Show under IFA, FURO and Independent systems.
 
I presently share my home with 12 ferrets, two cats (Whispers and Topper)
and my fiancee, Bruce.  We will be getting married February 11, 2000.  I
work for the Federal Government as a supervisor, my office being in
Bethesda, MD.  Everyone at work knows me as the "ferret lady" and can't
believe I have so many pets.  I'd hate to tell them that the record number
of ferrets in my house at one time was 96, and I had 8 cats, several
squirrels and opossums and a pair of mink at the same time (my ex-husband
was a wildlife rehabber).
 
My ferrets are:
Princess -    hocolate sprite,  8.6 years old.  Breeder: JBF, VA.
Wendy Darling - cinnamon mitt sprite, 7.8 years old.
                Breeder: The Ferret Lady, PA.
Buttons -    white silver sprite, 6.9 years old.  Breeder: Fincham, MD.
Buckeye -    chocolate gib, 5.7 years old.  Breeder: Ferret Sense, OH.
Ernie -      sable gib, 4.7 years old.  Breeder: unknown source from TN.
Lisel Weasel - sable sprite, 4.5 years old.
               Breeder: Karen Y, WI (part German)
Little Wilhelm - cinnamon gib, 3.8 years old.  Breeder: Pet Pals, VA,
                 75% German.
Mia Darling - cinnamon sprite, 3.4 years old.  Breeder: Pet Pals, VA.
              (Wendy's daughter)
Simon and Reginald - sable gib brothers, 2.5 years old.
              Breeder: Pet Pals, VA, each 60+% German.
Tyler -  chocolate blaze, 1.5 years old. breeder, Marshall Farms -
         deaf ferret turned over to me because he was "defective".
Billy the Kid - medium silver, not quite a year old.
                Breeder: Marshall Farms - stray found living under a shed.
 
I believe the long lives of my ferrets are due to a quality diet (Totally
Ferret mixed with Iams), natural light only (the only time an artificial
light is on is to put the ferrets away at bedtime), minimal temperature
flux (the room they are in has the heat/air conditioning vent closed year
round), and a huge ferret playpen (I have a section of my utility room
penned off to 5 x 10 feet as a ferret safe area).  Other than blindness in
my two older ferrets, there are no health problems.
 
I sift through every issue of the FML, but usually in batches (I'm two
weeks behind).  I would like to wish everyone a happy and safe holiday
season and a magnificent century for ferrets in the New Year.
[Posted in FML issue 2901]