Ferret Book Reference:
Susan Conant writes mystery books where the central character is a woman
with Malamutes who writes for a Dog magazine.  In Black Ribbon she writes:
"As a reminder to myself that an exceptionally brilliant and intelligent
malamute can, in fact, be trained to hehave herself in the presence of other
animals, I'd placed a framed photograph of Anna and Tundra <a trainer she
highly respects and her prime competition in obediance> on the windowsill
directly in front of my computer, where I had to look at it every time I sat
down to work.  Also present in the picture was, of all things, a ferret,
which lay spread out on Tundra's neck, its head peering over the tops of
hers.  In case you know anything about malamutes, I should add that,
remarkably enough, the ferret was alive and that, rather than attempting to
kill it, Tundra was making intelligent and peaceful eye contact with the
camera.  Anna was smiling joyfully.  And for good reason." Conant really
does show Malamutes.  And this isn't the first time I've heard about the
Arctic dogs high prey drives (generally speaking).  I always get so excited
when I see a ferret reference!
 
Someone was talking about cleaning and using plug in air fresheners.  I
thought these were a no-no?  The stuff sort of sinks to the bottom of the
room (where your fuzzies hang out) and isn't really good for their lungs.
 
Ferrets at bad breeders in Illinois.  I can see both sides of the argument -
rescue them and more will be brought into a world of misery.  But how can
you leave them?  Real dilemma.  It was posted that efforts to shut him down
were going poorly.  Big surprise - shutting down mills of any type seems
almost impossible for reasons unfathomable to me.
 
Maybe IL politicians have some of those town meetings like they do in
Michigan?  Any way to get some people out to raise he** about it in public?
Put them on the spot?  Any way to get some secret video cam footage or
pictures?  Take them to a meeting and ask the pols what were paying them
for.  Put up some posters of some of the sick babies with a line reading
Does IL want to be known as the pet mill state?  Good luck and my sincerest
sympathies to everyone who's lost a ferret recently or has one in ill health.
 
Mary, Boris and Giesela
[Posted in FML issue 2074]