Hello everyone.  I've got a question.  My house is going to be treated for
termites within the next month.  I am not quite sure if it going to be
tented or if the termite people will drill holes inside and outside of the
house.  The question is: What kind of precautions should I take to ensure
my ferrets safety once the treatment is done?  Any help on this matter
would be much appreciated.  I could just shoot my in-laws for letting the
termite damage go for so long in this house we "thought" we would buy.
That's a whole other mailing list and story!  :)
 
A couple of other things:
I know about MF and how they sell ferrets for medical research.  It breaks
my heart, but as a poster mentioned, we would not have life saving ferret
vaccines and the such.  Also, the reasearch that has been done on ferrets
on the various influenza viruses has saved this country from another
"plague." From what I understand, ferrets are one of the only animals that
can contract human influenza.  Viruses are a very scary thing.  Some things
in labratories cannot be simulated so live subjects are needed.  At least,
from what I know, ferrets are not subject to head trauma testing and
psychological medical research.  You want to hear about gut wrenching
testing, that would be it.  Its sickening.  And...it still happens.
 
About the poster who has a ferret on prednsone that smells "burnt."  I am
very lucky to have 5 healthy ferrets.  They each have different odors and I
notice if they get into my cat's food dish without me knowing it and eat
everything in site, they will have a different smell that lasts for a day
or two.  My two youngest girls smell like honey suckles.  My oldest male, 6
years, always smells like band aids.  The other two males have hardly a
scent at all.
 
Last thing: I agree with how many (traditional) college students should not
bother with getting a pet.  I graduated recently.  ( Thank God!  :)  The
last apartment I lived in with my ferrets was nice and spacious and
primarily occupied by college students, I had a 2 bedroom.  One room for
the ferrets of course.  Anyway, one day my little girl got behind the
refrifdgerater and unbeknownst to me there was a nice 1 ft hole in the
wall.  She got lost in the walls of this huge apartment complex!  I was in
a panic!  I went to the apartment manager and explained what happened.  She
told me that that sort of thing happens all the time with ferrets!  Her own
son lost one that way!  All she told me was good luck on finding her and to
let her know if anything starts to stink in the walls.  Luckily, I did find
her 2 days later.  What she said made me realize the irresponsibility of
many of the tenants.  Not all but, many.  Many students would dump there
pets at the end of the school year.
 
That's about it.  Please post or email me if anyone has any advice on the
termite treatment.
 
Thank you,
Catherine and the 5 terrors in ferret's clothing.
[Posted in FML issue 2779]