>From:    John Hill <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: How much darkness at a time?
>>...For most working people, that would mean locking them up in a pitch
>black room at 6 a.m. and not even cracking the door open until at least
>8 p.m.  If it could be determined that some level less than absolute
>blackness is acceptable, it would be a bit easier to achieve.
 
>Ummm...well...it would be too much if you have them in the dark all day
>and then in the dark all night!  You could have them in a pitch black room
>during the night instead of day?
 
That would work too.  I guess the point I was trying to make is that it's
often difficult to meet that kind of schedule if you want to spend some
time with your ferrets, work for a living and have an otherwise normal
life.  And then there's no real proof that this is absolutely, positively,
the cause of their adrenal problems.  Our Sidney lived 7.5 years.  Never
had adrenal or insulinoma.  Why didn't the long light periods affect him?
 
I for one love to have my crew following me around all morning as I get
ready for work.  When I wake up, they're usually on the floor on my side of
the bed, waiting for me to get out of bed.  I would surely miss that if I
locked them up at my bedtime and didn't let them out until I got home from
work, 16+ hours later.  I'd also miss Beasley greeting me at the door
without fail when I come home for lunch.  Yes, I'm one of those terrible
ferret parents who allows their ferrets free roam 24/7.
 
For the ferrets,
Mike
 
* Michael F. Janke, [log in to unmask]
* Secretary, South Florida Ferret Club and Rescue, Inc.
*
* Visit our shelter's web site: http://www.miamiferret.org
* Visit the Adrenal/Insulinoma web site: http://www.miamiferret.org/FHC
[Posted in FML issue 2510]