Just to clarify something: Steve and I DO get our ferrets vaccinated (EXCEPT
that we could not vaccinate Meltdown or Ruffle who were very allergic, and
we don't vaccinate terminal animals typically to reduce stresses they must
undergo).  Hey, Canine Distemper is very, very, very easily acquired, in
the wild populations locally, and it's horrible -- had it happen it a
housemate's just adopted (from a pound) dog years ago and the experience
was so upsetting that after 30 years I still don't like to recall it (and
you know I'm not a wimp).  Rabies vaccines also protect against the ignorant
(as well as the disease -- which is in terrestrial animals locally here --
something you can learn about from your state health dept.), and that
infestation (the ignorant people one) can often be the worst danger of all.
We'd continue to vaccinate even after learning the numbers, still, the
numbers would be interesting, I'll admit.  (Remember that we are more likley
to hear of reactions here because so very, very many ferrets are described
on list.)
 
Bill and others who educated us all about Y2K: thanks for the info.  Here
I will still worry about the water for the specific reason that our water
dept. is already overstressed due to much construction so contamination
problems already happen during bad rainstorms, combined with the local
gov'ts having a "wait-and-see" attitude so that they don't have to spend
more before they come up for election.  Also, one local power plant
announced publically it will shut down for a few days then, but I think
locally with conservation if things get bad in that way and power-sharing
we'll be okay.  Guess it's partly a matter of knowing one's locality.
(Hey, does anyone else use ferrets to judge if water is good or bad?
Granted, they can't always tell, but our's have a better nose for assessing
water quality (like dogs do) than we have.  Given the run-off contamination
problems and an intermittent problem with a farmer who uses an old firehose
in a hydrant and contaminates things locally on and off despite warnings
from the water company -- next time they catch him at it he gets charged --
we find the ferrets provide an important health service this way.)
[Posted in FML issue 2369]