Hello everyone,
 
I am fairly new to this list, but I've been bothered by all the people who
are so against pet shops selling ferrets, and believe that no one in a pet
shop is well informed about the animals we sell.
 
I work in a pet shop, and am also the proud mother of three ferrets, I
bought all of my ferrets at the shop where I now work about 3 years ago.
Yes, my first was an impulse buy, and yes I wish when I got them the
employees had known more and been able to give me more helpful advice.  But
I did what I feel every responsible pet owner should do, I went out, bought
some books and became better informed in a hurry.  The reasearch, I found,
never stops either, when you love them and want the best for them you
constantly search for new and better info.
 
I started working in the pet shop about a year after I got my ferrets,
things aren't always the best, but we do our best to make sure every animal
is cleaned regularly( ferrets are cleaned daily,it's a must), kept well fed
and watered.  When customers want to buy a ferret, or any pet, I make it a
point to tell them the pros and cons of their animal, I give each
prospective ferret owner an idea of what to expect, and what to watch for.
I do my best to make sure that each person who purchases an animal,has what
the animal really needs, and recommend purchasing a book.
 
Books are very important in my opinion, as there is no way I can possibly
tell them everything they need to know, but better than half usually won't
pay the $8-$10 dollars extra for a book.
 
Since I began working there the ferrets do get better care, I believe, than
they did before I got there, I get the people with the tough questions about
ferrets, and if I don't know the answer I try to find out.  other sales
people ask me questions, so that they are better informed as well, and we
want to inform the customer so that not only are they happy with their pet,
their pet is happy too.  I have totally refused to sell people pets, one guy
kept his previous ferrets outside in his garage where wild animals got in
and killed them( he had 2 previously) when he wanted another I wouldn't sell
him one.  He didn't care about the animal his son just wanted one as a pet.
And I felt the poor animal deserved better than this.
 
This isn't meant to disagree that many pet stores need to improve their
knowledge, and their way of taking care of the animals in their care.  I
liked the idea of taking info to the unimformed stores, and trying to
educate them, hopefully it will work in at least some stores.
 
Some of the problems I find come from some( not all!!!) of the breeders, we
get our animals from two breeders, one of them brings the ferrets in
themselves, hungry and dehydrated, because he takes them all over the area
and our shop is last.  I have seen them come in and drink for 10 minutes
straight, or latch on top someones finger because they are so hungry.  I
know they are fixed between 5-7 weeks, and their new incisions are often
bloody and pus filled.  When these poor things come in we make sure that
they are cared for immediately and they aren't sold until they are better,
or whoever buys them is at least informed of the treatment they are getting.
These little ones aren't even alyays eating solid food yet, a piece of
information it wouldn't hurt the breeder to tell us, but if we don't take
them in and care for them, make sure they go to good homes, who is going
to?  The breeder?
 
Sorry if this came out as a terribly grumbly letter, but I just wanted you
to know that some pet stores and their employees really are doing their
best, and really care about the animals they sell.
 
[DW]
[Posted in FML issue 2412]