Very good point was made about not giving your kids tap water.  I am part
owner in a EPA water quality laboratory.  You would be appalled at how bad
public water often is.  Most of us and our pets do just find with less
than perfect water quality.  However, once you become immune compromised,
cancer, age, illness, you can become ill off many of the bacteria which
survive in the water system.  Not to mention that Chlorination is the
method most used to treat water.  I guarantee that eventually chlorine will
be banned from water supplies as soon as something better is found.
 
Bottled water is your best bet.  All bottled water is tested on a monthly
basis (and yes often whole batches are pulled from shelves due to
contaimination.)
 
As for asking for money for ferrets.  I personally think they should charge
$1000.00 for the ferrets.  That way no one could just buy one on a whim.  I
am glad that in pet stores they are usually over $100.00.
 
We have a problem here in the Virgin Islands.  They have dog fights.
Illegal of course.  But the dog owner go around stealing, collecting free
kittens and puppies, and "feed" them to their fighting dogs for sport to
help get them use to killing.  Of course as soon as their dog looses they
throw the poor bleeding animal in a dumpster to die.
 
I am just thankful we don't get many ferrets here, and I get called with all
the strays, and those people want to give away.  My significant other owns a
pet store here and will not sell ferrets.  And the other pet store I bought
all her ferrets and have threatened her with a law suit if I ever see
ferrets in her store again.  When I first saw them there they were in a bird
cage, the bottom was littered with feces, and the poor ferrets were standing
and hanging across the bird perches to get out of the shit!  Of course all
six boys came home with me at a cost of $900.00.
 
Amy and her 11 fur snakes.
[Posted in FML issue 2310]