Getting a ferret in California can be quite a chore.  You can have it
shipped from a breeder, which I was going to do.  Or, drive to Arizona or
Nevada, Which I didn't want to do.  So I'm looking through my weekly
PennySaver in the pet section and I see an advertisement for 8-weeekold
baby ferrets spayed, descented, and vaccinated.  $150 1-nnn-nnnnnnn.
[Phone number deleted.  BIG] I couldn't believe my eyes!  This in
California!  Well I called and it turns out its in the hottest city in
America, called Needles.  Well my buddy Kip offered to give me a ride in
his BMW M3.  I was ecstatic.  I couldn't sleep at all that night because I
was so excited.  We left bright and early at 7 o'clock the next morning.
The trip was supposed to take 2 and a half hours, tops.  So five hours later
we're lost somewhere in needles.  They gave us the wrong directions because
they thought we were coming from Arizona.  So we call them up and they give
us the proper, but very confusing directions.  So we're supposed to see this
place on the lft 4-miles down the road.  Instead we see a sign that said
"ferrets" 3-miles down the road on the right hand side We go in and it's
a residence instead of a store.  The lady tells us ferrets are illegal
in California (duh), and have to be sold in Arizona.  So she gives us
directions to this place in Arizona about 20 miles away.  So we finally
found this place after we thought we were completely lost.  So we walk in
and see a guy at the counter that recognizes me from the phone.  He shows
me a cage full of kits that were for sale.  I immediately saw the cutest
one and picked it up.  The guy picked her out of my and looked her over.
She bit him, he put her up to his mouth and nipped right back at it.  That
was very strange.  So he sells me the ferret in a box and a huge 3-story
cage with all of the supplies.  So all I can do is watch my new ferret on
the trip home play and try to escape the box.  Once I get her home me and
Kip put together her cage and played with the ferret.  Some places have
given me ideas on not to nip, none of them work except for biting her back,
so that's what I do.  Is there any thing wrong with this?  It's very
effective.  We finally decided on a name for the ferret: "Maggie".  Maggie
seems not to like her harness, but she's getting used to it.  She's getting
much better about not nipping but still does occasionally.  She loves
cantaloupe.  Is it okay to feed her meats and fish?
 
Ray [...]
[Posted in FML issue 2408]