Hi to the Australians on the list.
 
Georgina - Australian ferrets don't seem to have the adrenal problems that
ferrets from the USA have.  I was shocked too when I first started reading
the FML and discovered all the adrenal posts.  That doesn't mean that there
won't be expensive trips to the vet.  We spent a lot of money on our two
that had pneumonia.  Sadly, they died.  On the bright side the rest were
a pretty healthy bunch, apart from a case of mange.
 
Regarding the high cost of ferrets in the USA: in Australia they sell for
around A$40.  I have't really been involved in the rescue side of things,
and I was wondering if there were Australians that had been who would be
able to tell me if the relatively low cost of ferrets here means they are
regarded as a throwaway pet?  From what I have seen it is not like the
scenario that a poster a few days ago described where there would be
multitudes of abandoned ferrets if the were cheap.  Then again, we have
proportionally less ferrets bred over here, and perhaps we have a high
rate of abandonment, but not the sheer numbers like in the USA.
 
All the best to the Melbourne shelter operators who are closing down.  I
know the position of Ferret Rescue Officer in the WA club was a difficult
one, and people would tend to only do it for a year at a time.  We were
lucky having some very dedicated people who would take on this job, but
they needed to be able to pass it on to other club members and have a
break.  Is there a similar club in Victoria that would support your efforts
or organise a rotating ferret rescue?
 
Sheila - is the Ferrets Choice food available at the UK ferret fair made in
Australia?  If so Companions Choice has cerainly expanded their ferret food
operaions.  I remember when the food was only available from just a few pet
shops in Perth.
 
Kylie
Ferretless in Queensland
[Posted in FML issue 2690]