This is Edward Lipinski of the Ferret Endowment, for Research,
Rehabilitation, Education and Training Society, NorthWest, aka F. E. R.
R. E. T. S., N.W. , offering a Thanksgiving Blessing to all ferret owners
and their charges, however few or many they have.
 
Since most of you will be chomping on the "bird" this Thanksgiving day and
perhaps offering prayers of thanks to your significant holy one, it may be
beneficial to your ferret too if you offered a share of your holiday turkey
dinner to the little four legger(s).
 
But it may be that the little one will have nothing to do with your
offering of a share of Thanksgiving repast since the little one is
accustomed to his commercial food right out of the bag.  Now this isn't
necessarily tragic nor even worrysome - except that the little one(s) are
less than they could otherwise be in terms of good health and extended
longevity.
 
As you may already have guessed, this guy is a firm advocate of a wildly
diverse diet for his shelter and breeder ferrets, including freshly cooked
turkey chunks.  This also goes for the FNW mascot, Miss Minkie, a steel
grey fur farm mink on display at the FNW reception room.  (I was told over
the phone that she was a lost ferret that I was to rescue.)
 
So to pass on a little secret, especially to the local breeders who are
bitching about the phenomenol high cost of breeding and raising the little
ferts, consider this as a cost savings approach as well as a super adjunct
to your ferret's diet: namely you may want to do as I have done.  That is -
go to your local Safeway and order a larger frozen turkey, say about 17
to 23 lbs, of which I paid only 27 cents a pound, and then have the meat
cutter saw up that bird into chunks about the size of a regular apple.
 
The turkey chunks are then kept in your freezer until needed.  Thaw and
cook briefly just enough to get the deep inside of the chunk hot, and then
, after cooling a bit, offer to your fert.  Let's hope your critter will
go for this as do all of mine (26).
 
By the way, do you know what the turkey is called in Istanbul, Tukrkey?
It's called the "American Bird." I would not suggest that you ever order
a turkey sandwich in a downtown Istanbul restaurant.
 
Keep smiling.   Edward Lipinski, von Frettchenvergnuegen Platz. [G.]
Edward Lipinski from the place of ferret joy.
[Posted in FML issue 2877]