I just have to vent a little... My friend and I went to the Renaissance
Festival in Michigan yesterday.  We came across a area set aside for the
Howell Nature Center - Wildlife Rehabilitation Program.  The one woman was
holding a hawk.  In one cage was an opossum.  There was another cage with a
wiggling towel.  We thought it might be a ferret, but in its small bowl were
just two grapes.  We assumed it must be something else.  Then another lady
came over and put on some thick leather gloves.  Hmmm.... What could it be?
She reaches in the cage a pulls out this cute, very well behaved,
white/silver ferret.
 
The one thing she got right was that it was a domestic animal... the only
domestic animal they have.  Then she said it was nocturnal, and that's why
it didn't want to come out.  Actually it was a cold day, and the poor thing
was shivering.  She didn't hold it next to herself at all.  She held it away
from herself with one hand and let people pet its back.
 
One man mentioned he had a ferret, but it bit him.  She said so do dogs and
cats.  He then said it tore through the skin.  She asked what he did with
it... he gave it away.  Her response, "That's too bad.  You should have had
it killed and tested for rabies."
 
We couldn't take much more, but then noticed that the ferret had lost a lot
of hair from its tail.  We figured saying anything wouldn't do much good but
had to.  I first asked if it was a rehab animal, thinking that maybe they
were already aware of it.  She said no.  So I mentioned it was losing a lot
of hair from the tail, and that is often a sign of it being sick.  She
seemed unconcerned, but said, "I'll let them know, but it's probably from
the stress of being here." This was only the 2nd day of the festival!  I
don't think it could lose that much hair in 24 hours.
 
I'm concidering sending them some pamphlets on ferrets since they do
educational programs.  I would hate for them to continue to pass on the
wrong information about these sweet little creatures.  They have enough
trouble in this society as it is.
 
Thanks for listening,
 
Mary and Dave....and let's not forget Fidget, Jezebel, and Dusty
[Posted in FML issue 2038]