Dear All Ferret Owners and Lovers,
I have had many mixed situations about ferrets in pet shops.  Some of them
good, but most of them bad.  The one shop I got my two ferrets at was
extremely clean, they had lots of toys, clean bedding, and good quality
care, and the pet store owners knew everyhting about ferrets and answered
all our questions.  Other pet stores I've been to I've wanted to strangle
the necks of the managers (ever get that feeling?) I've seen a 4 by 4
aquarium cage in a pet store than had 14 sick-looking ferret babies in it!
It was a smelly cage with barely any toys or food in it.  It was the saddest
thing I've ever seen.  Being a 13 year old girl, I'm not sure that I could
have a huge impact on the store owners, unfortunately, and even if I had,
how would they know how to treat them after?  In another instance I saw a
ferret kit in a big cage, but had no toys.  The young man working there
probably couldn't even spell "ferret."  He didn't know a thing about them.
The ferret had chewed up its nylon hammock and there were teeth marks all
over the cage because it had nothing else to teeth on.  When I told this guy
(the rocket scientist he was), he shrugged, and said "I dunno, I guess
they're supposed to do that." *grrr* I told him that ferrets won't chew on
ther toys unless thay have nothing else to teeth on.  Well, this genius goes
over to the cat supplies and gets a furry mouse toy and throws it in the
cage.
 
I wish ferrets wouldn't get sent to pet shops, and even if you have the
heart to rescue it, another poor kit will take its place.  If we don't buy
ferrets at pet shops, maybe they would stop selling them.  I not an animal
rights activist, but I am a 13 year old animal lover who hates to see these
great animals hurt.  I also don't see why they send these wonderful
creatures to labs to live short painful lives.  They deserve better.
Please don't flame me about any of my points, I'm just a kid trying to
make a difference.  Thanks for reading, and give your ferrets a hug!
 
                                Adrianne, and her owner Cuddles
[Posted in FML issue 2223]