Ferret rescue centers:
 
Jim at the DC animal shelter wants to know if anyone does "in-home" checks
before adopting a ferret out.  If anyone reading this in the DC metro area
is willing to do this for me or other shelters, OR there is a shelter in
this area doing in-home checks for ferrets already - please let me know.
 
Thank you - Pam Grant
 
>Sorry to keep swamping the FML with bad news but I was wondering if anybody
>out there had come up against a similar problem to this one: Animal shelters
>that put ferrets to sleep routinely and refuse to call us.
 
This is an International problem.  The United States made some great strides
with the Humane Society of the US recently and this may give ferret shelters
a bit more pull towards getting ferrets released rather than euthanized.
 
The best that can be done is to keep on plugging and hope for a SPCA, Animal
Welfare league, or humane director who will care to listen and release.  In
my area alone, I have one shelter in MD that releases to me, one in my area
that sometimes calls me, and two that prefer to kill than release.  I send
letters annually, and always hope for a change of heart, and that is why I'm
pleased with DC and yet disheartened that we may fail the ferrets because we
"screen" adopter differently.  (see posting above).
 
Hunting instincts
 
I'll shorten my story from the past, but I have had ferrets catch and kill
moving objects (baby opossums) and then loose interest as soon as the action
"dies".  Ferrets are stimulated visually and with sound, and as soon as
those factors are gone, well, it is no longer a toy.  Even hunting ferrets
usually just chase the prey out of warrens, and sometimes get into a
wrestling match, but I bet few actually eat much if any of their "prey"
unless it is a staple of their diet.
 
My question for BIG:
 
I know what the "B" and the "G" stand for - what name goes with the "I"?
 
Names mean a lot - my name spelled backwards describes my career (Pam = Map
and I'm a cartographer).
 
Pet Pals (my shelter) is/was my name = Pamela Elizabeth Troutman's Pals.
 
 
Subject: 2 Big Blue Circles??
 
This might be the new Marshall Farm circles Judi Bell was telling me about?
I have not seen them yet.....
 
Subject: Breeding
 
I would like to know what age is a good age to start breeding female
ferret's and if 18-20 weeks is to early...
 
you can tell I'm behind on my FML reading - forgive me if one of the other
breeders has answered this but...
 
DON'T BREED A JILL UNTIL YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND HAVE HOMES
ALREADY LINED UP FOR THE KITS - THERE ARE ALREADY ENOUGH HOMELESS FERRETS
OUT THERE WITHOUT ADDING "FOR FUN".  BTW, SHE HAS TO BE AT LEAST A YEAR OLD
AND SO DOES THE MALE (most times).
 
>difference between rodents and ferrets?
 
Look at the teeth - ferrets have dentures like cats and dogs.
 
If anyone wants some useful inf. on ferret history and "domestication",
please feel free to send a SASE (long) to STAR* Ferrets, PO Box 1714,
Springfield, VA 22151-0714 and mark it Domestication Literature and I'll be
happy to send you some really good stuff once put out by FURO.
 
Pam
 
[Moderator's note: Pam - you missed my comment in issue 1678 :-)  BIG]
[Posted in FML issue 1684]