Hello to all four and two legged friends, from Mexico city.  Thanks to your
FAQ and Mailing list I decided to join you as a ferret owner.  Here in
Mexico ferrets are not very well known, I don't think they are the third
most common pet.  I didn't know much about them before reading your FAQ,
Actually I was one of those that thought they were wild animals, and was
against people who had them.  Last month I decided I wanted a pet, and I
started doing research, I needed a small cuddly cute animal, that could
stay part of the time in a cage, could be trained and also an animal with
whom I would be able to develop a relationship.  This is why birds, fish,
turtles, snakes, hamsters and many others were ruled out.  I have always
been a dog person, but I've always thought that dogs need a lot of space,
and they are quite difficult to litter train, and I am away most of the
day, so dog was out.  Then I started reading about ferrets, and last week I
bought Mustela, (original name right) (names ending with "a" in Spanish are
feminine, so it seemed like the perfect name)She is now 2 months old.  I am
really having a lot of fun, and I am also getting to know her, and to
listen to her (with different ears if you know what I mean).  I thought I
had a ferret proof home, but she has shown me some spots that I missed:
Under the fridge, behind the TV, under the doors.  Well I decided to keep
her in her cage while I am at work, and probably in the future I will let
her run free when I am not there.  I was wondering, because of what I've
read here that there is an ideal age for descenting and spaying or
neutering.  She has been already operated on.  The vet who I bought her
from is the ONLY vet in Mexico city who knows about ferrets (we are 20 mill
people), and he breeds them.
 
FYI: In Mexico we also have Marshall Farm's ferrets, in pet stores (if they
are the ones with blue spots on their ears.)
 
This long message is just to thank everyone for their mails, all comments
are valuable to me, a new ferret owner in a 3rd world country.  I would
love if someone could give me advice on how to buy toys for Mustela, since
the only ones in pet stores are little balls, and she was totally more
interested in the plastic bag the toy came in than the toy itself.  Also
what can I do to stop her from digging in her food?  yesterday when I got
home she had no food in her bowl, I don't know how long she was without
eating.  I looked for ferret feeders that you can attach at a certain
height, but I didn't find any, only the ones for hamsters, are they good?
or what can I do?
 
Feliz ano nuevo from Mexico (happy new year.)
 
Belen Amat
Mustela (mommy why do you speak this weird language, I can't translate so
fast!!)
[Posted in FML issue 2547]