Rubber and latex are VERY DANGEROUS -- often they are causes of blockages
when pieces break off and are ingested.  Let ferrets have them ONLY when
you are supervising, or do as we do and keep them away as best as you are
able.
 
In all these years (something in the 16 into 18 year range -- don't know
precisely anymore) we haven't had one who needed blockage surgery (though
with Ashling's ability to find things like zip feet plus her tendency to
eat cloth on and off it's going to happen sometime).  Blockage surgery
isn't unusual so we figure this bit of precaution is a great life-saver.
 
Bill wrote:
>Was one nasty jerk sending messages from several e-mail addresses?
>(This is by far the most likely scenario to me.)
 
Then Bill went on to mention that several people had received such letters.
We've been spared so far in this round , but how long will that last if
it's one particular nasty fool who is too uncreative and too destructively
mentally ill to be constructive?  Guess any of us might get hit.  That
certainly is something which has been seen in the past.  I always wonder
WHY a person does that.  Sometimes it seems to be to get people to beat
up on some innocent third party (which doesn't fit in this scenario, I'd
suspect), sometimes to just upset someone and be a hurtful @#(&&%,
sometimes to get FML people mad at each other and do damage to a useful
ferret resource (which always somehow makes me think of certain politicos
first).  The only consistent thing it does make me think is that the person
doing it is pathologically socially destructive (hopefully not any worse
than through words).  I wind up hoping that the person gets some intensive
therapy quickly, but also that we can all stay clear of such a hateful soul
till whatever is mentally wrong can hopefully be put right.
 
Luckily, the FML as a whole is very balanced, very helpful, very creative,
and very friendly.  It always has been.  My hypothesis is that people who
are dedicated to critters (and especially to ferrets) tend to mostly be
fine individuals.  How many towns of 3,000 do you know with so few
troublemakers surfacing?  Look at what people here do: they comfort, they
run shelters, they give to shelters, they heal, they give to places which
improve healing, they teach, they learn, they nurture...
 
Maybe part of what we have to be thankful for on the U.S. Thanksgiving is
that such destructive individuals are so few and far between!  So, pat
yourselves on the backs, Folks, for being constructive and ignore the ill
buffoon.  After all, attention is what these things often are designed to
receive, so maybe the person will tackle the infantile, sick behavior and
instead seek constructive ways to get attention if ignored.
 
We each have our own tastes in magazines.  I second that the "AFR" is
marvelous and well worth your investment.  We also get every issue of
"Modern Ferret" as our second piece of regular non-internet ferret reading
and value it well.  I second Bill's suggestion that people go through the
back FMLs to help them know what issues have arisen, but also sample and
cross-check the info in current magazines if still learning, so that any
errors which might arise aren't going to create dangerous situations for
you.  Fortunately, anyone who is on the FML is also likely to use places
like http://www.ferretcetral.org (Pam Green's ferret page) and some ferret
books.  That checking will help you make up your minds.  (Books also vary
in whether they are going for hard facts, format, etc.)  There is NEVER
going to be a magazine (or book) which satisfies everyone -- just
IMPOSSIBLE.  Personally, our biggest demand is accurate information, but
others are going to have other priorities than Steve and I have; that
variation is just part of life and NEEDS to be tolerated and accepted.  I
think there is room for all three magazines, especially given the wide
range of interests of ferret people and the variations in approaches and
weighting of assorted aspects.  So, look at each, check each, and make your
own choices based on YOUR needs.  For your first issues look in places like
Borders and Pet Co. for "Modern Ferret", and in Barnes and Noble and Pet
Smart for "Ferrets" BEFORE subscribing to either.  For the AFR you need
to join the AFA, and it's worth it.  No problem there at all!!!!  <G>
[Posted in FML issue 2876]