Re: Quaking Grass?
>I am on a holistic cat health list due to a different cat problem.  One
>of the things suggested for the cats was Quaking Grass (a Bach Flower
>Essence).  It is supposed to help the animals live together without
>wanting to kill each other.
 
If it does work (which I have my doubts), I would wonder why and what else
it might be doing to the animal.
 
IMHO, if it is possible for two or more animals to "live" together, then it
is going to require effort on your part to work with the animals involved -
not drugs whether they come via a pharmaceutical company or an herb garden.
 
Re: PETA
>tests, and teh teriible care is wrong.  The only mention of ferrets as
>pets is about the carelessness of selling them to pet stores as people buy
>them and then grow tired of them and set them loose.
 
Boy, that's a real "duh!" statement (not the FML poster but PETA).  That's
a problem with all pet animals, not just ferrets.  Only PETA would try to
make it sound like a ferret problem.
 
PETA has proven itself with ferret issues alone as being irresponsible.
If you have time, energy, or dollars to give to a cause or organization
devoted to the welfare of animals, please choose one that is responsible.
There are other national/international organizations and even local
shelters and organizations that could use your help.
 
Re: food expiration
>their food?  Well I ordered a 15# bag for my 3 ferrets.  I only opened it
>about a month ago and it has not been refrigerated, although kept in a
>sealed plastic bucket.  Is this food still safe to feed to my ferrets and
>if so how much longer should I expect it to last?  It is Totally Ferret
>and I can't tell by the smell if it's bad because I think TF stinks anyway.
>They are eating it and there doesn't seem to be any problems but now I am
>worried.  What is the shelf life of an unrefrigerated/frozen bag of TF?
 
When I buy food for the ferrets, I use the same care in buying it that I
would use buying my own food.  I check the expiration dates, package for
damage, ingredient list, and more.  I regularly smell their food - both
when I first open it and throughout its use.  If something doesn't strike
me as right, I don't use it.
 
I've also learned that while the bigger bags are cheaper per pound, the
ferrets don't eat the food fast enough to make it a good buy.  The bag sits
for too long.  So I buy smaller packages of kibble.
 
We also feed our ferrets a combo of up to 5 different types of kibble.  It
becomes obvious what is their favorite and what they don't want or like to
eat.  Those likes/dislikes can help key us in to freshness or staleness of
their food.
 
Re: Safe insecticides and cleaning substances
 
I'm glad so many people have posted some safer options for cleaning and
pest control.
 
It's been a long time since I was out at the Ferret FAQ's and so I don't
know for sure, but it would be great if some suggestions or pointers were
there about pesticides and cleaners.  What's bad, what's good and the like.
I know it is a general pet topic, but it does come up here periodically.
If it's already in the FAQ's, my apologies for not RTFM'ing first.  ;)
 
Re: Solstice
>The question now is: Why didn't the people at Pet Depot see this?  She was
>obviously very sick for probably as long as she had been there.  Did this
>happen in transit from Marshall's?  In transit from the distributor?  While
>at Pet Depot?  Had someone taken the time at any of those points to notice
 
While it does not excuse letting a little ferret die from an infection,
I think you have to cut the pet store some slack.  It is Christmas.  If
you've ever worked retail during the holiday season you'll know how
insanely busy it can get.  You'll also know how tired people working in
such places can get.  Nobody probably noticed the tiny little ferret girl
who slept most of the time because she didn't feel good.  It's a sad
situation and I hope there is a way to prevent it in the future.  But
please realize that nobody necessarily has to be negligent or at fault
here.
 
-kim, pippi (Queen of Thieves), atlas (kibbles-n-bits!), jinx (love me!),
 and rosie (rosie-rella the white winter weasel)
 
Kimberly Burkard     |             _    Everything I needed to know in life,
Eastman Kodak Company|      _____C .._. I learned from my ferret:
Rochester, New York  | ____/     \___/  Frolic and dance for joy often, have
[log in to unmask]    |<____/\_---\_\    no fear or worries, and enjoy life.
[Posted in FML issue 2911]