>6. It was suggested by several professionals with whom I spoke that the
>problem could be avoided by withholding from any future adopter of said
>ferret any information about its source or the health of the previous owner!
 
>7. What did I do?  What would you have done in similar circumstances?
>   How about it folks . . . ferret kisses anyone?
 
I would have taken the fert in a heartbeat.  I am confident, from all I have
read and heard, that the transmission of the HIV virus just is not possible
through a fert.
 
HOWEVER!  I can understand the reluctance of any vet or lab personnel to
sign a blanket statement that guarantees anything that is not medically
proven through long time research.  The legal ramifications are overwhelming!
 
RE:  BLIND FERRETS
My old timer, Bubba, was a blind albino.  He lived to the ripe old age of 10
1/2.  His blindness was not noticeable by those who didn't know him.  As
long as things were not moved from a standard placement or items left where
they shouldn't be, he acted like a normal fert.  He was fully litter pan
trained, had his hidey holes, could go into toughy-mode with the best of
them, stole socks, krinkly items, rubber goods and anything else that
smelled like a treasure.
 
However, being blind, he had a natural fear of heights, and as such, would
not climb.  PERIOD.  A 6" barrier was all that was needed to control his
movement.  He was my work fert...he lived at work for 5 days a week and came
home with me on weekends.  Many people came to the store just to see the
'guard ferret' that was on duty.
 
As with humans, his blindness accentuated other senses...his sense of smell
was phenomenal.  He had a number of different toys and knew each one by
name.  Bubba, go get your ball...and here he would come with his ball..or,
Bubba, go get your mouse, and soon he would appear with the mouse, etc.  I
could move them from where he had stashed them, and then tell him to get
such and such..he would head for where he knew it was, only to find it
missing.  There would be a bark of frustration and a whirlwind tour of the
house or office and soon he would come prancing out with said toy.
 
Being blind, he was very much a tactile fert.  He was quite content in my
lap or being held..in fact, it was a sure bet that if I were doing a lot of
desk type things, he could be found in my lap.
 
He was also the most intelligent of all my ferts.  He had a vocabulary of
around 30 words...words to which he specifically responded.  He also had a
number of 'tricks' he would do on command..sit up, roll over, play dead, go
find/get, shake hands (paws) [no kidding!] and speak.
 
He would talk to me on command, via chortles, harumphs, and barks.  We could
carry on quite lengthy conversations at times!  If we played tug of war with
a toy, he would growl and hiss something fierce, just as a dog.  As for
shaking paws, he would sit up on his haunches and offer a little paw.  The
caveat here was.."Don't grab my paw, just put your finger under my paw and
wiggle.  If you attempt to grab my paw, I will leave!"
 
The one thing that wasn't on his list of favorite things to do was KISS!
Oh, he would give kisses, but almost always there was the cajoling to get
him to do it, then he would suddenly sigh and give you a quick 'bump' on the
lips and then it was, "I did it, now let me alone!"
 
From my experience with a blind ferret, I would only offer this: Treat it as
a normal fert..you won't go wrong.  (BTW..Bubba was an MF fert)
 
Joe  (Missing my Bubba)
[Posted in FML issue 1827]