This is a subject that has been going 'round and 'round with our local
ferret organization, especially when a community event comes up that we
consider having a booth at or being a part of.  How much truth do you tell
the public while you're educating, without making ferrets sound like bad
pets.  Or does that part really matter?  Is it just best to be honest, and
tell them about the costs, and the diseases and the maintenance, and can
you do it without overshadowing all the wonderful parts about being a
ferret owner?  I'm not really sure.
 
Education has always been our group's main thrust, and is sometimes very
simple at events where we and the ferrets we bring along are a novelty.
But in the example of the Reptile and Exotic Animal Exposition where we had
a booth last year, we were only a few tents down from a local breeder who
was selling kits in 80 degree heat out of an aquarium with shavings.  We of
course didn't have any ferrets at the event because of the heat, and spent
the day (with the breeder's permission) watering and shading the kits and
using them to help educate the people.  Does the breeder know what we think
of the conditions he kept his animals in?  Certainly.  Did it do any good?
Actually because of our mention of the conditions (not even naming the
breeder) through posts on our local email list, our non-profit club was
threatened with litigation by the breeder.  Therefore I won't even mention
the name of my organization here.
 
By the end of the weekend, either because of us or even in spite of us all
30 kits were sold.  How many of those are the ones we are sheltering now?
We've picked up five stray ferrets in the last month, not to mention the
other ten or so that have been surrendered by their owners for various (and
lame in my opinion) reasons.  Our shelter has upwards of 20 ferrets, half
post op or terminally ill, and is being run by one person with a very small
support staff and two or so dozen fund raising club members for financial
support.  We've debated if we should be represented at an event like that
again, but worry what would happen if we weren't there.  We're hoping to
go back under the name of our shelter, persuading even more people who are
there to buy a pet that adoption is an option.
 
Do I want ferrets to become popular pets?  No..I don't.  However I DO very
much want ferrets to be more understood in the eyes of the public.  At
events, fairs and adoption days over half of the questions our club members
answer are dealing with myths and just plain wrong information about
ferrets.  ("Look mom, she has a monkey!")  But then again if we can't get
the Ca Ca Fishing Gestapo to understand about ferrets, how can we expect
the rest of society to understand?
 
It will probably always be harder for ferret owners to rent apartments, fly
on plains with their pets, and to find good vet care.  But if all of the
responsible owners (and there are MANY on this list) can get together to
help the ferrets in need, and educate those who don't understand only good
things can come of it.  Endless arguments about a playmate in a ferret
magazine, or squabbling over what one person thinks about someone else's
shelter won't help any ferrets.  But look at how much good getting behind
Bob's Chicken Gravy has done!  I know several ferrets who are doing
fabulously on it, and have heard many accounts of others.  I know it's
hard sometimes, but I think if we focus on the positives, educate about
the realities and support those doing good work we as a community will be
much better off.
 
whoa..look how tall my soap box got.
Robynn McCarthy and the Fearsome Foursome
[Posted in FML issue 2687]