>My question is that we have 3 ferrets and I don't know if the ferret can
>carry and/or give my wife toxoplasmosis.  I have taken over the cleaning of
>the litter box and of the cage but am unsure as to whether my wife should
>even be handling them.
 
Well firstly I have not heard of this disease toxoplasmosis and was not
aware it is transmittable.  But, I really must say, as a biologist (my focus
is evolution), the possibility that any human with an active disease process
could give it to a ferret and have it come down with the same disease seems
very unlikely.  This is not the way viruses (and bacteria) work, they are
usually relatively host specific.  It is possible that one is a vector, but
the vector usually doesn't manifest disease.  Only the host does.  So my gut
says "No way".  Just my $.02.
 
[Later...]
Regarding my last post about transmission of disease from ferret to human, i
have realized that it is possible (the coccidia post reminded me) to
transmit, but I still think the clinical manifestations will differ.  But
again i speak from inference, not experience (what we need here is a MD or
DVS) :)
 
ANyways.  Two things.
 
1) My cats think they are ferrets now.  I mean my ferrets are now cats.
Here's the deal: My mom had them on Kitten chow for a while and they seem to
like it alot.  I went out and got *real ferret food* b/c it had more
vitamins and is supposed to be healthier for the ferrets.  It is called
Kaytee Forti-Diet ferret food.  To make a long story short, after two weeks
they won't touch it.  They'll even starve rather than eat it!  So i went out
and bought another bag of kitten chow.  Anyways, if anyone in the Houston TX
(or related areas), *especially shelters* wants a 10lb bag of ferret food
they are welcome to it.  I ask individuals if you are not a shelter a small
donation of $5 would be welcome to offset the cost (I am a student and flat
broke :)  Anyways somebody take this thing from me.
 
2)  Does anyone know of a Houston ferret club?  Seems with all these people
there should be enough people to start a club.  Or a Texas club or something.
 
Oh, sorry 3) Litter training!  Nothing drives me more up the wall than to
see my ferrets total ignore their litter boxes and newpapers and do it on
the (brand new) carpet.  Please help> I have read the FAQ several times and
have tried to do the best to impliment all suggestions.  My ferts are about
3-4 years old.  I have two litter boxes.  Should I get more?  They seem to
go just wherever they please and I am getting fairly stirred up over it!  I
can't find bitter apple here, but I got ferritone and try to reinforce the
litter behaviour by placing them in the box when they wake up and when they
seem to have to go.  But I can't police them 24 hours a day and they do it
so *often*!  At wits end!
 
Thanks!  Why are my ferrets acting like cats?   :)
 
-Rob
 
[Moderator's note: Both Drs. Williams and Dutton agree that ferrets can
carry toxoplasmosis.  Perhaps Dr. Williams summed it up well with this post
in FML 1281:                BIG]
 
>Toxoplasmosis has been reported twice in ferrets.  Ferrets will not shed
>the toxoplasma organism to the extent that cats do, but if they are exposed
>to cat feces, they may contract the disease and shed very low amounts of
>oocysts.
>
>Here's the bottom line.  Becuase of the devastating effects that Toxoplasma
>can have on a developing human fetus in the first trimester - you don't want
>to take ANY chance at all on exposing Lorelei to Toxo.  So you, my friend,
>inherit all litterbox duties for the next nine months.  Actually, she
>probably stands a higher chance of getting Toxo from poorly cooked beef.
>The doctor says - if she's a carnivore - better get used to well-done
>steaks...
[Posted in FML issue 2064]