I'll agree that not all pet stores are evil, just like *all* of anything
else is not the same.  However, in my area, I have yet to see a pet store
that really had their ferrets caged and kept well.  I was at Heartland Pets
in the Millcreek mall yesterday and I was pleasantly surprised.  The
ferrets had been moved from their tiny cramped cage on the floor in front
of the room of dog enclosures to a cage in the window, which was much
larger, faced the mall hallway, with a wire door in the back.  This is
definitely an improvement over the tiny wire cage they were crammed in
before.  They also had two litter pans, (the nifty corner ones, even though
they weren't in the corners anymore!), and a tube to play in.  I got to see
my favorite ferret there, which I have to be content with just going to
visit.  As much as I would love to fill my apartment full of ferrets, at
this point I really shouldn't......but....there's nothing that says my
boyfriend can't get one!  (or two, or six, or 19 ;)
 
They are still kept in wood shavings, and the food looked like rabbit food,
but I could be wrong.  Could they be using a good type of food that looks
like rabbit food?  And to the pet store owners/workers out there, how do
you keep your ferrets that is cost efficient, yet still clean?  I don't
think the pet store would be too keen on having hammocks and things like
that which would have to be laundered...and I suppose wood chips are better
than being on the hard cage bottom, though I have read about the
respiratory problems that may be the result of wood chips.  I picked up an
application for the store, but I'm not sure how that would really work out.
I might try it for a little while to see what happens.  I think I would
probably be too concerned about ferret welfare and they would get sick of
me.  ;)
 
 :)
Brenda
Pinky & the Brain
*wow, look at all the fun stuff we can hide so brender can't find it!*
[Posted in FML issue 2778]