I am a petstsore buyer.  I would not have gone shopping for a ferret.  I
had had two in the past and thought they were cute but dogs/cats/horses
were my thing.  People go to pet stores to buy supplies and then see the
ferrets.  A lot of ferret lovers started out this way.  I bought my first
there, then my second, then I got on the internet and got my next from a
shelter, my fourth will be from a breeder (already picked out) and then I
am getting two more shipped in from a shelter.  I never have enjoyed
anything in my life as I have my ferrets.  I bought every book I found
(except one $28 one) got them from the library, read FML and got educated.
All I can say is I am thankful I found those things in a pet store - and
yes, I was given some wrong information and wasted money buying things they
shouldn't have - like wood shavings... Point is there are a lot of people
out there who got their first from a petstore and became wonderful owners.
Yes, there are a lot of homeless ferrets who were bought on impulse.  That
goes on everything in life with humans including houses, cars, dogs, cats,
jobs.... I don't believe boycotting or stopping the petstores from selling
is going to correct mankind, I think it will hurt the availability of
ferrets for those who are the type to love em but don't know about them to
go out and seek.  I feel the answer is to convince the petstsores to know
as much about ferrets as they do about dogs and cats where they can warn
the dangers and get the people headed in the right direction.  Just getting
them to point out the magazines, libraries, the books, the internet and
clubs would be a giant step along with giving out the litature the shelters
have.  Of course, that goes in hand with their setting up the correct
display to show the type of enviorment the little tykes should have.
 
A lot of work is needed to clean up the industry but it can be done with
determination and the willing to help rather than to isolate and hide the
"product" where it is too difficult to come by.
 
Millie & her cleaning crew
Easy Off:  the most perfect ferret in the whole wide world
Ammonia:  If I do that again, I will look like I have what kinda ailment
Grandma?  Ad? - Adren? - what kind?  hairloss where?
Cascade:  the observer, WEll! she' better not enter me in a show for the
longest kisser!
Ajax:  yet to come, Mama, maybe I had better stay here with you just a
tad longer, like 2 years????
[Posted in FML issue 2411]