Dear Ferreteers,
 
I promised an update on the Arcadia ferrets & here it is.  It is disjointed
because I am so tired, but I could not possibly wait until tomorrow to share
this experience with you folks.
 
All nine neutered ferrets in a total of 4 cages are sitting happily on my
living room floor.They all have thick coats, clipped nails, and appetites.
As far as I can tell, they are all healthy.  I have so far seen no fleas.
Poops are orangey and loose - probably stress/poor diet, but I'll be
watching (CAT FOOD!!  UCK) Per Mr Reynolds, all these guys are descented.
Some are napping now, some eating.  The ones who had litter boxes used them!
(Yesterday's News)
 
The count is as follows:
 1 Choc Panda (gorgeous!) M (spoken for)
 1 Dk Sable               F
 4 Sable                  F
 3 Albinos                M (1 spoken for)
 
My experience (except for Heidi von Fredonia) is limited to MFs, but these
babies are appreciably larger than I'm used to.  Perhaps Carin Riley & Karen
Braithwaite noticed problems I didn't - I hope they will comment.
 
The nail clipping happened without incident, thanks to Karen's skill, Mr
Reynold's handling of the ferrets,and Ferret-vite.
 
They lived in an open air shed, in cages with little houses they crawled
into to sleep, water bottles and food dishes.  Lisa and I filled up
Barbara's camera, but unfortunately mine refused to work.  I was verrry
disappointed, to put it mildly.
 
All told, the packing up & loading took @ 3.5 hrs, I think.  Mr Reynolds
sent Mike & Lisa home with a bag of fruit, and seemed genuinely fond of the
ferrets.  I hope we hear from Mike about the Gainesville end of the
operation - they had to get to G'ville before Dr K closed.
 
I'm rounding up my brood to cage them so I can try to let the new ones out
for a run & some exercise.  I'll be here tonight for
questions/comments/Yahoos!
 
I think it's important to note here that Mr Reynolds seemed genuinely fond
of his animals.  He interacted with them well, he knew all their stories, he
was proud of the ones he hand raised, the cages were well maintained (given
their structural limitations), and the ferret-dudes themselves are
magnificent.  For all the discussions of backyard breeders here, I have to
state this gentleman was a responsible and loving caretaker.  When he
realized he couldn't meet their needs for socialization & companionship, he
accepted a way to make sure his ferrets were cared for by people who
could.Because of the lack of bite training, some of these babies are biters
who will need work & hand training.  They'll get it.  The ferrets in
Gainesville will need their surgeries and shots & exams... They'll get it,
as well.
 
Again, email me for adoption information & please be patient - nine new
ferrets in my house need time!
 
Send $ donations (those surgeries/shots/exams will cost!) to Barbara Ludt or
Dr Kemmerer.  Send goodwill & best wishes to all of us who love ferrets and
are willing to work for them - Carin, Karen, Mike Jordan, Lisa Jordan, Susie
Sherman & the inestimable Barbara Ludt.
 
Best ferret wishes,
Paula Bryder
[log in to unmask]
 
Donations:
 
Barbara LudtPO Box 984
Penny Farms, Fl 32079-0984
904-284-9232
904-284-6998 (fx)
 
Dr Kemmerer
West End Animal Clinic
103 SW 140th Terr
Newberry Fl 32669
For the Arcadia Ferrets/non-tax deductible
 
Best,
Paula
[Posted in FML issue 2158]