Hi everybody!  I just wanted to respond to a few posts that caught my
interest in the past few days....
 
LYNN: WHAT HAPPENED TO SQUEEK????  The last post I remember was of you
supporting his head so that the little guy could walk outside in the
grass....and how funny you must have looked to your neighbors.  Yesterday,
you signed "Squeek in Spirit"...I gasped when I read that!  Your stories of
this little guy stole a piece of my heart and I know I would have caught
anything that you might have posted about him.  The archives don't show
anything either.  What happened to your poor little Squeek?
 
SMOKING AT FERRET SHOWS  Oh well...never been flamed before..probably gonna
be a first time for sure!  ; ) I was surprised by a post regarding the
Lansing,MI show.  Someone(sorry..forget who it was!)said they were appalled
by all the smoke in the show hall.  I have attended four ferret shows in the
past year...in NJ, PA, and MD.  I have never encountered smoke at any of
these shows.  I am VERY sensitive to smoking and it probably would have been
enough to dissuade me from ever attending another.  I don't know whether it
is Federal or State laws or a combination of the two....but at least in NJ
and PA, it is illegal to smoke in many public places(even shopping malls,
which are usually pretty well-ventilated).  I am surprised to hear of heavy
smoke in a relatively confined area such as a show hall.  I think that is
inexcusable!  We all admonish pet stores and individuals who keep their
ferrets on pine or cedar shavings because of the respiratory distress it
causes our cherished pets.  Well, what about smoking????  We all know the
dangers that second-hand smoke poses to those who are unfortunate enough to
inhale it...and while we may be talking about a "relatively short" exposure,
what about common courtesy?  If I'm in a smoke-filled room for even a few
minutes I experience severe sinusitis, headaches, a stuffy nose, etc...and
while this may seem pretty trivial to some...it makes me feel miserable for
days!  I also would strongly recommend that those of you who do
smoke...please, do not do so in the vicinity of your fuzzies.  They have
very small lungs and I know of dogs that have succumbed to lung cancer from
second-hand smoke.  As predisposed as they already seem to be to various
cancers...do we really need to add one more?  Tracy, I think you should
enforce a "NO SMOKING" policy at your future shows.  While I realize that
this treads on the rights of the smokers to a certain degree, I think it
really is in the best interest of people and ferrets, alike.
Okay....flame-resistant padding in place...Fire at will!!!!
 
EUKANUBA STOOLS: Melissa, I am feeding a mixture of Innova, Eukanuba Chicken
& Rice, and Totally Ferret.  I have noticed an increase in the size(width)
of their stools and also a "very" unusual odor, since I added the first two.
I think it must be all the veggie ingredients in the Innova, though.  It's
sort of well...fruity, but a weird fruity(kinda apple-y, even)!  :D Has
anyone else noticed this with Innova or Eukanuba?  I'm constantly on the
lookout for any sign of tarry, or dark stools or even blood in the stool
(that might cause a strange, metallic smell)...but other than this unusual
smell, everything seems perfectly normal.
 
NUTROMAX KITTEN: Bill Killian, you mentioned that you had a problem with
this food, although you felt that the company, itself, was ferret friendly.
I have a problem with it getting caught on the roof of Gidget's mouth.  I
have had success in breaking it in half.  She refuses all other food, or she
would also be eating the same as above.  I was just wondering if this was
the "problem" you were having?
 
Well...bye for now! Anybody heading down to the AFA show in Frederick,
MD on the November 23?
 
Dodie Newcomb and the Five Fabulousy Furry Fuzzies and still no
signature file!<GGG>
[Posted in FML issue 1752]