As people who care about ferrets, we would all prefer that ferrets were
obtained from shelters and reputable breeders only.  But for many reasons
(advertising, convenience, price, availability, location, inexperience,
etc) most ferrets are purchased at pet shops.
 
Here is a simple inexpensive thing we can ALL try to help improve the lives
of those ferrets.
 
Go to your local pet shops that carry ferrets.  Ask to speak to the manager
or person in charge.  Offer to bring in some FREE literature for them to
show or give people who are interested in buying ferrets.  (DO NOT complain
about or comment on how the ferrets are housed or being cared for unless
you see something very wrong.  In that case, bring it up as if it were an
oversight on their part: "Oh I just noticed the little dears drank all
their water, I can help you refill it!)
 
Print a copy of Pam Greene's mini-FAQ (http://www.ferretcentral.org) or
similar ferret care booklet.  (The full FAQ is too long and few customers
or employees would bother to read it.) Put contact info for the local
ferret club or shelter on the booklet.  Buy an inexpensive binder for it
and put the name of the pet shop on the cover.  If you can find a way to
punch a hole and attach a short ball chain, so much the better.
 
Also print copies of PG's micro-FAQ or similar one page brochure.  Again,
add local contact info.  Take a bunch of copies along with your bound
booklet to the store and find the person you talked to before.  CHAIN the
booklet to the ferret cage and find someplace convenient to stack the
one-pagers.  (Note a one-page brochure will NOT cut into their sales of
ferret books if they stock them.)
 
Check back a week later.  If your booklet is gone, express concern (NOT
anger).  After all, you are trying to help them out at your own expense.
Make another if you have to.  Check back periodically and bring in more
one-pagers as needed.  Over time, maybe the employees will read the stuff
and learn something.
 
Linda Iroff
North Coast Ferret Shelter West
"The Raisin Retreat"
Oberlin, Ohio
http://www.oberlin.edu/~liroff/ncfs.html
[Posted in FML issue 2411]