>Should I go back and question the employees?  Right next to this rabbit
>enclosure was a ferret cage with another ferret in it, sleeping.  That
>setup looked okay, I saw some Totally Ferret, a hammie, water bottle, etc.
>I just don't see how anyone could not notice a ferret *that* ill.
 
Since you haven't asked the employees, why are you so sure they *don't*
know?  Its possible that the reason the ferret was in the rabbit cage was so
that the other ferret didn't get sick (a lot of illnesses might not pass
from the ferret to the rabbits).  And the reality is that for something like
an eye infection, I'd guess that vets would probably prescribe antibiotics -
which might take a little time to start working.  Its possible the ferret
you saw may have already seen a vet and gotten medicine, and it just hasn't
been long enough for him to start feeling better.  I'm not trying to say
that you should trust the pet store to do the right thing all the time, but
its pretty unfair to immediately assume the pet store is in the wrong and to
make a long post to the FML about it without even asking!!!  A pet store
that's feeding TF isn't nearly as bad as many, and they obviously knew he
was sick if they tried to separate him from the other ferret.  I'd certainly
go back and check up on him, and ask to talk to the manager about him -- but
to just assume that the pet store would never do anything right seems pretty
counter-productive to me.
 
The reality is that ferrets get sick at times, even when well-cared for and
in good homes.  What separates a "good pet store" from a "bad pet store" is
not that the ferrets never ever get sick in good places - its that a good
pet store takes them to a vet, gets them the proper medicine, etc.  Unless
you know the ferret isn't being treated right, hasn't been to a vet, or
isn't getting better, you don't know that the pet store is doing anything
different from what you would have done.
 
We can't expect pet stores to treat animals better if we don't even find out
what they're doing before lambasting them.  If customers just assume the pet
store is treating the ferret poorly regardless of what they actually do,
what motivation do they have for doing the right thing?
 
        Just my opinion, which I'm sure I'll get flamed for.
-Rochelle Newman
[Posted in FML issue 1521]