Just wanted to agree with Deb Kelley and her post yesterday!  I do agree
that education is the key!  It is an unfortunate fact that alot of first
time ferret owners do get their ferrets from pet stores.  I know I did!
It was the only place I had even seen them!  I know better now, and if I
decide to get another(and yes, I do have my eye on one!!)-it won't be from
a pet store, but from either a breeder or shelter!  But without that
initial pet store exposure, I would have never ended up being owned by
ferrets!  There was no one there to give me good ferret info.  I had to
seek that out on my own.  And as a result of my learning-I am teaching the
folks at the pet store.  Everytime I go in, I spend a little time talking
with(EDUCATING!!)the sales clerks!  It's amazing-they really do listen!
And I think Deb Kelley is right about them being secret weapons-the
knowledge we pass to them will be passed along to someone else!  One person
at a time!!  We just have to keep talking!!!  I know that the care and
comfort of the ferrets in that pet store have increased 100% for the better
since the time I bought mine!!  They no longer feed the nasty "bulk" ferret
food!  They are feeding Totally Ferret!!  That alone is a major step!!
(They are still MF babies, but at least they are MF babies getting Totally
Ferret!!) They no longer house them in wire-bottomed cages with nothing but
a litter box!  They have a nice multi-level cage filled with hammocks and
sleep sacks and even old sweatshirts!!  The owner commented to me on how
easy it is to keep the cage cleaned now that the ferrets have someplace to
sleep besides their litter box!!  They actually USE the box now!!  Before
they just "went" in any corner and slept in the litter box!  He THANKED me
for the info!!  I KNOW I have made a difference at that pet store!  JUST
BY TALKING!!  We all can make a difference if we just keep talking!!
 
Della and the Tumbleweeds                     AIM <imjudella2>
Judy Cooke                                    ICQ #12094923
Tyson and Einstein
 
"The world is made up for the most part of morons and natural tyrants,
sure of themselves, strong in their own opinions, never doubting
anything."
Clarence Darrow
[Posted in FML issue 2798]