Well frankly I am not surprised that Ferrets Magazine has been dead
ended in print. in 1998 when they tried to boy out MOdern Ferret and
went ahead with the squeeze the little guy out of the market-- the
magazine did not sing. It was a bare bones and bland Ferret Magazine
that read like it was just selling adds.

Once Marylou Zarbock became the editor, the Ferrets Magazine took on
a new life a wonderful life putting forth interesting and positive
material for ferret caretakers and potential owners. We do owe her a
debt of gratitude for what she did for ferrets everywhere over these
years.

Unfortunately, ferrets are more saturated today in the current
marketplace, and now there will be little educational material
accessible to those who choose to purchase them. Not every person
who buys a ferret will have the means to care for it.. nevermind the
knowledge of where to go in cyberspace for information on how to care
for it.

We now enter another dark era in ferret history. An era that to me
reads like in the later 1900's when no one knew why ferrets were
illegal to own in the eastern US states... ( well they were only
illegal to own FOR hunting rabbits but no one remembered that part of
it) .. Not everyone has a computer that owns a ferret. Most folks are
working, going to school and caring for family & pets-- only a small
pool have regular access to a computer to make the new ferrets
offereings a successful mode of education.

For our shelter friends and patrons who are on the Ferrets subscription
lists notices are "in the mail" and the only compensation seems to be
that you could choose a different publication for the dollars you spent
on an unfulfilled subscription. I don't blame those of you who are less
than dazzled by the offer.

We can only hope that in the next few years another publication will
endeavor to assist with education about the companion ferret.

We now face the dark days when ferrets are still not accepted by the
established humane community as equal companions like cats and dogs.
Not entitled to the same shelter resources as cats and dogs. Now with
the demise of Ferrets Magazine the pet stores are still pumping out the
little beasties with vigor and the resources have begun to diminish.

Perhaps now is a good time to jump on the no sales of Ferrets campaign
at corporate giant PetsMart and Petco.

After all in the last year the ferret rescue community has lost the
generous support and wholesale buying opportunities that existed
with the FerretStore.com, they have lost the last ferret specific
publication which helped with education, and now are faced with fewer
and fewer resources to continue their existence. It would be wise to
also work to integrate companion ferrets INTO the established humane
shelters as ferret specific sheltering as noble as the shelterers are
face an enormous task with little resources. Grant opportunities are
far and few between for ferret shelterers.

Support those shelters and rescues we have now, for darker days are
looming for them in the near future.

We have just entered the Twilight Zone.

Sadly,
Alicia Drakiotes
outspoken ferret shelterer, educator

[Posted in FML 5863]