Hi All!
 
This is my first post to the FML so I'd like to introduce myself.  I'm a
college student (soon to be graduate!!!!) majoring in Computer Science.  I
have very recently become involved with ferrets.  I got my first fert 2
weeks ago and couldn't stand not getting her a roommate.  So fuzzball # 2
arrived 2 days ago.  I am responding to the following post:
 
>Jennifer Salland wrote:
>He was kept in a decent-sized cage, BUT, the bottom of the cage was wood
>shavings, no wire at all... The poor thing was sleeping in the shavings,
>and when I asked the store employee if I could take him out, I had to brush
>the stuff off of him - he was absolutely covered in it.  There was also no
>litter pan in the cage; he was going to the bathroom right on the shavings.
 
I know what you mean!!!  My fuzzbutts were in the exact same situation when
I got them.  The first, Slinky, wasn't so bad, she barely bites anymore
(after only 2 weeks)...she had only been at the pet store for a day or two.
They tend to sell quickly where I got them.  I figured it wasn't so bad to
be there for a couple of days.
 
When I went back to get fuzzbutt #2, Pretzel, I called to find a shop that
had any available.  The same place had a couple.  I went there that same
morning and to my surprise, Slink's sister was still at the pet shop.
 
Things were totally different with her.  She bites HARD!!!  She still is
sweeter than Slink, more kisses, less bites, but HARDER bites.  I let her
out of the cage when she got home and she could barely walk!!  Keep in mind
these are 9-10 week old kits, very energetic, but it's like she was numb all
over.  It's not any kind of medical problem, just lack of exercise.  I felt
so bad for leaving her there for over a week :(.  She's doing better after a
couple days of running around.
 
As for the pet shop attendants, that's where I blew my top!  The 1st trip
was OK, I was not told anything about caring for the ferret, though.  The
2nd time, I actually complained to the manager about the attendant!!  She
ignored me when I asked her to let me carry the ferts, and when I asked for
prices on the food.  When I asked her what she (the fert) had been eating,
she said she had thrown some rabbit food in there just yesterday!!
 
She was extremely rude and kept asking me why the hell I was getting one of
those disgusting, stinky things, claiming that it was ridiculous to "spend
so much money on that".  She actually laughed at me when I went to pay for
her and a cage.  Talk about a salesperson!!  No wonder they didn't sell at
this pet shop.  The manager apologized, claiming that she only worked the
cash register and was on the verge of being fired.
 
Aren't pet stores, especially big chains like this one, supposed to train
their employees on the care of these pets?
 
BTW, I thought it is a bad idea to keep ferts in cages with wire bottoms.
Is that true??
 
Sorry to ramble on.........
 
Sincerely,
 
Diana, Slinky & Pretzel
[Posted in FML issue 2017]