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Subject:
From:
Bob Church <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Thu, 17 Oct 1996 02:18:47 -0500
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Let me start out with a reference for those of you fighting the "feral
ferret" crapola, especially in Ca Ca land.
 
Mark Williamson and Alastair Fitter  1996 The Varying Success of Invaders
_Ecology_ 77(6):1661-1666.
 
A fine paper that discusses the ability of introduced organisms to invade
and become established, and the few exceptions to the "rule of ten." (The
rule of ten states that only one of ten importations lead to introductions,
only one of ten introductions lead to an establishment, and only one of ten
establishments become a pest.  So the changes of any given importation
becoming a pest are about 1/10 x 1/10 x 1/10, or about 1 in a thousand.  No
one knows why it works, but it does.)
 
This could be a nice reference for Californians wanting to argue against the
Ca Ca Fish and Gestapo's claims that the ferret could become established as
a pest--even though it has been in the New World since white faces and
hasn't extablished feral populations anywhere.  The paper explains how the
expections have special unique characteristics (not found in Ca Ca Land),
and details what is required for such invasions to be successful.
 
The journal "Ecology" is common at most colleges.
 
Q: My ferrets seem to sleep alot, and seem out of shape.  Who do you keep
your ferrets active, especially in the winter?
 
A: I tie their leashes to the bumper of my car.
 
NO NO NO! Just a joke. honest.
 
I actively seek them out and play with them.  Simple as that.  You have to
understand that winter is the time for energy conservation for the ferret;
they will be putting on the jelly roll for the cold climes as part of a
predetermined genetic program.  They also seem to sleep more, and will if
they are not actively engaged.  (Not with a girlfriend, Mo.)
 
After awhile, you know what the favorite toys are for each beastie.  Moose
loves hand wreastling and chasing paper balls.  Stella loves racing for the
rat on a string.  (Toy rat, OK?) Bear will climb anything for a piece of
fruit.  Foster dances over plastic jinglebells.  All I do is get each one
out and play with their favorite toy.  You will be surprised at how much
they start to look forward to the games, and will even wait and watch until
it is their turn.
 
Of course, this means you have to be actively involved.  And sometimes, with
the persistence ferrets only seem to understand, you may start something to
only last a few minutes and they want a few hours.  But that's the trade off
for a fit ferret.
 
Play up to their instincts; give them things to sniff, let them explore,
dig, and roll in the dirt.  Chase them, then run away.  Pick up all the
poop, then roll on the floor with them.  These are active little guys, and
if you challenge them, they love it, and will respond.  When I'm out with
the noise makers, all 18 come running.  They dance and jump all over me,
sometimes nipping my ankles, climbing in my shirt, even crawling through my
hair.  After an hour or so, we all lay in front of the boob tube, eat jerky
and dried fruit, and doze off.  At any time, I can have up to a dozen
ferrets sleeping on or near me.
 
Gus used to sleep across the back of my neck when I was in the "napping like
a dead drunk" position.  I can remember listening to his soft snore and
occasional squeek.  Sometimes I would get up and work on papers, and he
would sleep right through the typing, only to lick or bite my earlobe when I
wasn't expecting it.
 
To have active ferrets, with few exceptions for the old and infirm, you
have to be active with them. Don't be a pet owner; be a pet partner. Makes
up for the poop.
 
Mo' Bob and the 18 Fightin' Fit Ferts (Missing Gus the Snorehead)
[Posted in FML issue 1725]

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