>From:    Jack Butler <[log in to unmask]>
>
>Is there a ferret "bible" out there?  I need to arm myself with as much
>knowledge as quickly as possible....
 
Hi,
 
There is a great book - Ferrets for Dummies - it is full of excellent
info and other references.
 
Food - Totally Ferret, The Ferret Store's brand, and the Sheppard and
Greene Super Premium Ferret Food are the best possible diet - all can
be ordered for just about the best price you can get from
www.theferretstore.com
 
Cage - DO NOT USE a Midwest cage or one of the SuperPet ferret cages
with all the tubes - they look neat but are not real good at keeping
the ferret from leaving.
 
You can check www.martinscages.com - he makes and sells cages that most
people love!  There is also a guy in Iowa (Greg Barinski) who is
mentioned in Ferrets For Dummies - he does super cages - I only use his
and absolutely love them!  Don't bother with his website, it's not up
yet (still...), but give him a call - he's great!
 
Otherwise, get the largest cage you can afford - floor space is more
important than height.  Cover the bare wire floors with carpet, vinyl
flooring remnants, or something else to keep their feet from getting
caught.
 
They love old t-shirts and sweatshirts as well as hammocks, sleep
sacks, etc.  - new stuff can be purchased reasonably and easily at
www.theferretstore.com
I keep mentioning them because they have quality stuff, support the
ferret shelters, have reasonable prices, no shipping on orders over $25,
and excellent customer service - it's hard to find someone who's dealt
with them and not been satsified.
 
Are either Houston or Lubbock near you?  If not, what larger cities are?
I might be able to put you in touch with a local shelter who can help
you get started with your new fuzzballs and give you some tips on what
to expect from them in terms of normal behaviour.  (I once had a dog/cat
shelter person tell me that they had rescued a ferret and had it
euthanized when it acted like it had rabies - it was doing a typical
"happy ferret dance" and was not sick).
 
Please feel free to eMail me privately if I can answer any questions for
you!
 
Congrats on the new babies!!
 
Kim
[Posted in FML issue 4001]