Dear FMLers and the one who posted about the ferret that won first place on
the Funniest Video program.  I know that I may recieve a ton of flack for
this, and I thought about posting anon but I've stood heat before , so here
goes.  Everyone who reads FML or other ferret forums are already aware of
the fact that ferrets are the most adorable, cleaver, entertaining, and just
terrific animal that lives, right?  ( Well --to most of us anyway ) I am
positive that the reason the people whose ferret was entered into the
competition were motivated out of a love and admiration and desire to share
the pride and joy with the rest of the world.  I hope that the money or
prizes to be won by such a venture were secondary to these folks because
they are after ferret parents, and realize that ferrets deserve every break
they can catch due to they way they have been capitalized upon by the
millions.  Ferrets are being euphanized upon capture at many "Humane
Societies" when turned in, ferrets are being mistreated, abused , neglected,
just turned out (ignorance and cruelty) and the ferret shelters are
burgeoning and new ones are needing to be built all the time, and current
ones are enlarging, the foster ferret homes are growing in numbers, and
states who have not legalized the selling of ferrets is surely going to do
so eventually---this fact in itself will cause the ferret breeders to go
wild and pump out kits as fast as they can (by the thousands) to keep up
with the demand of people wanting to buy ferrets ( At very lucrative prices
to the sellers by the way),all because the ferret is the most adorable
looking little animal mostpeople have seen in their lives!  PROBLEM: They
are sold WITHOUT benefit of proper instruction, education, and are not even
required to be licensed (which I think is a fantastic idea because that
would slow the profiteers down a bit wouldn't it if every ferret seller had
to meet stringent guidelines WHICH ARE ENFORCED, and every ferret sold would
have to be licensed and required to be vaccinated for distemper (all the
required ones!), and rabies--mostly to protect the ferret from
litigation--not because they are a rabies threat!  Make it cost these
breeders and these prospective ferret owners some more money and be
responsible and see how that slows down the extreme overpopulation of these
gentle innocent animals!  Ferrets cost so much that when owners realize that
it is not the companion pet for them, (Because they are not told of the
unique care ferrets need) they are unwilling to give them to a shelter (one
that will adopt them out--HOPEFULLY NOTnot a humane society that will keep
them 3 days and auto-kill them), because by gosh it cost them a bunch of
money.  Let the ferret live its entire life in a small cage, alone and so
there!  Now, I realize that not everyone that buys a ferret feels this way
when they decide to not keep it, but thousands do.  Everyone of you reading
this may know of one that came from a situation like this.  I rescued some
myself.,which I will keep as long as they (or I ) live by the way.  The
people wanted to "get rid of them", "It was my son's but he don't want it
anymore, and I'm not having that nasty thing in my house", etc.  the stories
go on and on---but they won't give them to someone who wanted them and knew
how to take care of them( because it cost them too much money), BUT low and
behold they would sell them.  Like I say I have rescued some---I had to pay
for them to do it, but they were true rescues, nonetheless.  Most of you
have heard the tragic stories over and over.  We need to stop them from
happening , not contribute to them by letting people see how adorable
ferrets are and not being able to tell the whole story about ferrets at the
same time!  How it is a big challenge and responsibility to be a ferret
parent, and how they are like toddlers their whole life, and how if there is
a peril to be found, a ferret will eventually find it.  How, they may not
always go bathroom in a neat little litter box, and how they may develop one
of many serious illness that could require vast amounts of time and expense
to care for properly to get them through it.  Ferrets are being passed from
uninformed owner to uninformed owner over and over and over, and every time,
the poor animal has to again suffer the perils and ignorance of the next
owners.  We need to educate people about what it takes to have a ferret as a
companion.  We need to then try to find more good homes for already born
ferrets that need special love and care and a permanent home with a loving
knowledgeable family.  We need to support existing ferret shelters and help
build and support more because if some things don't change, we're going to
need them big time.  We need to work on legislation to stop the killing of
ferrets for no legitimate reason when cats and dogs pose a vastly greater
threat than what ferrets are being exteriminated for.  While the Funniest
Video contest was entertaining, my concern is that it may cause a run on kit
buying by people who only saw one aspect of the unique animal called a
domestic ferret.  Now, go ahead and give me your best shot.  Then I will
tell you about the ferret who lived in a tiny pet taxi for its entire life,
with only being let out to eat once a day, and the pile of poop in the
corner of its taxi was as large as about one-third the size of the tiny
taxi.  He had no blankie, no food and water available, and could hardly walk
when rescued.  This is only one of thousands of stories.  Owner didn't want
him, but paid a bunch of money for it ---I had to pay him the full amount of
the kit that he paid just to rescue this ferret.
 
Janice and the 8 little dwarfs in the land of Oz ferret.
[Posted in FML issue 1919]