>From:    Michael Bostrom <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Warning
>First, they waited until I left a can of pop too close to the computer and
>then dumped it onto the keyboard.  I spent hours cleaning each individual
>key with rubbing alcohol and a q-tip.
 
I know this sounds totally outrageous, but I've heard from reputable sources
that keyboards can safely be washed in a dishwasher.  They're just plastic
and a printed curcuit board, and printed circuit boards are routinely washed
as part of the manufacturing process.  Haven't tried it myself, though.
Donating to the Kodo Defense Fund was a LOT cheaper than the cost of a
dishwasher.
 
>From:    Patricia Curtis <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: Bob's Distemper post
>For ferrets that have not had an appropriate series or that you are unsure
>of their vaccinations, it is best to be safe.  I would recommend vaccinating
>them 3 times with Galaxy-D (giving a single vaccination at two week
>intervals until the series of 3 is completed), then a booster 6 months after
>the third shot, and then annually thereafter.  ...
 
Sometimes I hate the FML.  Just when you think you've given your ferts the
best care possible, someone you really respect delivers new information and
you're back to feeling like a bad parent.
 
Trish, it seems like I've read dozens of times that an adult fert with
unknown vaccination history needs two distemper shots, four weeks apart,
then annual boosters.  I've heard this from vets too.  I'm not anxious to
inject my weasels with any more noxious substances than I have to.  Are your
recommendations based on experience?  (Seems like they usually are.)
 
>From:    Adrienne Goldsmith <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: state laws
>I would like to know who to contact in my state government, in order to
>obtain copies of ferret laws in my state.  Any help would be appreciated.
 
I called the Public Health Department and followed the trail from there.
The first guy I talked to left me with the impression I lived in a kill-
and-test state, but later I learned otherwise.  I recommend being very
explicit with your questions, repeat what they say back to them to make sure
you understand, etc.  Getting someone to send you a copy of the policy in
writing helps.  If you do, there are several hard-working ferret activists
on this list who collect such things.  If you post the results of your
investigation to the FML, and say you have it in writing, I imagine they'd
contact you (plus you get nice letters from other people in your state who
didn't have the time to check for themselves).
 
-- Kim, whose nocturnal habits make her more likely to wake the ferrets
   up at 3:00 am than the other way around
 
   And Khaz, Tarkio, McKenzie, Ferrari, Sockeye and Yakobi ("Zzzzzzzzz")
[Posted in FML issue 1936]