Today was the ferret frolic picnic at Stanley Park.  What a great
day for it - overcast but warm and not at all wet.  There were over forty
ferrets and none of them did anything they were asked to do (doesn't that
just figure!)
 
        We played a ton of games that had us rolling on the grass in tears
(ever seen a whole bunch of people kneeling on the grass in the park calling
their ferret with squeaky toys and raisins and fuzzy mice and trying to get
them to come to them???)  The best was Tanuki, who plays dead for watermelon
slices.  We try to change the games every year (partly for variety, and
partly so noone has an advantage by "training" their ferrets!!!)  My
question is...does anyone have any suggestions for games we can try next
year??  Anything would be appreciated. I know other people hold frolics, so
I'd like to exchange ideas with you!
 
        A photographer from the newspaper came by and took some great shots
and promised they'll be in tommorrow's edition.  He was really impressed
with the gregarious ferrets playing with fuzzy mice on strings.  Hope it's
good publicity!
 
        Somebody posted something about feeding their ferrets *peanuts*
(sorry I can't recall who it was).  As I understand, nuts are to ferrets as
poinsettas are to cats (in other words, *REALLY BAD*) because of the
possibilty of that undigestable nut causing a blockage.
 
        Now maybe someone can help me out...I have a little sable female
rescue (4 1/2 years old) whose tail has gone copmpletely bald.  My
veterinarian has almost completely ruled out the possibilty of an adrenal
tumour without going in for exploratory surgery.  He doesn't want to do this
because he doesn't want to cause her undue stress in case it's not a tumour
(she's really really really small) (did I mention she was really small?).
I'm wondering if there is a medication or something I can give her that will
encourage hair growth??  It's not coat change, because it's been bald since
just after I got her (almost a year ago).  It's not spreading over her back
(which is *quite* hairy) it's just her tail.
 
        And is there something about white ferrets that gives them those
really thinly-haired tails that look almost bloody underneath???  I've seen
several (albinos and black eyed whites) with this problem, so I thought I'd
put out some feelers and ask around.  It certainly looks pretty repulsive,
but asthetic considerations aside, I'm curious about the medical causes, if any.
 
        My ferrets love Milkbones and Pounce cat treats, which seems to
surprise everyone I tell this to.  Am I the *only* person who feeds these to
my ferrets???
 
        All your feedback is greatly appreciated and eagerly absorbed.  :)
********************************************************************************
Ferrets & Friends Club and Rescue e-mail:  [log in to unmask]
BooBoo *I won the yawning competition today.  Pardon me, I'm going to bed*
Joop *I didn't win nuthin.  So this means I don't get a raisin?*
Ashley *When you have no hair on your tail, it's easy to win for Shortest Tail*
Fang *I was sleeping, I missed the whole picnic*
Chloe & Shadow (in the halfway house) *nobody bought *US* those cute bandanas*
********************************************************************************
[Posted in FML issue 1262]