Greetings to all FMLers, and a special hello to those in the
Maritime Provinces.  I've been reading the FML for about a month now, (well,
trying to keep up with it!), and I have quite a story to share with you.  It
ties in both how I have just recently been adopted by a cuddly, affectionate
little fleet-footed fuzzball, and also a horrible fate that awaits most of
the local ferret kits at a local pet store.
        First of all, I'd like to introduce you all to Velocity, mey new
10.5 week old albino male.  I met him at a pet store here in Moncton, NB
when I went in to ask the clerks about their ferrets (more on that later),
and immediately fell in love with him! (Isn't that -always- how it happens?)
 Well, I picked him up, and the very first thing he did was bump my chin
several times with his nose, ("Hello, are you my daddy?"), and then rub his
cheek against my collar.  ("I really REALLY hope you're my daddy!")  Well,
that did it.... I was hopelessly gone.  Now he shares my home and is the hit
of the neighbourhood.  :)  He lives up to his name; I have a long room that
he just -loves- to chase me from one end to the other continuously... he's
as fast as I am, at full tilt!  He loves all his toys, of course, but his
absolute favourite is what I call his 'mosh pit'.  It's one of those
foam-cushion cat sleepers, covered with a fuzzy/furry slip cover, and shaped
like a 1' x 2' oblong 'bowl', about 8" deep.  Velocity loves to hop into it
and wait for me to dangle something like a hand towel, and then he goes
absolutely berserk!  He just thrashes himself around... side to side, head
over heels, every which way!  It's wildly hysterical, and he'll do this
continuously, occasionally throwing himself right out of the 'pit'.  Then of
course he pounces (literally) right back in again.  I have GOT to get
pictures of this, as it shows him trying to use his 'hands'... it looks like
he's clapping with excitement!  *grin*
        Well, now on to the second and not-so-happy part of this posting.
The only reason I went to this pet store in the first place was because of
this group, the FML sunscribers.  Pam Greene forwarded me an excerpt from an
FML posting by a subscriber in Halifax NS, about a Moncton pet store that
has their ferrets 'defanged', and also claimed that it was done by filing
down the teeth. Well, I was naturally appalled and concerned, being an avid
ferret enthusiast for years (but as yet not an adoptee), so I went to
confirm whether or not this was rumour or fact.  Well, to my horror, it
turned out to be fact.  This pet store has a 'package deal' with their vet
clinic, which is in the same building; when any ferrets they have in 'stock'
are old enough to be neutered (at least they have the sense not to do that
too early), they have them carted next door to be neutered, descented, AND
defanged all at once.
        I asked the clerk why, and the response was, "So their bites don't
hurt when they get older...they can really rip into you!"  I couldn't
suppress a 'harrumph', and asked; "So you defang all your kittens and
puppies too, then??" to which I received an awkward negative.  Next up on
the firing line was the clerk at the clinic next door, who verified that
they DO perform the defanging, or 'barbing' as she called it, under
anaesthesia to make the fangs the same length as the rest of the front teeth
by clipping them then "smoothing them off".  To which I said, fishing; "I
see... I suppose that the majority of these operations are performed on
request of the individual owner then?"   Her response: "No, no actually, I
wouldn't say that, we do most of them before they are bought."  Which
indirectly confirms that the pet store indeed orders it done. (And maybe
perhaps that local ferret owners, while few, simply KNOW better?)
        Needless to say Velocity will never see the inside of that clinic.
As an aside, I purchased him at 7 weeks old, long before he was due to be
neutered, (though he was dewormed and had his first distemper shots), and so
I've saved him from this horrible, inhumane torture.  I have also found a
sympathetic vet with a little ferret experience who was very eager to accept
the copy of the Ferret FAQ that I gave her, and interested in anything more
I can get, including any and all tips and suggestions and real medical
advice I can get from the FML.  (Kudos to Pam Greene for the FAQ, and to BIG
for the FML, and to all FMLers for being such a wonderfully helpful,
knowledgeable group!)  So I've got a young, though locally reputable vet
that we can train properly,  ;)  who has no prejudices and no misinformation
and is willing to seek the expert advice available here online.
        And so now, I turn to the FML for help.  What do I do?  How do I get
the pet store, and this vet who should KNOW better, to stop this horrible
practice?  Velocity's vet is totally against the idea of this 'barbing',
saying it can only lead to dental problems later on.  (Go file off the
canines or inscisors on your human baby, then go and see what kind of
hair-pulling and ranting your dentist will do!)  I've also talked to a local
pet food wholesaler, as well as a competing pet store, and, while perhaps a
little indifferent, both seemed to actually start to think about it.  Should
I try to get more local help?  As far as I know there are no ferret clubs in
the area, maybe even the province.  (Time to start one?  *grin*)  What else
do I try?  Dr. Williams, is there any medical reason at ALL to file down a
ferret's fangs?  (Short of keeping the little vampires from devouring us all
and drinking our blood, of course!)  Would you be willing to write a letter
to the pet store and the vet?  (Another aside: Velocity just woke up, came
over and wanted to be picked up, and then proceeded to give me kisses and
snuggle up under my chin.  Guess I'm just begging for him to rip my face
off, hmm?  Sheesh.  If he gets any MORE dangerous, I'll have to put him in a
solid-steel-wall cage to keep the neighbourhood kids OUT!)
        Can you folks help me out?  There is currently another litter of
ferrets at the pet store in question (Velocity was the last of the previous
one), and I want to save these innocent, adorable little fuzzies from this
terrible fate!  I just can't imagine what pain/side effects these ferret
kits are going to have to endure later on.  What about having ALL the FML
send letters/faxes, indicating how completely unnecessary, not to mention
harmful and downright abusive, this practice is?  I get the impression that
the local area just needs to be educated about ferrets.  I'm afraid to go to
the media, though, after reading about CBS.
 
        Anyway, this posting is MORE than long enough for this issue, and I
apologise to BIG and all of you for rambling on.  Now that I've made my
plea, future posts will be much shorter.
        Thanks for 'listening', fuzzywhiskerhugs to all the woozles, and
here's hoping the FML can do some more good!  :)   (email welcome!)
 
Sean, "Puff, puff, puff!  I can't run anymore!", and
Velocity, "But Daa-aad, we just started!  Ok, (bounce bounce) can we mosh
instead? (bounce bounce)"
[Posted in FML issue 1233]