Dear FML-ers and Ingrid and Five Fuzzies in Las Vegas
 
Let me start by saying I am an fml-er, and a ferret mother of 6 lovey
fuzzbutts, and a PETCO employee.
 
I just opened a new PETCO in LAS Vegas, on Craig and Martin Luther King
Blvd.  I read the fml posted and am VERY upset!  Not because of what was
said about PETCO in general, because I agree with you, but the fact that
my friends wrote to me and said that it might be MY store, ticked me off.
 
Let me start by saying that I know PETCO has a bad reputation, and their
treatment of all the small animals bothers me too, but this isn't happening
at MY store.
 
True that the ferrets are in a large plexiglass enclosure, but the top is
vented, and it's to keep people/young children from sticking their fingers
in to poke and scare the babies, as well as to keep them from being stolen.
I have the keys!
 
I have only had 6 babies since we opened about 3 weeks ago and sold them
all in 8 days.  I trim their nails and handle them all day long.  I change
their litter twice a day.  They are housed on Carefesh bedding, (ALL
PETCO's in this area use Carefresh bedding for all the small animals except
the hamsters, which are on pine) and have litterboxes with litter.  In
fact, the last two were completely litterbox trained before they even left
the store!  I keep their food moistened for their baby teeth as well, and
change that food twice a day!
 
I have also turned more people away from buying them than is probably wise,
but I feel better in doing this, because I quiz my customers first, on how
much time and energy they will have for their ferret, and if they are
misinformed and think that ferrets are caged animals, I turn them off of
getting a fuzzy for a companion pet.  ALL my babies left with BIG cages,
litterboxes, proper food, water bottles, litter, hammocks, a ferret care
book, the whole works!  Or people don't walk away with a ferret from MY
store!  On top of all of this, they get a wealth of information from me.  A
ferret loving mother of six.
 
I have "regulars" coming in every day to ask questions and to buy more
goodies for their kids that I recommend, as well as to have thier babies
nails trimmed!  And I do this as a courtesy for my ferret owners, and make
NO money off of the deal.  I do this and more because I love the fuzzbutts
and want them to have good happy lives once they leave me!  I also
recommend the local ferret shelters to people who want a "lap" ferret, and
don't know how to handle a baby, with nip training and litterbox training
and all that.
 
I also give out the number of my vet to these people, and have printed out
websites for customers with internet access.  This is also another courtesy
I extend without pay or compensation.
 
All for the love of the ferrets.
 
Things are different at MY store, and I AM doing what I can to educate
other petco employees, but I am only one person, and am doing the best I
can to change things.  Beginning with my store.  I am proud of the work I
have done and if any of you in Las Vegas would like to come and talk to me
at my store, quiz me or whatnot,please feel free!! :)
 
I wish that there was a job where I could oversee all PETCO's ferrets, but
I don't think that job exists, or I would be doing it, believe you me!
Like I said...please feel free to stop by and see me at work.  I work from
9am-5:30 pm, Tues-Sat.
 
I would love to meet some local FML-ers, and to show you the work I have
done.  Maybe I will even have some babies for you to see when you stop by,
as I haven't gotten my next order of babies yet, because I didn't put
another order in until all six of my babies were placed in homes, because
I didn't want older ferrets competing with the babies for homes.
 
Thank you.
Erin
Please feel free to email me directly if you have any questions as well,
and stop by and say hello if you are in the area!
[Posted in FML issue 2775]