Just catching up on some posts..........
 
Signe wrote:
>People, being what they are, would not stop with ferrets or even
>gorillas. Lions, tigers, bears, hedgehogs...
 
Makes me think of the good we could do with the species we've almost wiped
out.
 
>The woman came to my place to meet my fuzzies on Thursday.  She was
>surprised at how well they behaved and she was able to pick mine up.
>Of course, Sequoia, the oldest, started kissing me and she couldn't
>believe it.  She left my place with a handful of Modern Ferret
>Magazines and I told her to come back when she's done with those
>because I have plenty more.  We also talked extensively about ferrets
>while she was visiting.
 
Teresa, I'm glad things turned out so well, and I'm also glad to say I may
have misjudged your neighbor.  Best of luck to all of you in turning Slinky
around.
 
To Ed, who asked
>is there even a remote possibility that HIV/AIDS could be transmitted via
>the ferret's saliva from the saliva of the ferret's previous owner...?"
 
I know that there is a disease similar to HIV that is found in cats.  But
instead of HIV, it's known as FIV (the 'F' as in Feline, of course).  HIV
is not transferrable to cats, and FIV is not contracted by humans.  But, it
wouldn't surprise me if there was a mutation for ferrets that we don't know
of yet.
 
Along that same line, Kim wrote
>I don't think there is any reason to tell the new owner that the person
>who owned it before died of the HIV/AIDS virus.
 
I'm no scientist, but I would imagine that there *might* be a *slight*
chance that, although they can't get the disease, that certain animals
*could* carry it.
 
>They (pet owners) have the ability to gauge other people's reactions, and
>decide if the person in question is worth hanging out with.
 
Mark, I couldn't agree with you more.  Some people say that you can tell
what kind of husband a man would make by the way he treats his mother.
I've always been of the opinion that you can tell by the way he treats
his pets.
 
As for the debate over shelters/pet stores/breeders, I feel that anytime a
loving human can give a ferret a good home for the rest of his/her life, it
doesn't matter where the ferret came from.
 
>my 2 just keep going and checking on the ones they have hidden...
 
Kat, my Dinah used to do the same thing.  Once she'd checked on her toys,
she'd move them to a new hidey-hole.  One of her favorites was a rubber
nipple from a baby bottle.  They're soft, easy to grab, and much stronger
than you'd think!  Rosie, my single ferret (at least, for the time being
<G>) has just learned this evening that she can get up by the dog food dish
if she *really* **really** works at it and start stashing dog kibble.  And
stop to get a drink of nasty ol' dog water.  HEY!  HEY!!  HEY!!!  No
stashing dog food on the kitchen counters!!!
 
Great...now I've got to re-arrange my kitchen.  Hope the dog's not mad when
her food's all gone.  (mabee if i sit reelee stil, mom wont see mee up on
her kounter....)
 
>the weasel, and the mouse, and the tortoise after his kind...and the
>ferret, and the chameleon, and the lizard, and the snail, and the mole.
 
I don't mean to sound sacreligious (I am also an agnostic), but did anyone
else read this and think of Monty Python and the Holy Grail?
 
>KUESSEN SIE DIE FRETTCHENS NUR ZWEIMAL BITTE.
 
Ed, I do believe I found some new text for my screen saver at work!
 
>I had a question about the blackheads that my Doyle has on his tail.
>I've been told that you can use Stridex on them to clear it up, and my
>boyfriend brought up a point I hadn't thought of.  When using the Stridex,
>is it dangerous if he were to lick his tail after it's been applied?  I
>just wasn't sure what the protocol would be after applying the stuff to
>his little tail.
 
Personally, I would advise against it.  There are products you can get from
a vet or from your local pet store.  Not only could there be something in
it that could make him sick if he licked it off, but the medications might
be too strong for his skin.  Our cat and our dog have both been stricken
with acne.  There are oral medications they can take - same as us humans.
 
Enough for now.
Michel
[Posted in FML issue 2725]