After going to the link that ZEN provided, did anyone else have any concern
over this part of the article in the Chicago Tribune called "Ferreting Out
the Best"?
 
>Equal parts beauty pageant, festival and animal Olympics, the Chicago-area
>show drew 102 registered ferrets, down slightly from years past but still
>a strong showing, organizers said, for a hobby that continues to grow.
 
I have a HUGE problem with the writer calling ferrets "a hobby that
continues to grow." To me, this is the EXACT wording that the public does
not need to see.  I am angry that anyone would call ferrets a "hobby".  Do
we call those who have dogs, a "hobby"?  I think this person who wrote this
article, did more harm than good.  Ferrets are not collectibles, which is
what a "hobby" involves.  Then again, I tend to wonder if this writer is a
ferret enthusiast and if this paragraph may have been sarcasm directed at
the show?  Not sure but it certainly does not educate the public on the
long-term committment required for pets.  This really upset me (as you
can see).  Even if he meant to state that these shows are a "hobby", that
is not what the general public will understand when first reading it.
Especially since the writer goes on to talk about how ferrets have become
popular pets.
 
Todays FML was filled with medical posts, which are great, but I don't want
to see the FML turn into a medical list.  I enjoy reading ferret stories
and poems and entertaining stuff, not just medical stuff.  My concern is
that the FML will get so large with all of the vet posts, that some of
the other stuff wont get through because of size concerns?  Please advise
on this.
 
It certainly is nice to see a vet with a good sense of humor, but I
question what a vet is doing saving a poop for six years (lol).  Let us
hope that he is not planning to use it as a paper weight - EWWWWWW!  You
hold the record, the longest I have let a poop sit is a week (because I
did not see it behind that chair).
 
Dr. Williams is a blessing and I DO enjoy reading his posts but I just
don't want to see this list turn into medical stuff because I look to it
for BOTH information AND entertainment.
 
Hope all your fuzzies are in perfect health!
 
[Moderator's note: No, I wouldn't stop other things from going through in
preference to medical posts.  Now and then I have to put out two issues
if we have too much stuff.  Judging from past times when many vets posted
to the FML we have nothing to worry about -- there has always been a good
variety of posts here.  BIG]
[Posted in FML issue 3198]