Thank you very much for the calls at my office - the two ferrets that were in
the Alexandria Animal Shelter have been claimed and are in good shape.
 
One was picked up by a person who had called me last week when he had lost
his ferret.  He has a home lined up.  This ferret was found in it's carrier
with food, water and collar at the Alex. NOVA campus.
 
The other ferret had been at the shelter for two weeks (I'm surprised they
kept it that long) and was claimed by an FMLer who had to pay over $100 to
rescue what turns out to be a really nice young adult ferret.  This ferret
will be looking for a new home, so if anyone is interested in adoption or to
contribute to the "rescue" fund for this ferret, please watch for Lori B's
message on personality and placement.
 
This is what the ferret "rescue" is all about.  Again, Thanks.
Pamela Troutman Grant
 
======
 
>What is the deal with fish?  I have seen posts to avoid fish in the fist 3
ingredients.  Why is this so?
 
There is nothing BAD about fish, it is just not very appetizing or a
mainstay for ferrets.  The food smells fishy, the poop smells fishy, and the
ferrets prefer poultry (which closer resembles a polecat's diet rather than
a mink' which prefer fish).  Avoid fish in the first three ingredients to
avoid the smell and taste ferrets and humans seem to prefer to avoid.  Avoid
corn in the first three ingredients because of all the grains, it is the
most difficult one for ferret guts to process and get anything worthwhile
out of.
 
One reason quality foods cost so much is because quality ingredients cost
more than fish and corn.....
 
By-products are the parts people will not eat, but in a "wild" state,
polecats will eat the whole prey, hence, many by-products are beneficial to
ferret diets.
 
=====
 
MF answers by Pam:
 
>Any defects that don't show up in the first few months are NEVER seen by
the breeder.
 
This is true in breeding farms and many backyard breeders.  The small
breeders usually do keep excellent records on their breeders, will sterilize
one or both parents if informed of true genetic problems, and some will
replace kits or young adults if the situation is a genetic defect.
 
As for MF - there has been experimentation with micro chipping kits the day
they are born and coding into the chip inf.  some parental inf..  This will
only help if vets know the kits are chipped, can read the chips, a nd
contact MF if/when problems do arise.  As far as I know, the "experiment"
was too costly and was dropped.
 
>>By accepting a MF rescue into your home, in a round about way, you're
indirectly supporting MF because that ferret was paid for at some point in
time, therefore their company was supported and their work continues.<<
 
True to the above, BUT - if you buy the kit, the pet store will order more.
If you adopt a MF ferret from a shelter, then the pet shop will think twice
about ordering more ferrets to sell because it takes too long to sell the
one they already have.  I am ALWAYS telling people NOT to "rescue" ferrets
from pet shop situations because all this tells the pet shop is "order more
ferrets, they sell no matter what we do wrong." If you educate the shop, or
complain to the local Animal Control or SPCA and they get on the pet shop's
case, you stand a better chance of improving the lot of many ferret lives
vs.  the one you rescued and doomed for the next batch.  IMHO.
 
=====
 
>First, a big old wet sloppy ferret kiss to Pam Grant!!!
 
Thanks - I need all the ferret fixes I can get right now... my 7 year old
ferret Silver Streak is going to visit Dr. Weiss Fri am to have an
enlargement near his penis looked at.  Since he lives with another 7 year
old ferret with Lympho, I'm worried it might be lympho too or worse, a tumor
on/near his sheath which are real tough to remove.  Streak had pancreatic
tumors and his right adrenal removed back in January, he is blind and on
Pred.  Think well wishes for him.  Oldie but goodie.
 
PTG
[Posted in FML issue 1704]