Gee, I lurked for months then suddenly every day... ;)
 
Ok, here's my situation /this time/. ;)  I'm an active player on several
online role-playing games based on Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern.
However, the most recent trend late is for players to try and 'import'
animals that weren't mentioned in the books and 'play' them online.  They're
up to ferrets now.  The first place where the issue came up approved ferrets
without really asking around and I choked a few times when I saw people
role-playing their ferrets as if they were Lassie.  Like "Bandit, go fetch
me a scroll and a quill pen please?" and the ferret runs off and gets the
stuff and comes right back.  Yeah right. ;)  They also breed them, etc on
the game.
 
My concern is the gradual spread of misinformation about ferrets.  I've
heard all too much about people who were ignorant about ferrets, buying them
then abandoning them or leaving them at shelters (if the fuzzies are lucky.)
So basically I'm trying to compile a FAQ about ferrets and how they would
behave in an /medieval/ environment and the problems they'd have existing
there.  Now this place is not 'Earth' but (ok, ok) an alien planet that is
decently similar to our planet.  No vaccines, I'm not sure if they can
neuter/spay them, the planet is rife with hundreds of species of snakes as a
common lifeform...
 
I'd appreciate it if folks could help me come up with a list of applicable
information? :)  I'd also like to know how often a jill goes into heat.  And
what did people feed ferrets historically speaking, or did they just eat
rats?  :>
 
Esther Hung
[log in to unmask]
http://www.dragonsinger.com/rhadluck
On behalf of Ryouki, Jingoro, Marcus, Sasami, and Asuza.
[Posted in FML issue 2357]