Wow. Read an awfully scolding, sanctimonious post yesterday from someone who seems to feel that because HER ferrets do not experience certain afflictions or problems, therefore those of us who do have ferrets with problems or illnesses are simply mental cases; there is nothing wrong with our ferrets, we are just crazy. Or we are just doing a terrible, neglectful job of caring for our ferrets! >The 'dust' from the clumping litter doesn't affect ferrets AT ALL, or it >would affect my ferrets and it does NOT. It is how human beings treat >ferrets that affects them. Ferrets are not cloned and incapable of having physical differences between them. The fact that my ferrets sneezed, wheezed, and coughed when they got anywhere near the dusty, clumping litter is entirely due to MY attitude toward them?? Nothing to do with their repiratory system, which veterinarians and researchers have proven is delicate and easily harmed?? Four of my six Marshall's ferrets have had adrenal disease. How'd I cause that? Rather than jump on the list and start castigating everyone for their cluelessness, have you considered that you may have additional factors that affect your ferrets' tolerance for certain things? Perhaps you use a different kind of litter than most people do. You mention that you're able to slaugher poultry and feed them fresh vital organs. Perhaps you could take a moment and realize that not everyone is able to do that as well?? >So if you are having problems... take a long hard look at YOURSELF... >generally, you will find the problem is 'user error'... nothing to do >with the temperment of the animal! Not all problems with animals are human error, and frankly it's pretty arrogant to cast out a statement like that, particularly on a list where the majority of people sign up and read daily because they care so much about doing the RIGHT thing for their animal. Animals, like people, have all different temperaments that they are born with. I also have had a menagerie of pets, and all creatures are not created equal!! From one litter of kittens emerged 6 cats with VERY different temperaments. Some are laid-back and lazy, one is high-energy while another suffers Garfield-style "nap attacks", one is a finicky eater and one is an enormous pig. Why don't they all have the same temperament? What is "wrong" with them?? I have trouble getting the energetic one to calm down and I have trouble getting the lazy one to get enough exercise (he is getting a bit portly). This has NOTHING to do with their individual temperaments? It's ALL my fault?? >all my ferrets are 'rescues' from people I consider to be nincompoops. >You know the type, some of you are reading this email! You get a ferret >and then do NOT learn all about it. AND you force the ferret to conform >to HUMAN conditions... keeping the hours YOU keep because you like to >watch your ferrets play. "Ain't they cu-uuute!" And you don't feed 'em >right, because that is too much work and you keep them in CAGES. FOR >SHAME. While this may be true of many people, for the most part the FML is made up of people who really care about doing the right thing for their ferret and act responsibly. If you've been reading for awhile, how have you missed all the posts from people asking for advice and help and the return posts that offer information and assistance?? This is not a community of people who stick their heads in the sand and don't care about giving their ferret the best care. While that message you posted ought to be said to many people, there are few people here that it applies to. You're preaching to the converted, and not in a very nice way either. Your post contained some good information; sadly, it was so shrouded in scolding and self-righteousness that I doubt much of it got through. People rarely get much out of messages that insinuate that everyone besides the author is incredibly daft. Few people introduce themselves to a new crowd of people with the opening statement, "Some of you are nincompoops." Sounds to me like it takes one to know one. -Heather W. in Massachusetts Taking good care of her ferrets, yet they STILL have problems!!! [Posted in FML issue 3743]