Good Morning! We have opened our shelter to 11 ferrets this past few days due to the deadly heat wave hitting this region .... no relief is expected for about two weeks says the National Weather Service. I expect more to come as the money for energy costs gets more difficult to find for many people here in the mid-south. Shortly after my release from the hospital last week for surgery following three hospitalizations and four emergency blood transfusions, this horrible heat wave hit Memphis and we have taken in these ferrets to keep them safe. Joe is doing his best to help me as I am still not at full strength. As with other parts of the country, this area is hard-hit with high unemployment rates and huge numbers of foreclosures. Many of these poor folks are without a lot of means, unemployment benefits or being reduced to a part-time job with little pay. That leaves many homes unable to keep their air conditioners running at 24/7 - and this proves a deadly risk for ferrets as the in-home temperatures rise somewhere in the 80's for those trying to save money on energy bills. We have already seen a couple of people have to treat their ferrets for heat exhaustion this week. Some arrived here following the vet visit. We were first contacted on Friday and the family brought their pets here at the shelter for safekeeping. Since that day, we have seen quite a few emails and received calls about heat-related health issues coming up in ferrets in this area. I just pray there are no poor ferrets stranded in the outdoor heat or in some garage out there suffering..... We are posting a notice on our homepage about our shelter taking in temporary pets during this horrible heat wave and we have already contacted local humane societies and animal rescue agencies of all types. Municipal and private. We are contacting the local vets now. FML readers in this area, please spread the word about this health-hazard for ferrets as many ferret owners are not aware that even though cats and dogs can withstand and survive 80 degree temps in the home, ferrets cannot. We hope that our rescue can provide a safe haven for ferrets and ferret owners who cannot keep those air conditioners running at all times - and this is needed to keep the in-home temps somewhere in the mid-70's which is where we have it here at the shelter. In addition to the air conditioner running continuously, we have fans blowing in every room - feels like a windstorm in some areas of the house! We keep our lights off and use big flashlights to see in the dark to preserve the energy and keep the house as cool as possible. Of course, all blinds and curtains are tightly drawn shut. If there is anything Joe and I can do to help keep these fuzzits cool, please let me know. I know you folks in Texas deal with this all the time. Surely, I am forgetting something. Pray our old air conditioner keeps running for another two months or so! Stay Cool! Hugs from Memphis! Maren E. Qualls (formerly Doshier) Raisins From Heaven Ferret Rescue & Sanctuary [Posted in FML 6780]