Some random thoughts about recent posts... Flea season... PLEASE don't experiment with flea products on your ferret. They are very sensitive little creatures! (ferrets, not fleas :-) If you need to use something, ask your vet about Advantage. It sounds expensive but it really isn't--a couple of drops lasts a long time. Even Advantage can bother some ferrets. Look for products that are kitten safe, but don't believe manufacturer's claims--check with a FERRET KNOWLEDGEABLE vet. Along those lines...VACCINE REACTIONS... A lot of vets PRE-TREAT with benadryl before giving a vaccination--this is a lot safer than waiting for a reaction to happen!! Encourage your vet to learn about this procedure if it isn't something they are already doing. Also, I always try to separate the rabies and distemper vaccinations by at least a couple of weeks. That way, if your ferret does have a reaction, you will know which vaccine he/she is reacting to. Vaccines are STRONG--separating them by a couple of weeks is easier on your ferret too. Brookline MA vet-- Dr. Yvonne Oppenheim of Oak Hill Vet Hospital in Brookline MA comes highly recommended. Which is good, because there aren't a whole lot of ferret knowledgeable vets out there! Some thoughts on Petco: >Do I think that we will ever see a day when ferrets are not sold in pet >stores? No. It is my understanding that Petco does not sell CATS, DOGS, or RABBITS due to a lot of pressure from people who care about cats, dogs and rabbits. There is no doubt in my mind that if many ferret owners got together and pressured pet stores not to sell ferrets that it would make a big difference. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but eventually. I personally would be happy if some day it required a bit of time and effort to adopt a ferret. When people stop seeing those cute little babies in pet stores, the demand for ferrets will go WAY down. >I purchase products from the many, many pet *supply* stores that do not >sell/exploit animals. They too are available in your town. I will also go out of my way to shop at pet supply only stores whenever I can. YOU as a consumer make a difference where you shop, no matter what it's for. Whatever issue you care about, YOU can make a difference by your actions. Conscious shopping is one way to make a difference in the world. Don't let anyone tell you that your actions don't count! -- Ronnie Ralphie, Harry, Prince Charming, Merlin, Roxanne, Petunia, Epcot and Clover's mom in Mass. [Posted in FML issue 2677]