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Readers Column
I am member # 607 and I order a
my ferret needs from the Ferret Depot. I would like to thank them for there support to help legalize ferrets in CA. They always have everything I need for my ferrets. Thank You Ferret Depot From Your Ferret Friends.
Bad Info from
Petco & PetSmart
This is in response to the comment in (last week's article) about PETCO employees giving out information about the legal status of domesticated ferrets in California.
I just want to say that prior to getting my ferrets, I had gone to two different Petco stores and asked to speak to a manager at each one. Both times, from both stores, when I asked why they sold ferret supplies if they were illegal, I was told by management that they are illegal to buy and sell in the state of California, but not illegal to own them.
Obviously this is incorrect information. And I am shocked that it has happened to other people as well. PETCO should not be giving out this kind of information in such a matter-of-fact way since they obviously have no idea. Yet another reason why I dislike shopping at PETCO.
-Shandi
Actually the article was about PetSmart. For awhile it seemed PetSmart had a policy of telling their customers the same thing.
Should Ferrets Really Be Legal?
Hey, I have a tough question which I wonder what your thought is on it, I live in California and have 3 ferrets and I love them, they have their own bedroom so they are free roamers, but I have often thought, I don't know if I would want Ferrets legalized!!! Now hear me out, this is a tough one.
Facts:
Ferrets are very special animals, they require very special care and knowledge, they are not easy to take care of.
They are easy to lose and very good at escaping. You must alter your entire house to make it "Ferret-Proof"
They require a special diet to be healthy.
The average person does not have all of the necessary knowledge to properly care for a ferret.
Opinions:
People are generally irresponsible and careless, if ferrets were legal they would see one in the pet store, get it because they are cute and lovable, take it home or buy it for someone as gift with absolutely no knowledge of how to care for them.
People generally don't read or listen to instructions on how to care for things.
People may think, hey this ferret food looks and smells like my cat food, I will just give them the same food as my cat, which will not provide the proper nutrition for the poor little guys.
A ferret will easily escape from a house that is not properly ferret-proofed with owners who don't know how sneaky and fast and clever they are. We may end up seeing stray ferrets as frequently as we see stray dogs and cats on the streets, I do not believe they will create feral armies of ferrets and terrorize our livestock and crops, or cause ANY harm to anything for that matter, I do believe, however, that they will get sick, get ran over, starve to death and die, because domestiscated ferrets cannot survive for very long out on their own.
Conclusion:
Now don't get me wrong, I would love to be able to take my ferrets outside for a walk, and not have to be constantly worrying about getting them confiscated. I am just concerned that if they are legalized, their popularity in California would skyrocket, because they are awesome, yet since they require such special care and attention, that many of them would be neglected, given malnutrition, lost, and killed.
Have you ever considered this? I have not made up my mind on my position yet, I have just been thinking about this issue for a while every time I wish they were legalized, I second guess myself.
I would like to know your (and the organizations thoughts)
My personal opinion - you can say the same thing about children - but what do other people think?
How Did You Get Your Ferret?
Just an idea to add to CLIFFNotes maybe ask ferret owners for stories, or stories on how they came to own a ferret.
Rene N
Wee Companions Small Animal Rescue and Adoptions
A 501C3 Non-Profit Group
Member of the California Hamster Association
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how much does it cost to keep a ferret over their lifetime?
More on Animal Control's Ferret Policy
This email came in in response to last week's article:
Please keep me anonymous, as I am an employee of a municipal animal control agency (not San Diego, but Southern California). By discussing anything about ferrets, my job is at risk.
Animal Control, in general, has no interest in ferrets. We only go out on ferret calls if we have to - a bite, a ferret has come onto someone's property, etc. Don't ask, don't tell is the general rule. We don't want them in our shelters, as F&G is insistent on euthanasia. If we can avoid it, we do not notify them. When possible, the ferrets are helped to rescue groups out of state. We cannot release to any group or person within California, for the obvious reasons.
Many employees of Animal Care and Control are ferret lovers, owners, and supporters of legalization. As long as we are not put into a position where we are forced to confiscate (i.e. reported bites, major complaints, ferrets in plain sight, cruelty or neglect, etc.) WE DON'T WANT THEM. I cannot speak in any capacity for any organization, my organization, or any officer who wants to play by the rules as written, but this is the general unwritten rule.
Please feel free to pass the message along without publishing this e-mail. My anonymity is incredibly important, and if anyone within my organization even hazards a guess as to who I am, my ability to help the ferrets that do come into my care will be compromised and I could be fired.
We love them, we own them, and we do not want them in our shelters. Please protect your babies. Don't risk a bite, don't show them off to everyone, and certainly don't let them get out of the house. And keep fighting, we are.
Thanks.
I underlined "ferrets in plain sight" which means we can't take our ferrets out in public. So we're not out of the woods. It's hard to repeal a bad law that in unenforced. It leads to all sorts of bad public policy - such as selective enforcement.
Just What Should We Ask Animal Planet?
Turns out we do have a connection to Animal Planet. Walter at Wysong has volunteered to pass on any letter to some of the producers.
I was left kind of dumbfounded (it's been one of those weeks for me) and I couldn't think of exactly what we should ask.
So please give a little help here. All you Animal Planet fans out there --- what should we ask?
Test Your Ferret Knowledge Quiz
Please Help with the Bonus Question |
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How much money does it cost to keep a pet ferret assuming the ferret lives an average of 7.5 years. Add up what you've spent on veterinarian care, food, etc and send it in. Unless someone comes up with a more scientific method, we'll average the answers as our official answer to the bonus question. |
The below quiz is being developed for the OC Pet Exp in April and a candidate questionnaire for the 2010 State Assembly, State Senate and gubernatorial race. If you can improve on any of these questions - please send them in. We will have our graphic artist Heidi design a terrific flier and really impress people.
I. Ferrets are legal in how many states?
A. 25
B. 33
C. 12
D. 48
II. Ferrets were banned in California in 1933 because:
A. They attack small infants
B. All ferrets were lumped together and considered wild animals
C. Farmers were afraid they’d eat the spinach crop
D. Chicken farmers banded together and demanded ferrets be outlawed.
III. Rabies is considered a problem for ferret owners because:
A. Domestic ferrets often get rabies and pass the virus to other pets in the household.
B. There is no USDA approved rabies vaccination for ferrets available.
C. It is very difficult for ferrets to get rabies and ferrets have never “shed” the virus in their saliva.
D. Domestic ferrets give false positives for rabies
IV. How many domestic ferrets are in California?
A. No one knows (but according to pet industry statistics 27% of the nation’s ferret supplies are sold in California)
B. 10,000
C. 500,000
D. 33,000
V. The average lifespan of a domestic ferret :
A. 12 years
B. 3 years
C. 7 years
D. 15 years
VI. How many feral ferrets have been discovered in the United States the past 20 years?
A. Breeding colonies of escaped pet ferrets are very common
B. No breeding colony of domestic ferrets has ever been documented
C. Escaped domestic ferrets were discovered in the New York sewer system in 1993
D. Gangs of escaped domestic ferrets are occasionally seen in most major cities
VII. How many people are hospitalized with ferret bites on average every year?
A. Most emergency rooms report a ferret bite victim at least once a week
B. About 1 person per year for ferret bites. 2,000,000 people are hospitalized for dog bites every year.
C. Hoards of bleeding children are rushed to emergency rooms annually because of ferret bites
D. Because ferrets are illegal in most of the country statistics on ferret bites is not available.
VIII. Ferrets impact the environment by:
A. Decimating ground nesting bird populations
B. Forming hunting packs and attacking herds of cattle and other livestock
C. Displacing native wildlife
D. No negative impact regarding environmental or health issues has ever been documented because of the domestic ferret.
IX. Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed a ferret amnesty bill in 2004 because:
A. A ferret once bit Maria
B. He called for an Environmental Impact Report prior to legalization
C. He just didn’t like the idea of weasels running around people’s homes
D. He thinks ferrets as pets are only for “girly men.”
X. Ferrets are a part of which family?
A. Rodents
B. Mephitidae (skunks)
C. Marsupials
D. Mustela
BONUS QUESTION
According to readers of CLIFFNotes – how much money can you expect to spend on your ferret assuming he or she lives to 7 ˝ years?
Of course the answers will also be included!
OC Pet Expo April 16 - 18, We Need Help!
 Southern California's largest pet event happens Friday April 16th through Monday April 18th at the Costa Mesa Fairgrounds. I'd really like to attract more people and get a lot of quality sign ups for CLIFFNotes and education every one who is interested.
A number of people have already volunteered to help. I hope to have a schedule available next week.
thanks to Wysong Pet Foods for donating $300 for the booth. Please visit them, links are at the bottom the page. We get a portion of any sales off these links.
2010 Ferrets Anonymous Round Up Info:
When: Saturday, March 20, 2010
Where: Brea, CA
Location: Brea Veterans Club
Address: 735 South Brea Blvd., Brea, CA 92821-5310
Veterans' Club Tel: (714) 529-4874
Time: 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.
All Ferrets Anonymous members are invited to attend Round Up. If you have an interest in joining Ferrets Anonymous, you are also welcome to attend.
The Annual meeting of FA includes:
2010 FA Officer Elections
Sales tables - offering wonderful products for sale
Raffles - benefiting FA
Guest Speakers - to further educate our members
Potluck Luncheon
& More!
Entry Fee: $10/person
Table Hosting Fee: $25/table
We're looking for interesting speakers for the event. Would you like to donate your time to educate the attendees of this year's Round Up? Please contact Lance M. at (949) 303-8481 for more information.
If you'd like to host a sales table at Round Up, we'll need to know so we can reserve your space ASAP.
Update on the Babies:
The day after Christmas (for my birthday) I picked up two baby ferrets in Las Vegas. I want to give an update on what it is like with babies. Most of my ferrets were previously homeless so it has been a joy to have two babies.
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Bailey |
Tiger |
After living and interacting with Bailey and Tiger these past two months - it isn't all that I thought it would be. These girls can't yet be described as sweet.
My old boy ferrets, Fausto and Quito are so easy going next to these two. They are mellow, sweet, etc. Bailey and Tiger can be a pain.
Tiger especially worries me. She goes places I didn't even know existed. I didn't know there was an underneath to the fireplace. That was a heart-stopping scare.
But what has really made the differences in temperament apparent is how they react to the new puppy, Luna.
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| Fausto just happens to meander by |
Tiger thinks "fresh meat" |
Tiger would prefer to work in pairs |
Obviously I don't trust Luna with the ferrets yet - or vice versa. It's a good thing I'm an experienced ferret owner - or I think Tiger would end up on the lost and found page.
Tiger is an explorer - Bailey was afraid of the squeaky toy until just yesterday she came when I squeaked it, that is always followed by Ferretvite.
The other night, Fausto was sleeping on the big dog bed and Luna joined him. I wish I had my camera ready. They were so cute and peaceful. Until Tiger came around playing "big game hunter."
Ferrets certainly aren't for everyone. I've heard it said that rescued dogs make great pets because they are so grateful. Perhaps Fausto and Quito are the same way. Tiger and Bailey have never lacked for anything. I hope over time they become a bit more endearing.
A Quick Note from Lance M.:
If you have tried to contact me over the past week and have been unable, I apologize. I have been recovering from neurosurgery and am doing quite well now after five days. I will be able to return calls and begin answering the phone again starting tomorrow. I have been on some considerable pain medication and checked out of my duties as FA President for a short time while dealing with my surgery & recovery. If you have any questions about the upcoming FA Round Up, please ask away. The 2010 FA Round Up is only about a month away!
In Conclusion:
Thank you everyone who sent in comments and photos. It makes putting together CLIFFNotes easier and reading it, I hope, enjoyable. CLIFFNotes circulation does keep growing and that is important because we want to be too big to ignore when our Environmental Impact Report is done - WoooHooo! (Current circulation is 4,614)
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