Well... It's Tuesday. I guess that's something.  Of course, it would be better if I weren't tired yet again. I've gotten into a tired pattern, I guess. Me thinks it's the dreary weather... rainy and yucky. Though we had no rain yesterday or today. It's supposed to be back tomorrow & Thursday... joy of joys.  I mean... I'm glad there's not scooping snow... but still... isn't enough enough already? We've had 6" of rain so far this week. I think that's plenty. Glad it's not snow... not sure how much snow that would be... alot I'm guessing. Ha. I just looked it up on the 'net... The standard ratio is 1" of rain = 10" of snow.  Yeah. Like I said. Good thing it's rain and not snow! 60" of snow? That's damn near as tall as me! I don't need snow piled up as high as I am tall, thank you very much! Anyway... Work was... eh. There. It was a rather normal, boring night. No gangbangers storming the building or any such thing. Personally, I think the time for all that has passed... though you never know. It probably wasn't all that likely to happen in the first place. Everything seems to be pretty much back to normal now. It's a wonder I didn't kill off the kids (plants, bugs, etc) last night. My mom made chili last night and boy... well... I'll leave the rest to your imagination.  I don't know what it is about her chili... I can eat anybody else's chili and have no problem at all. I eat her chili? I dunno. It's not good.  Well... the chili is good... it's after effects? Not so much. And... Why not post some stuff on how to take care of Ferrets. Not everyone does as well as you do with these charming creatures. ~ Mystical2 I have done this in the past and honestly, it's probably a very good idea. Though I don't know what good it does, necessarily, to "preach to the choir" as it were. I'll do it anyway, though. Put some tags on it and maybe someone else besides y'all will find their way here. Ferrets 101 So. Where to start? The beginning, I suppose. So, you think you want a ferret? Good. Before you go anywhere past thinking about it, go do some research. Seriously. There is a ton of ferrety information on the internet, all you have to do is look. Here. I'll get you started. Visit Ferret Central. Just browse around. Follow the links there. Read the articles. There's a lot of information to be had there. Look up the ferrety illnesses and treatments... decide weather or not you can handle having a very sick ferret on your hands. Knowledge is power. If nothing you read there discourages you, go to your local bookstore, Amazon.com, etc and so forth and pick up the book Ferrets for Dummies by Kim Schilling. Yes... it's one of those books. Don't let that disuade you from purchasing it. And I do recommend that you purchase it if you're planning on owning a ferret. This is a very good book. Alot of very ferret knowledgable people contributed to it's writing. In ferrety circles, this book is known as the Ferret Bible. It's an awesome book and written with humor, which is always a plus in my book! You still want a ferret??? Cool. Next thing to do then, since you've done all your research, is to start buying ferrety supplies. You'll need a cage. Don't skimp here! Trust me when I tell you this... buy the biggest cage you can afford. Ferrets need plenty of room and if you buy a small cage, you'll only end up buying a bigger one, anyway, so why not start big to begin with and save yourself some $$$? (This is coming from someone who is on their 4th cage, so I know that of which I speak!!!) Personally, I'd leave the pet store cages alone. #1 they cost a fortune and #2 most of them aren't very good set ups. You can do a Google search to find cages. I very highly recommend Martin's Cages. That where I got my last cage. The Martin's are good people. (They do all sorts of small animal cages, so check them out even if you're not interested in ferrets!) There are cages of all sizes and for all budgets. They will also do custom orders if you ask them really nicely.  They have a quick turn-around on their orders as well... at least, such was my experience. You'll get more bang for your buck with one of these cages than with one of those pet store cages... So. You've got the cage... And you've got it put together. Now you need to fill it up! You'll need bedding. Several floor covers or blankies to cover wire floors, hammocks, sleep sacks... whatever. Make sure to buy at least two sets. You'll need an extra set to put in the cage when you switch out the dirties for laundry! You'll need water bowls or bottles (or both) and feeders or feed bowls. My recommendation on water/food bowls is to get some sort of bowl that attaches to the sides of the cage. If you do not, you'll have food and water all over the place! Ferrets enjoy redecorating. I used both water bottles (2) and a water bowl in my cage. My guys really prefer the water bowl to the bottle... the problem is that they play in it as much as they drink it, so I have to fill it several times a day. This is why we also have bottles, so that no matter what... they always have access to water! You'll also want to get some toys. Don't go over board here. Ferrets are like kids... you'll buy them a really cool toy and they'll end up playing with the box it came in! Jingle balls, tubes, crinkle sacks... ferrets will enjoy all of these things. Actually... most anything a cat would enjoy, a ferret will also enjoy. They like those teaser toys too. Or cardboard boxes, plastic bags, paper sacks, an old sweat shirt. Ferrets aren't that picky. You'll need a litter box (or two)... please get the full sized ones, not the corner ones. The corner ones are ok when ferrets are young... and small... but many won't use them if they can't get completely inside the box and males, especially, will outgrow the corner boxes quickly. You'll need litter... you can use plain newspaper, if you plan on changing it every day. Recycled newspaper, corn cob, etc. I like wood pellets. Just don't buy them at the pet store! Go to your local chain hardware store and buy stove pellets. You can get 40 lbs for about $4! Please don't use cedar shavings!!! These are bad for small animals' respiratory systems!!! Then there is food & treats. Buy the more expensive ferret food. You do get what you pay for in this area. Ferret food can cost up to $20 for a 5 lb bag... which is expensive as hell. But remember ferrets don't eat a great deal, so it's not as bad as it seems. Some good brands are Totally Ferret, Zupreem & Mazuri... there are others. You can also feed the more expensive kitten chows, too, like Ekenuba. Don't feed foods that have fish listed in the ingredients. Your ferret(s) & their poo will stink to high heaven. Ferrets need food that is high in protein (say 35% to 40%) because they have very short digestive tracts. Most good ferret foods are chicken based... lamb is good, too. Try to stay away from stuff with alot of corn or corn meal in it. Ferrets are obligate carnivores (which means they must eat meat!), not corn nibblers! Find yourself a vet... Do this before you bring a ferret home. Ferret vets are not easy to find... good ferret vets are worth their weight in gold! Ask your vet if they see ferrets. How many they see and if they're comfortable working with ferrets. A good vet will tell you they're not comfortable if such is the case. Your vet really must know what they're doing when it comes to ferrets or the possibility of bad things happening becomes quite hight. If your vet isn't comfortable dealing with ferrets, ask them if they know someone who is... if they don't know anyone, you're probably going to have to hunt one down for yourself. Start with the pet store that sells the ferrets... they may have a vet that they use. Contact your local ferret shelter or Humane Society... even your local zoo may be able to help. You may have to use a vet that is outside of your area, especially if you're in a rural area. (I know people who have to drive 2 to 3 hrs to get to their ferret vet!!!) Obviously, this is not ideal, but such is life when you own an "exotic" pet. Speaking of that... be prepared to pay more in vet bills if the vet you find considers ferrets "exotic". That tag alone will raise the price on everything that is done with your animal. (My vets do not consider ferrets "exotic", so their prices are reasonable...) Picking the right one... Now that you're all set up, it's time to pick your ferret(s)! Do you go to a breeder or a pet store? Do you get a male or female? Does it even matter??? Really? That's all up to you and your preferences. Most of ferret breeders are located on the east coast and in the south... and most of these breeders do not ship their animals. That means if you're outside of these areas and want a breeder ferret, you're going to have to drive to whatever state the breeder is in and get the animal. This makes it really unreasonble for someone like me, living in the middle of the country. Again, it's all up to you. Pet store ferrets are easily accessible for most people. All of my ferrets are pet store boughten critters. (or rescues) There is nothing wrong with buying a pet store ferret. They will be smaller than their breeder counter parts, most likely, but otherwise should be about the same. The decision is yours to make. As for male or female? Again, a personal choice. Prior to this weekend & Eva's arrival, I've only had male ferrets. That's my preference. Males are larger and less... bitchy... than females... as far as I'm concerned. Your mileage may vary. Pick whatever strikes your fancy and whatever suits you best! ~ To Be Continued ~ Peace!  | 
