The FURminator® and the Ferret

     Okay first the disclaimer: I was only compensated with a free item to keep. I have reviewed the item here and the opinions are solely my own and may differ from other opinions presented elsewhere.

     I was given the opportunity to review a grooming tool called the FURminator®. The day it arrived I had followed the FedEx truck into the driveway. I am not sure what the driver thought was happening but he left a lot quicker than he normally does.

     Inside I found the FURminator® as it is presented in the stores. The first thing that I liked before I had ever touched the tool was the package design.

     The triangular design allowed one to see every side of the tool and didn’t have a lot of excess plastic that you would normally see. It was also easy to open no hacksaw was required that many items need to even getting into the contents.

     The FURminator® is a deShedding tool that helps to reduce the amount of loose hair an animal sheds and leaves behind on the furniture, the floor, and your clothes.

     The FURminator® comes in two models and four sizes. The one I received was the deluxe model for small pets.

     I have looked at other types of grooming tools to use on my ferrets but just picking up the package was enough of a deterrent to leave the store empty handed.

     Unlike those tools the FURminator® is a joy to hold and the handle fits well into my small hands. A child can easily use this tool.

     Now it was time for the real test. I got James out of his cage and holding him I managed to get one stroke of the tool down his back before James twisted and in an instant decided he was in love with the tool.

     In love by a ferret is that it belongs in his/her hidey-hole right this second. James has never insisted that something was his by use of vocal communication. He would just wait until I wasn’t looking and take it.

     Not this time. He hissed his demand that I let go of his new love this second and when I didn’t he gave me a couple of nips in an attempt to get me to let go it. After a few minutes of this discussion he allowed me to use the FURminator® on him again.

 

James and the FURMinator(r)

 

     Of course when I shot the video James decided he was more interested in his treat than the tool.

     After using the FURminator® on James’ coat I could feel the difference. It was softer and gave James’ a sleeker look. Although James’ has basically finished his shedding I am going to love having this grooming tool for when he starts shedding again this fall.

     The other feature I love about this tool is how easy it is to clean. A simple push of a button called the FURejector and the hair is ejected out. It makes grooming a squirming ferret easy in that you can hold your ferret with one hand and groom and clean the tool with the other hand.

     While there may cheaper grooming tools on the market the FURminator® is well worth the money. Be sure to check out their site at http://www.FURminator.com

     Also I didn’t realize that today April 30 was National Hairball Awareness Day please take a moment to read my post about ferrets and hairballs http://www.enlightenedferret.com/2009/10/bezoars-and-ferret.html as they aren’t just for cats.

     Now for the paw rating of this grooming tool. In the few products I have reviewed none have ever met the high standards of my ferrets or me that is until now and has received a Paw Rating of Five.

      With that in mind the FURminator® also receives the

  

 

Thank you Beth for allowing me the opportunity to review this pawsome tool.

 

Jo

Fur Friends Playing

Stars: James in the blue harness

         Manny the sable ferret

         Trixie the Bloodhound.

 

Jo

Farewell Lance

Rainbow Bridge

Just this side of Heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in out dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

The all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together…

Author unknown

     On Friday I made the hardest decision a pet owner could ever have to make. I have never had to make that decision before and hope I won’t have to make it any time soon.

     After I returned from my exciting trip to Columbus, Ohio Lance started going down hill. At first I thought it was just his normal reaction to me being gone. Ignoring me and not eating much then he started having trouble walking.

     I made an appointment with a new vet as the one I had before wasn’t very friendly or supportive of Lance’s care, but that is another post. Lance’s new vet was extremely knowledgeable about ferrets and did a through exam of Lance.

     It was determined that he had a bacterial infection that was either Helicobacter or Giardia both could cause his symptoms and because of his age it made treating it even harder. Lance would have been 9 years old in May. She put him on Amoxicillin and Flagyl.

     Lance was good about letting me give him his medicine and only once did I have pretty pink polka dots on my face. The medicine made him sleep more and while he drank he wasn’t eating so I had to hand feed him a mixture that some could call duck soup. He didn’t care for it but he never spit it out.

     Early Friday morning he fell out of his hammock with a loud thump and when I looked over to his cage I saw him flopping around like a landed fish. He no longer had control of his legs.

     We spent the rest of the night with me cuddling him in my arms and rocking him until he would fall asleep for a while. I knew then I couldn’t put Lance through anymore and if it were the Helicobacter that was causing the problem he would have a very painful death.

     I made the call to the vet around noon, as I couldn’t stop crying long enough to talk to anyone. I still broke down when I told the vet’s receptionist why I was calling. She was patient with me until I could talk though the tears and heartbreak I was going though. The appointment was made.

     I wrapped my little fur baby up in my blue “conference shirt” and placed him in the carrier. We made a stop and I got him a soft blanket to wrap him in and a new sock to take with him to the rainbow bridge. Silly I know but a pet parent would understand.

     A different vet came in and talked to me about how the process was done. With cats and dogs it is easier, not that this decision is ever easy, because they have bigger veins. With ferrets they give a sedative so they go to sleep like they are going to have surgery and then they take them into another room and give them the final shot in the heart. He recommends to owners that they don’t see that last part.

     So Lance was given his sleepy shot and he and I looked out the window at the sunbeams and the soft wind blowing the grass he had just laid in before this appointment. He went to sleep and seemed to be breathing better for the first time in a week. The vet came in and took him to the back room for that last shot. He brought Lance back and told me I could take as much time as I need before I left.

     Not once was I given a look that said, “How could you?” like I would have gotten from the old veterinarian before I had changed to this practice. The people at the new vet office were compassionate and never made me feel hurried.

     Lance was wrapped in his new green soft blanket with a tiny balled up sock between his paws and laid to rest next to his brothers and sister that had passed before him. His final resting place is marked with a blue cross under an apple tree.

     I miss him a lot but I know he is free of pain and is frolicking on the other side of the rainbow waiting for me to come and play with him and his siblings again.

Sad Jo

Wordless Wednesday

 

All comments and remarks appreciated.

 

Jo

National Wildlife Week

     I am dedicating this week to two wildlife organizations that I believe in and support. They are Skye Spirit's Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center (SSWREC) and the Prairie Wildlife Research (PWR). Enthusiastic and dedicated individuals run both of these organizations. Who have made a difference in the lives of the wildlife they have helped.

     Today’s focus is on Skye Spirit’s Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center.

     MaryJane Arroya opened SSWREC in 1998 in an effort to help injured wildlife regain their health and return to the wild. She has not only put her heart and soul into caring for these animals she has used her own money when donations weren’t available to sustain operations.

     Each year the amount of baby animals she receives increases because of human interaction, other animals, and nature. This last week she received a baby bird that was just coming out of its shell. It was found on the ground so no one knew what happened that caused it to be there with the bottom half of the shell still attached.

     Baby squirrels were brought to her after a trailer had been bought and moved several miles from where it had been. They were found when the new owners started cleaning the trailer. Luckily for these little guys it was only hours and not days before they were found.

     MaryJane’s main passion is for the birds of prey. These beautiful hunters come into her care after a car or a tractor-trailer has hit them as they swooped down on their prey. Many recover from their injuries and are released back into the wild.

     Those unable to be returned to the open skies are able to have a life at SSWREC and help with fostering younger birds along with helping to educate the public about these large birds.

     This weekend, April 24, 2010, SSWREC is having a baby shower for all the baby animals she has and will receive. As part of the Be the Change challenge I am having a give away I would like to present SSWREC with a donation of 50 dollars that will be doubled by the generosity of an anonymous family at the baby shower.

     I will give away to two lucky commenter/pledges their choice of a dog or cat surprise from Nip and Bones , or tote bag from enlightened ferret

     First the disclaimer: This give away is not sponsored by anyone but me and I am receiving no compensation other than the feeling joy and accomplishment from this give away.

How to enter:

Donate at least a dollar using the widget.

 

     Leave me a comment saying you donated and which prize you would like.

     If  from nip and bones tell me if it is for a dog or cat. For a dog the size and age of the dog.

Extra entries:

Tweet: I just helped SSWREC help an animal u can 2 by donating here http://bit.ly/9Ti0ww

Join SSWREC FB page

     You can leave me a note saying that you have done either or both. Just leave me your twitter name and your FB name.

Contest ends at the end April 25.

Jo

Be the Change Challenge

     BlogPaws opened up so many new avenues that it was hard to settle down and actually figure out how I wanted to be part of the Be the Change Challenge of helping Pets without Parents of Columbus, OH today. The goal was five hundred dollars but can we show this great shelter how much BlogPaws loved visiting Columbus and the pet bloggers that got to go to BlogPaws though our posts and twitter updates by reaching fifteen hundred?

     I also wanted to stay part of the change. I already promote returning the Black-footed ferret back to its habitat and Skye’s Wildlife Rehabilitation but these two great efforts are for our wild counterparts. It isn’t enough and being the only ferret blogger at BlogPaws I wanted to find a charity that would resonate with me and fit into the framework of my blog.

     This last week reminded me of how much we love our fur babies and sometimes forget that they age faster than we do. Lance gave me a scare and while it seems at the moment he is going to be fine it drove home that he might not be here next year. Nine is old for a ferret. So I started looking for ferret rescues that might be worthy of Lance’s status of an Old Man. Many of the sites I checked out haven’t been updated in years and make it hard for me to put a link to them without knowing if they are still active.

     Then I came across the site for the Heart of Ohio Ferret Association and Rescue (HOFA). They have a page for older ferrets that will spend the rest of their lives in special foster homes where they are loved and cared for until it is their turn to cross over the Rainbow Bridge.

     Many have been surrender because their owners either can’t afford the treatments they need to live or can’t face the fact their beloved clown is going to die soon.

     HOFA is non-profit and all donations go to helping the ferrets. My goal is to help these hospice ferrets. A $10 donation will pay for a month worth of medication and food for one of these sweethearts but even a dollar will help.

They are also in need of these items:

Ferretone

Hammocks

Ensure(vanilla)

Food

Food bowls

Water bottles

Litter pans and Litter

Cages

More to come about this shelter.

 

Jo

The Thank You

     I am sure many of you now know I was lucky enough to rub elbows and paws with some awesome people and their pets this last weekend. I hope I gave you a peek into some of the greatness of the whole idea of Blogpaws but we cannot as a group of unique people forget how this wonderful conference came to be so make sure you go back and thank these people either with an email or a comment on their blog.

     First I think we need to make sure that the founders are never forgotten because if it hadn’t been for that first spark of inspiration Blogpaws™ would have never come to be.

     This was the brainchild of Caroline Golon, Yvonne Divita, and Tom Collins. Writers for Romeo the Cat, Scratching and Sniffings, and Books Blogs and Beyond, who had an idea of getting a few pet people who wanted to learn how to improve their blogging skills and connect with other like minded people.

     At first it was set up as a pod cast which would have maxed out sixty people. These founders were overwhelmed with the response they got when they put the idea out on their blogs and twitter. Sixty people swelled into a mass of over two hundred fifty people and their pets that wanted to attend.

     They might have been overwhelmed but like all good pet owners they grabbed hold of a great opportunity and changed the format into a one day conference. With that I give you the Standing Ferret Paw Award especially created because of this wonderful event.

 

     Columbus Ohio is a beautiful place to visit. Like someone said it reminded them of New York City without the prices of New York. The Westin ™ hotel out did themselves with welcoming us, pets and all. The rooms were spacious and the beds, not that many of us slept in them, were soft.

     The room service was fantastic as was the food from the High Street Grill. I’ll never forget that piece of cake. Friday night’s opening exquisitely dressed wait staff milled around us with ease and grace offering us appetizers that were simple and tasty or as our pets at a pawty would say NOMMY. My only suggestion for next year is to make sure us coffee drinkers are able to have a cup on opening night.

     The morning spread was beautiful and tasty. The fruit was sweet and the choices of breads, Danishes, and muffins were outstanding.

     Lunch was nice. Coming in to a room with tables ready for people was nice. Salads were placed as people were coming in the door and the huge piece of cheesecake was waiting to tempt you into eating it before you had your lunch. It was nice to hear the wait staff ask if any of us were vegetarians so they didn’t get a place of chicken placed in front of them.

     The chicken was surprisingly good and so was the rice. Green beans that crunch are good but they almost had a plastic consistency but that cheese cake made up for that it was wonderful.

     Thank you Westin Hotel for putting up with pet bloggers and their animals along with having a huge wedding the same weekend. You did a spectacular job.

     None of this would have been possible without the great sponsors who provided for this conference. Being able to see and meet representatives of these great brands was a wonderful opportunity to network and get information that might of seemed impersonal any other way.

Thank you goes to:

Del Monte Pet Foods markers of Meow Mix and Kibbles ‘n Bits

Purina Care® Pet Health Insurance

Pet Smart®

Dogtime Media™

Wellness® Natural Food and Treats for Pets

Bissell®

Puppy Tweets

Cats Against Clay

Kodak®

AAHA™ The Standard of Veterinary Excellence

I Love Dogs® Premium Canine Vitamins and supplements

Bamboo®

 Fat Cat®

TPPC.tv®

Destinations Design LLC

Centipede Graphics

FURminator®

West & Co. Diamonds and Jewelry

Bella's

Blogger Black Book

The Pet Bus

Purrfect Play

Embrace Pet Insurance®

     The after party at the A&R Music Hall was nice. Although for my tastes the live music could have been a little lower than at the volume it was at. It was hard to hear what people were saying and many people drifted from the front of the bar to the back and still couldn’t hear what was being said. But it was a nice change from the feeling rushed I am sure many of us had when we were at the hotel.

     For me the after party was an amazing event because of the opportunity to met one person I had no clue was even attending the conference. More on that as the details get worked out. Lets just say being the only Ferret person there had its advantages, that and the lime green tee shirt.

     We mustn’t forget the photographer. He was seen taking pictures at every opportunity and you could tell he was having a blast. I hope this opens up a new avenue for him. Thank you Brad Smith of Brad Smith Photography in Columbus, Ohio.

Technorati Tags: Blogpaws 2010

     Be sure to visit all of these fine folks and leave them thank you notes/comments because without them we would have never had this wonderful conference.

Jo

BlogPaws

Okay I forgot about some pictures I snapped cause  they were so poetic. This is Cleo in the grand ball room. She was tired and slept using her Hooman’s hand as a pillow.

Whoops something woke her up 1 2 3

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzz

Blog Paws was able to give three animal shelters a donation of $2800 each.

 

Animal Friends, Pittsburgh, PA

 

Animal Haven Shelter, NY

Pets Without Parents 

 

Blog Paw Attendees Remember the look and feel of those moments and what you thought about.

So leave me comments on:

1. What was your most memorable moment at BlogPaws?

2. Who was your favorite speaker and why?

3. Best surprise?

4. How many Biz cards did you get or give out.

5. Did you go to the after party?

6. What is the one thing you would add next time?

Jo

BlogPaws: From Lunch Onward

     First off the reason this post is so late is because my internet connection timed moments before I hit publish.  So on to my last post of BlogPaws…Or is it?

 

     From Lunch forward.

 

     Lunch was nommy look at the size of the cheesecake.

 

     First off forgive me if I get your names mixed up.  Ashley ate her greens and then went to work on the cheesecake before the meal came.

Surprise shots never come out the way you want. Ashley is in the striped shirt and Nikki.

      Had a blast listening to Natalie from PETCo. Pawsome speaker.

     Janet Tobiassen, DVM donated several really cool beads to the silent auction and I won one.

 

     Know who this is?

 

Yep it is Andrea Arden.

 

     This is where my internet timed out but this isn’t where the adventure ended.

     No pictures from this point forward but I got to go to the after pawty and I am still not sure I didn’t dream it. The owner of Ferret.com came up to me and looks like we will be chatting about some possibilities of working together. *fingers crossed* on that it is going to lead to something more.

     Thank you Blog Paws for putting on this wonderful conference with awesome speakers and being able to networking with all wonderful people who blog and the companies that interact with pet people

     A special Ferret high paw to TTPC.tv(correction made) for featuring Enlightened Ferret on their site next week.

 

A very tired Jo

BlogPaws: The Card collection

     Not only have I learned some neat stuff I am getting a lovely card collection to match. I’ll post links to all the cards later as I am blogging on the fly.

     So many awesome opportunities have come up for me along with meeting so many nice people.

     Missed the second session but believe I was meant to met a web designer who helped me figure out some of the issues I am having on blogger.

     Gotta go have to finish packing up the room for our checkout time.

 

Jo

Blogpaws: Connections

     I have made some pawsome contacts. Going to help with product development for ferrets. Along with going to be able to do some product reviews and hopefully new followers.

     Listened to Andrea Arden from Underdog to wonder dog from Animal Planet. Was nice to hear her experiences with blogging and where blogging can take you.

Traveling in style. Wonderful kitties even though they talked throughout Andrea’s talk about dogs.

 

Jo

Blogpaws: The Nommys

     Nice spread put out by the hotel.

 

*Chitters* Got a pic of the photographer.

 

Our table

 

Jo

Blogpaws: The next morning

     Wow alarm just went off at 6:00am. When did I fall asleep finally? Last time I looked at the clock it was 2:30 am.

     Driver went out and from all appearances stayed out.

 

     Just as well I suppose gives me a chance to grab a shower and get my stuff packed up and ready for departure from our room around noon.

     Don’t think I moved once I fell asleep this morning as every thing is still where it was when I went to sleep.

     I’ll in green today.

Great neck pillow. I’d buy me one but white in a household with shedding animals is not a good things.

 

     My son @thewolf90 Has been following blogpaws through YouTube and found TPPCtv’s sight. He thinks we’re a great bunch of people.

     Off to finish getting ready for breakfast.

Jo

Update from BlogPaws: The Evening

     What a pawsome group of people I have met so far tonight. Met @FrugalDougal’s mom, @GeorgetheDuck, Your daily cute, @AmazonCares and many others. I’ve talked ferrets to a lot of people and made a lot of connections.

 

     One of the best moments was being able to play it forward.

     You see I won my BlogPaws registration back in January saving me a nice chunk of change. I was one of many that wanted the Bissell vacuum cleaner but I didn’t win that I won the next prize. A 500 dollar food donation from Del Monte Pet Food to a charity of my choice and 200 dollars for myself.

     My first thought was to donatate it to AmazonCares but then realized that might not be possible. So I asked my new table mates Designcoyote and her co hort if I love Rescue Animals was their charity and found out that while that wasn’t they did work for Central Texas Feline Rescue. I told them I was donating my prize to them. I thought they both were going to cry. The charity has been paying out of their own pockets to feed these animals.

     I don’t know all the people in my pictures so if you see one of you please comment with which picture as I am going to number them and your name. Pic 1 Tom Collins,Yvonne DiVita and Caroline Golon

Pic 2 Sue Resnicoff: Del Monte Foods

Pic 3 Charlotte Reed speaking

Pic 4 @dogfiles with Max and I am not sure who he was with sorry I am bad with names.

Pic 5 TPPCtv

Pic 6 just snapped it.

 

     After talking to a lot of people about blogging and ferrets I have returned to my room and was greeted by another pawsome advertisement. Going to be talking to them about their product and the possibilities it might offer my furkids.

     Ordered a salad and decided to splurge and have something sweet. Doesn’t this espresso raspberry chocolate cake look nommy?

 

     Driver is going out on the town tonight. Depending on how I feel I may wander back down towards the lobby and see what is going on down there.

 

Jo

Blog Paws 2010

My driver and I left Pittsburgh, Pa at ten this morning and pulled up to the hotel at 2pm. Hotel lobby is just awesome.

Checked in and went to the registration table to sign in. Received this huge green bag filled with stuff.

Will be back with more later. Time to go mix with the other pawsters.

 

Jo

BlogPaws!!!!

Wow! Tomorrow I'll be mixing it up with pet people from around the internet.

I'll also be blogging live from Columbus, OH where this first ever pet blogger's conference is being held.

Jo