Thursday, May 27, 2010

Come on California See Beyond the Old Thoughts

     Once again the legalization of ferrets is brought up along with the old song of why they are illegal in California in the first place. While the reason may have been valid when the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) put it into place those reasons are no longer valid.

     If California were to legalize ferrets and give amnesty to those already living in California the state would benefit in a number of ways. One of which could be the registration and licensing of the nearly one million ferrets living as outlaws in California. The other would be from the revenue that could be produced by sanctioned ferret shows.

     It was pointed out in the The Orange County Register online paper’s comment section by some people that ferrets are legal in almost every state except Hawaii that was called a hold out state. What most of these people don’t realize the reason Hawaii won’t legalize ferrets is because of the native birds that ferrets could decimate like they did in New Zealand.

     It was pointed out that most ferrets aren’t sold intact so they can’t reproduce but there is a flaw with that statement in that some are sold ready to breed and that is what needs to be addressed before the law can be fully repealed. In Pennsylvania you must have a license to breed ferrets. If you don’t have that license you are not allowed to own a “whole” ferret.

     It is also true that ferrets have lost most of their survival instincts but they still have the urge to eat and will kill small rodents which is what they were bred for in the first place. As to the destruction of plant life we as human beings do more damage by hiking outdoor. Finding water isn’t really that hard a ferret only needs a few drops here and there when they are on a quest. What will kill a ferret if he/she got loose would be the heat. Ferrets prefer a nice temperature of around 65 degrees any hotter and they can suffer from heat stroke in a matter of minutes.

     Another commenter stated that ferrets are pretty fragile creatures. Yes in some instances they can be easily broken but if you ask anyone that has owned a number of ferrets they will tell you that they are also very agile and can survive a lot more than they are given credit for. The fragility comes from the number of diseases that can kill a ferret and their reactions to different vaccines.

     Another thing to consider before condemning the CDFG about their rules/laws is that the law has been on the books for a long time and the current officials may not agree with it any longer but can’t change the rules without a study and what right minded official is going to suggest a study about releasing X number of ferrets into the wild to see if the fears are correct? There are too many organizations out there that would object.

     I must remind you I am from California and now a ferret owner. When I lived in California I didn’t know what a ferret was besides those that were in movies. Now that I live Pennsylvania and have had the opportunity to own these fascinating creatures I would never move back to California unless they did legalize ferrets but I also understand how politics work.

     A non-profit group called California Domestic Ferret Education Alliance (CDFEA) is working to educate people about ferrets. Education is needed as one commenter called a ferret’s offspring “pups” when they are called kits. The same as when a fox has her babies.

     It was also brought up about ferrets attacking children. Pet ownership is a responsibility no matter what animal you have. Ferrets are highly inquisitive and will check out anything that squeaks this includes infants and small children. If a ferret likes what it has found it will try to take it back to his/her hiding spot and this involves using his/her mouth.

     It is not recommended that families with small children have ferrets for this very reason. If children are visiting a home where ferrets live then the ferret owner should either put the ferret in his/her cage for the duration or place them in a room with a door away from the child. While most owners will bristle at me for saying confine their fur babies in their own home they might think about the result if their ferret bit a child. The ferret will always loose to a needle.

     It may be the CDFG vs.  ferrets for now with those rallying to get the law repelled but both sides need to sit down face to face and calmly talk out their beliefs and how to either disprove or prove them. The law has been on the books for how long? That answer has never been published in any of the articles I have read. The answer is 1933 according to Golden State Ferret Society.

     So for seventy-seven years ferrets have been on the banned list isn't it time to re-evaluate the reasons?

     All comments, reactions, thoughts, links to other information about ferrets, and recommendations are welcomed and appreciated.

     This post is in response to an article dated May 20 2010 in The Orange County Register’s online paper.

Jo

Monday, May 24, 2010

My Bifday

     My hooman already told you it was my bifday today. It’s actually my gotcha day but does it really matter? I got lots of treats and got a lot of attention today.

     The silly hooman made my brofur and I these silly hatsPICT0251 cause she said that they don’t make them small enough for us ferrets. She even made one for Trixie who let her take a couple of pictures before eating it.

PICT0254

     I got a couple of treats in my food bowl that isn’t the norm for my hooman so I knew something was up. I wanted to go for my walk today so I was climbing my cage demanding to be let out. She kept saying she had a couple of things to do first. One of which was to get that camera out. UtOh dat means she is going to be snapping that thing all the time.

PICT0258  PICT0262 PICT0263 PICT0266

     Well I guess since most of the pictures were of me I’ll let it slide this time. I even gave her a couple of cute poses. I felt good today and raced up the drive way twice and climbed out of the playpen.

 PICT0271 PICT0270

     Then Manny and I got to play in the playroom for a little while. My hooman said it was to wear Manny out a little bit if that is even possible. I was mad at her cause she wouldn’t give me any treats no matter how much I begged but I fooled her I had a couple hidden in the other hooman’s shoe. Bandit® treats get chewy after a day out of the bag.

     Finally she took us back downstairs along with that camera and the stand she uses occasionally. Trixie followed us down trying to smell Manny and I. Once downstairs she put us in Trixie’s crate while she set up the camera. Trixie and us had a nose-to-nose chat while she did this.

     Then my hooman left us there in the crate and disappeared. I heard her go back up the stairs and then come back down. She had something in her hand but I couldn’t really see what it was but Trixie must have smelt something really good cause she was trying to get it and my hooman told her she would be in trouble if she didn’t stop. Amazingly Trixie did stop and let my hooman put it down on this dark cloth. She took a couple of pictures before getting Manny and I out of the crate.

PICT0273

     She put those silly hats on us and then let us see what was on the cloth. Oooooooooooo Treats lots of them on top of what my hooman called a bifday cake. Don’t worry she didn’t let us have too much of it. She cut Manny and I each a small slice and let Trixie have a whole one. PICT0275

  PICT0278 PICT0279  PICT0280PICT0281

     In the center was this gooey stuff and it was good but it was even better after I put a greenie in it. My hooman made this little wooden ferret and painted it. It’s cute but I prefer my treats next to it. I was stuffed so my hooman put the last of my treats in my food bowl for me to nibble on later.

     I guess it’s worth being called an old man for all these goodies. This was also my first bifday pawty. I wonder how often we get bifdays?

James  weezilpawburning

Paws: Do forget to leave me comments to be included in the giveaway.

James’ Birthday

     It is amazing to me that out of my original eight ferrets I still have James. He has always been the most easy going guy I’ve known. He would let others go ahead of him for food or water. It didn’t matter who his sleep buddy was or if they wanted to sleep on top of him that was all right too.

     Most of you know I was worried about how he would deal without Lance so I started spending more time with him outside mostly to give him something else to do other than wonder around the playroom looking for his buddy. It has been a great experience for Manny, James, and I. We start at the bottom of the driveway and take our time walking back up.

     PICT0202 James likes to play in the tall grass checking to see if there are any holes he can go down. Manny thinks he is a lot bigger than he really is and will try to chase after one of the ATVs that go roaring past. PICT0204

     Once James has gotten his legs stretched out he will walk a bit faster up the driveway and heads for the outdoor pen for a few minutes of rest and relaxation. Which isn’t easy with Manny trying to get James to play all the time.

     Yesterday for the first time James ran up the driveway to the playpen where he rested for a little bit and then was the one to climb out of it ready to do it all over again. It was good to see that he had worked some of that stiffness out of his back legs.

     James would be 70 years old in dog years I don’t know if it is the same for ferrets or not but he gives me dirty looks when I call him “My old man.”

    PICT0246 It’s James’ birthday today and the kick off of cents for seniors. We have all felt the squeeze of the economy. Some more than others but the big dollars go for more essential things such as food, housing, and vehicles leaving less to give to charities that we might want to support.

     With that in mind we decided it would be easier to donate a few cents towards a goal of $500 to help senior ferrets that no longer have a forever home for one reason or another.

     Heart of Ohio Ferret Heart of Ohio Ferret Association and Rescue was created in 1996 and is a non-profit shelter that relies on the kindness of strangers. They also put on the largest ferret show called the Buckeye Bash. While they have many ferrets that are adoptable and can be found here.It is the hospice ferrets  we are interested in helping.

     These are the old folks of ferretdom and for different reasons have come to live their last days/months/years with a caring person who gives them love along with whatever medical need they have.

     As stated on their site: For each donation of $10 we can provide food and most medications for a month. The love and attention is free! At this time they have 50 seniors in their care. Won’t you donate a few cents to the fund and wish James a happy 10th birthday.

     We are doing a give away once we hit the smaller goal of $25 so be sure to leave a comment to be counted in the give away you don’t have to say if you donated or not. We will be giving away a small box of goodies that will include a $5 pet smart card and other surprises.

Jo

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Pet Blog Hop

 

     This is week 3 of the Pet Blog Hop. What a neat way to connect to other pet bloggers and be able to read what is on their minds. Some blogs are written from the pet’s point of view and others from their hooman’s.

     Enlightened Ferret started out as a place to put important information regarding the care and ownership of ferrets. Along the way friends were made and places found that have made an impact on our mission.

     Enlightened Ferret believes that all animals, wild and domesticated, should be treated with the utmost respect. Most were here before us humans ever came to be. It sickens us that we as a species can be so cruel to such wonderful animals be they canine, feline, rodent, reptile, mustela, amphibian, or insectiod.

     Monday will see James james_of_jessie  turn officially 10 years old and kicks off 25c cents for seniors. We are asking that you take a moment and donate ten cents to Heart of Ohio Ferret Rescue and Association to help decrease their burden of caring for senior ferrets that won’t find another forever home because of their age and/or illness.

   10dollars  Ten dollars a month helps to defray the medical cost for one hospice/senior ferret. It is hard to image anyone giving up their pet after many years together but sometimes the medical bills for a sick ferret is too much for some and for others it is the thought of losing their best friend to death.

     When we reach our first $20 of donations Enlightened Ferret will give away a small gift pack that includes a $5 petsmart card and some other goodies. To be included in the give away leave a comment below.

     And take a hop from here to another blog in the pet blogosphere. Join in the fun by adding your name to Mr.. Linky....post the Pet Hop button on your bloggie and join in the fun!!

 

This is a blog hop

1. You’re next…Click here to add your blog

Jo

P.S.

This weekend is also the twitter #pawparty starting at 2pm and running 24hrs.

Come and have a blast. The theme is cooking and there will be music, nom noms, and prizes.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Ferret Merchandise

     Please take a moment to check out Knob Nots. The link will take you to the ferret page but this is only a small selection of what KnobNots  has to offer.

Ferret Knob hangers Just a sample of what you will find at KnobNots.

     These cute door hangers let people know that you have an animal inside that might try to escape or that the baby is sleeping and you don’t want the doorbell rang.

     They also offer I.C.E tags for doors and crates. KnobNots also offers door hangers for dog, cat, and bird owners.

 

     I was lucky enough to win one of these sturdy door hangers in a twitter trivia contest and I love mine. It will be a part of the boy’s traveling stuff for when we are staying in hotels. Housekeeping doesn’t always way a moment or two before opening the door.

     A ferret eager to explore will be out the door in seconds and might not even be noticed until it has escaped to the outside.

     KnobNots offers free shipping and handling in the United States and the prices are very fair.

 

     Give them a gander and check out their blog at http://knobnots.blogspot.com  or follow them on Twitter.

 

 

Disclaimer: I am not receiving any compensation for this endorsement of KnobNot door hangers. This is my own opinion of the site and the product.

Jo

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Depression and Ferrets

     Sorry for being MIA for a bit. I needed to process losing Lance and the fact that James is ten years old this month. The television ads say depression hurts but those same ads don’t tell you what causes the depression. They just want to sell you on the newest get happy pill.

     Yes depression hurts  for me it is caused by the grief of loosing my fur babies. First Gweny in February and then Lance in April. The emotional roller coaster of grief isn’t limited to just humans.

 sleepinggwen Lance

     About two years ago I lost BlizzardBlizzard1 , an albino ferret, to an infection and his buddy Mousemouse mourned his death hard. What I didn’t realize what that he had stopped eating and drinking. He would mimic that he was all right by putting his nose in his food bowl and made chewing noises.

     Ferrets are quick to loose weight if they don’t eat and Mouse went from being a 4 lb boy to being a pound within a week. It wasn’t obvious because of his heavy coat. When I noticed I put him in with Gweny who wouldn’t let him leave the food bowl until he really ate.

     Gweny played the role of mother well but it wasn’t enough for Mouse. He had an underlying problem that I didn’t know about until he did stop eating and that was insulinoma. These two things combined ended Mouse’s life three weeks to the day after his bud Blizzy death.

     Because of Mouse’s downward spiral I was aware that James could have a similar reaction to Lance’s death. I was hyper vigilant to how he was acting and I made sure I spent a lot of time with him and Manny.

     James had a couple of down days where he didn’t want to eat but would nibble at a treat or two. He allowed me to give him some duck soup when he didn’t want the treats.

     They say a change in environment is helpful for some people with depression so I figured I do the same for James now that the weather was getting nicer.

     So I put James’ harness on him and we went outside. At first all he would do was lay down and look like he was crying. The third day of this found James walking a few feet and sniffing the grass. Now we go to the end of the driveway and walk back up with James pulling me to where he wants to go.

     He is back to eating and drinking. He does sleep more than he used to but then he is ten and an old man. But the moment he hears me getting out his and Manny’s harnesses he is at the cage door waiting for me to put it on him for his walk outside.

     This got me to thinking, sometimes a bad thing, about how I could combine their walk with helping the ferret rescue I am sponsoring on my blog and came up with the idea of walking a part of the Allegany Trail here in PA with James and Manny in June.

     The part of the trail we are going to walk is 21 miles long. Well I’ll be walking the whole 21 miles the boys will walking until they are tired and then riding until they are ready to get out and play some more. More to come about this project later.

     This blog will be a year old in June and to celebrate we are going to have a twitter pawty. The theme will be outlaws and gangsters.

     The date hasn’t been set yet but it will be soon. Anyone willing to donate a prize please email me at enlightenedferret@hotmail.com

Jo

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Mother’s Day

     It is almost noon and still my fur babies sleep. This is only slightly unusual as they haven’t demanded their breakfast or morning loves and this unusual behavior only seems to happen on certain days.

     I don’t mean days of the week either. My roommate’s child (Nate) and mine (William) are both grown and out living their own lives. So Mother’s day is a quiet event here. We might go out for breakfast but mostly we just stay in and let the day go by. This year Nate is going to take us out for dinner, which is nice since we haven’t seen him since the beginning of April.

     Maybe it is just the peaceful pace we live in that has James and Manny sleeping in today. Come the rest of the days they will be up at 6 in the morning wanting their breakfast and some playtime before taking a nap for a couple of hours before waking back up and wanting to play some more and if they haven’t scarfed their breakfast completely they will have a nibble or two before settling back down for another nap before supper and the last play time before the hooman’s bedtime.

     Today that routine is different. Both sleep until both hoomans are awake. When let out to play James’ will bring me a gift of one of the stolen items I haven’t been able to find with a ferrety grin that says “See I love you mom. I got this just for you.”

     As this is Manny’s first Mother’s day I am not sure how he is going to react and I am amazed that he is still asleep. Ferrets under the age of one seem to be constantly on the go, but he may have been up all night in his cage and wore himself out for the morning hours.

     There are many types of moms out there and range from the traditional mother, grandmother, and so forth to those that are moms to animals. We animal mothers love our babies and sometimes spoil them but in return we are all given the gift of love from our children. No matter if they are human or animal.

Happy Mother’s Day Moms

 

Jo

Saturday, May 8, 2010

A Surprise in the Mail

 

     A while back our hooman won some prizes at a pawpawty. One of the prizes was a surprise from Cookie Man Cat AKA Sad lovely heart on twitter.

     What a surprise we got. It was a big package

ferret away

     That’s me, James, looking away at the last moment.

 

     The package came from a place called Canada and it had a lot of pretty tape, white and red with red leaves.

from Canada Manny tried to help but got bored and ran off to play.

     Inside was the best stuff. Jingle balls, fur covered mice in rainbow colors and the best thing ever! Bandit treats!!

TREATS!!

PICT0213 The Bandit treats are chicken flavored. Manny hasn’t developed the palate for treats yet so they are ALL mine.

nom nom mine!

 

     Here is Manny going spastic over the new toys.

Manny

 

     Our hooman, Manny, and I thank you for a great surprise on such a rainy day. It gave us something to do and let us forget about not being able to go out for a walk. Wez in training for a special walk. More on that next week from our hooman.

Check out our haul and the cute card we got.

pawpawtyprizes

 

     Thank you Cookie Man Cat and the rest of your brofurs and sistfurs, and of course your Hooman.

 

 

James and Manny

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Ferrets: Are They the New Celebrity Handbag Pet?

     In the last two days I have been given this link http://ht.ly/1GWwI several times because as people read it they thought of me. I am appalled by the phrase that Paris Hilton has turn in her Chihuahua for the newest trend.

     For those of us that are pet parents know that pets are not a trend to be admired for a short while and then exchanged for the newest celeb promoted pet.

     The article goes on to say that ferret ownership is on the rise. What it doesn’t say is that ferrets are the third most owned pet behind cats and dogs.

     Ferrets are high maintenance and while Paris Hilton can afford to have other to take care of her darling Baby Vegas. Don’t be surprised that Baby Vegas stops being her new Favorite pet.

     Ferrets are little thieves and will steal anything that catches their fancy. This includes dangling earrings still in the ears or not, rings on fingers, and if a button happens to look especially bright it is on the ferret’s list of hidey-hole treasures.

     The article goes on to reference another article at Paris Hilton's ferret that makes mention of Paris Hilton being seen in Las Vegas cuddling her ferret, Baby Vegas, before going on to talk about her animal farm in L.A. and includes ferrets.

     Ferrets are illegal in California. What a slap in the face to the almost one million ferret owners who have to hide their beloved fur child because if found the ferret pays the ultimate price which is execution in 48hrs unless the owner can find someone to take their beloved ferret, that is if the ferret hasn’t bitten anyone.

      To the wild game officer it doesn’t matter that a ferret has been vaccinated for rabies. Once a ferret has bitten someone and it has been reported the ferret is given a death sentence and yet Miss Hilton can flaunt her ferret(s) in public without repercussion. Again she has the means to whisk Baby Vegas out of the state with a phone call.

     What else that is appalling is that Paris Hilton admitted to Ellen DeGeneres on her show that she has so many dogs because they keep having babies.

     All that proves is Paris Hilton is no better than the puppy mills. This woman has the funds to have her animals fixed as not to add to the overpopulation problem that has our shelters full and strays running around on the street.

     I am glad to be given these links so I can show how some celebrities go about showing the rest of the world what they can get away with.

     I can only hope that Miss Hilton becomes more responsible by having all her animals fixed, including Baby Vegas. If Baby Vegas is a little girl and she goes into heat and doesn’t mate she will die from estrogen depletion.

     I can only hope that Paris Hilton has the proper licensing for the exotics she owns and didn’t get it by paying an exuberant price for the paper but actually went through the proper classes and requirements so that she knows what she is doing.

     Excuse the rant. Your opinions and comments are welcomed and all will be read; if some are extremely rude I won’t answer them.

Jo

Monday, May 3, 2010

Happy Birthday James and Other Big Things.

 

          May is James’ gotcha month and he is a whopping 10 years old. He is slowing down a bit but is still able to put Manny in his place when his rambuncous behavior gets to James.

     I spend a lot of time with James as I know our time maybe limited and I want him to remember that even there is a new guy in the house he is still my fur kid and always will be.

     It is the little things that remind me of how old he is. I had to lower his sleeping ball so he could climb in and out of it without having to jump.

     He takes a lot more naps than he used to and I am having to add baby food to his diet so I know he is getting enough nutrition. Though he is slowing down he still loves to do things such as steal my calulator, and nom on Marshall Bandit® Beacon and Raisin flavored treats. He also loves his walks outdoors.

     Happy Birthday James my old man I love you.

 

     We at Enlightened Ferret are planning big things for June. More about that to come just know it will include some fun stuff.

 

     Please welcome a newbie to twitter his name is Snot face critter and has wrapped My pet blog around his tiny paw. For those that don’t know the markings or colors Snot face has blaze markings with white mitts the dark coloring of his fur would likely put him in the sable class. snotfacecritter

  Check out his introduction from his new mom at Blog Paws   I am pretty sure I have an idea of how he got the name Snot Face but that isn’t for me to tell. 

 

Jo