Marylin informed me that she doesn’t do ears as they are not a Diva’s Fashion wear.
Marcuz said he didn’t want anyone to seem him almost naked and to use the photo with him and Manny in it from when they were younger.
Happy Easter from Enlightened Ferret
Have a Chittering Good Day,
AmyJo
That line is from a famous speech given by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in August of 1963. He was given a holiday by President Ronald Regan in 1983. It is to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday which is January 15th, but the holiday is celebrated on the third Monday of January.
Iz not a speech maker but Iz too have a dream.
Mez Dream is that all ferrets be free to bring their pet Hoomans out of the darkness of fear an into the light of encouragement.
That ferrets and pet Hoomans can live in harmony and not under the persecutions of misguided entities trying to squash the love between ferrets and their pet Hoomans.
It is mez hope that the dream starts tomorrow with the New York City Board of Health recognizing the good our small furry paws can do with the ban on us lifted.
It is also mez hope that the state of California will sit up and take notice of the movement and will take a long look at their prejudice towards us ferrets and also remove their ban.
On this Martin Luther King Jr. Day Iz ask you to help bring this dream a paw step closer by signing this petition to Introduce Ferret Legalization to Legislation so at the very least the California Legislation will put the matter on the rolls to hear from the pet Hoomans and not just those that wish to oppress us ferrets.
Have a Chittering Good Day,
Manny
Today is Martin Luther King Jr. day in the United States he is famous for his 1963 Washington D.C. speech “I have a Dream” given in front of the Lincoln Memorial.
Like Martin Luther King Jr. I also have a dream.
Mine is that California removes its unrealistic ban on ferrets and legalizes their residency.
My dream is that others come to understand ferrets and that all the myths and misconceptions are wiped out.
It is also my dream that all the homeless ferrets find their special forever home and never have to want again
Until then my dream is that all the caring people who foster, shelter, and rescue these wonderful little guys are well funded by those that can help make a difference in the day-to-day operations.
Just one bag of food can help reduce the amount needed.
Just one $10 donation to a vet care fund can pay for a month of medication for those in need of adrenal and insulinoma meds.
Just one case of paper towels, Simple Green, or other cleaning supplies help reduce the outgoing costs that can be spent on the ferrets.
What is your dream?
Have a Chittering Good Day,
Jo
Ferret owners are no different but it isn’t always to find ferret clothing that is both fashionable and functional. So I have designed my own.
So do you dress your pet up?
Have a Chittering Good Day,
Jo
To all veterans we thank you for your service in defending our rights and our country.
For those that don’t know the significance of Veteran’s Day check out the history of this holiday here
We at Enlightened Ferret are proud of our soldiers both past and present.
Have a Chittering Good Day,
Jo
This year Enlightened Ferret is going to play Santa to Baby Snooks
from Woogie Wescue.
This little girl has had it rough and is very lucky to be alive after being found in a meth house and had been living on meth instead of ferret food.
Our hearts go out to her and hope that she can have a decent life now as she keeps detoxing from those horrid chemicals.
The Ferret Giving Tree has over 200 ferrets in need of a Santa and the shelters that are featured care for over 2000 ferrets.
Won’t you think about helping Enlightened Ferret play Santa to Baby Snooks and the other ferrets at Woogie Wescue or by becoming a Santa to one of the other ferrets on the Ferret Giving Tree.
If you wish to send a gift to Baby Snooks or the other ferrets at Woogie Wescue send it to
Woogie Wescue
7271 Airline Hwy #117
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
70805 USA
Have a Chittering Good Day,
Jo
Happy Valentine’s Day.
By Martina McBride
If there were no words
No way to speak
I would still hear you
If there were no tears
No way to feel inside
I'd still feel for you
And even if the sun refuse to shine
Even if romance ran out of rhyme
You would still have my heart
Until the end of time
You're all i need
My love, my valentine
All of my life
I have been waiting for
All you give to me
You've opened my eyes
And showed me how to love unselfishly
I've dreamed of this a thousand times before
In my dreams i couldn’t love you more
I will give you my heart
Until the end of time
You're all I need
My love, my valentine
Will and Widget are from the Williams Animal Control in Knoxville, TN. Will is about 4 years old and Widget is about 6. Their combined adoption fee is $120.
Valentine is from Animal Rescue League of Boston, MA
Disclosure: I do not receive any compensation for promoting these cuties from Pet Finder . I also thought this song fit the day and found a site that had the lyrics. My Valentine is by Martina McBride.
Have a Chittering Good Valentine’s Day,
Jo
Do you have a ferret owner on your gift list and have absolutely no idea what to get them? This list should help you bring a smile to their face.
Gift Certificates
Gift Certificates in amounts of $25 allow the ferret owner to spoil their fuzzys.
Stores that you can get GC include
The local pet store that carries ferret food and stuff
Wal-Mart: Many toys are gotten here from the infant section.
Supermarkets: Baby food for duck soup can be purchased
Socks
Socks are a ferret’s love and the more the better.
Any type will work as long as they are not unraveling.
Sock monkeys are fun too.
Soft Toys
Plushies
Teddy bears without plastic eyes and noses or other easily removable things
Stuffed mice: Doesn’t matter if they are stuffed with catnip as ferrets aren’t affected by it. Again make sure there are no easily removable items.
Other Toys
Hartz® mini mice
Hartz® Tuff Stuff Nose Diver Duck
Hartz® Feathered ball on a string
Purrfect Play™ wool ball
Tunnels
Balls
Grooming
Cat nail clippers
FURminator® is a wonderful grooming tool.
Baby toothbrush
Feline toothpaste
Q-tips®
Feralax
Ferivite
Treats
Bandit treats come in many flavors
Ferretone is a liquid vitamin supplement that many ferrets love.
Greenies® Feline dental treats. These are small enough that ferrets can easily grip them.
Nutro® crunchy treats. My boys love these and while I have to break them into smaller pieces they eat them up as fast as they can.
Other supplies
Sleepy sacks
Hammocks
Litter boxes
Litter
Potty Pads.
Leashes
Harnesses
Carrier
Ferret Food
Food dishes
Water bottles and/or dishes
Other
Some ferret owners like to dress up their ferrets. Clothing can be varied and depending on the sex of the ferret it can be difficult to find items that are both fashionable and functional.
Some good places to look for unique ferret clothing are Etsy and Ebay by using search terms ferret and clothing will give you several listings.
Hope this guide gives you some ideas for that ferret owner this Holiday Season.
Have a Chittering Good Day,
Jo
As you know the boys and I were able to attend Blog Paws. What a fun event that was made even more wonderful with the first showing of the new Buddies movie from Disney.
Those with younger kids might know who the Buddies are but for the rest of us the Buddies stem from a movie called Air Bud that featured a golden retriever who was into sports.
He and Molly had five puppies (Rosebud, Mudbud, Budderball, B-Dawg, Buddah) who are always finding adventure. This newest film is no exception.
We are given a glimpse into the past on Halloween night when Warwick tries to summon the Howlloween Hound by using the souls of five blood related beagle puppies but is interrupted by the sheriff and one puppy’s( Pip) boy (Joseph). Only problem is pip’s soul is stuck in limbo and young Joseph is left with a stone statue of his beloved pip.
Fast forward 75 years. Where a Halloween crazy teacher who takes the kids on a school trip to the creepy mansion and tells the story of Warwick and the Howlloween Hound.
The buddies listen to the story and B-Dawg is goaded into stepping paws into the mansion where he meets Pip and mistakes him for the Howlloween Hound.
With the help of the Buddies new friends, Pip, Zelda the Mystic, Hoot the owl, they are able to bring Pip and Joseph back together while getting rid of the Howlloween Hound and Warwick for good.
Butterball’s secret weapon comes in handy to help defeat the Howlloween Hound but it is quick thinking B-Dawg’s idea.
This is a fun film for kids and adults will get a giggle out of the antics that follow the buddies and the kids on Halloween night. The Buddies costumes are adorable.
Spooky Buddies releases on DVD and Blueray September 20th and needs to magically appear in your DVD collection.
Disclosure: I was given the opportunity to view this film for free during the Blog Paws conference. The review is my opinion only.
What other Buddies Movies have you seen and/or own?
Have a Chittering Good Day,
Jo
Being a pet parent isn’t always easy. You are always training your pet so he/she knows that you are the boss. Most often though they just let you think that when the fact is they have us securely wrapped around their paws, talons, hooves.
Being a ferret parent has some challenges that many would never think possible. From daily ferret proofing so they don’t get into too much trouble because you can never keep a ferret out of trouble. Not that he/she would ever see it as trouble to trying to wrap Christmas gifts.
Most of you know that we at Enlightened Ferret are Gibbs Santa and I was finally able to start wrapping some of his gifts. Of course Manny and Marcuz had to come see what I was doing. Unfortunately the camera batteries decided it was time to die and the package of batteries I just bought are all dead, needless to say I’ll be returning those. But there are no pictures of the ferrets helping wrap.
How to wrap gifts with ferrets.
Step 1. Get everything set up. Paper, Tape, boxes, bows
Step 2. Unroll the paper for cutting. Remove ferret from the paper before cutting.
Step 3. Place present on cut paper. Turn away to get tape. Retrieve present from Ferret.
Step 4. Remove ferret from paper replace present wrap present, retrieve tape from ferret.
Step 5. Watch ferret steal bow and take behind couch, quickly wrap present, remove ferret from box.
Step 6. Place present in box, repeat step 2 for next present, place empty cardboard roll on floor after cutting it lengthwise so ferret doesn’t get stuck.
Step 7. Watch ferrets play with cardboard roll for a few minutes.
Step 8. Start to place second, third, forth, unassisted ferret wrapped presents in box only to realize present one is missing.
Step 9. Ask the ferrets where they took the present and watch them go in two direction Chittering excitedly while doing their weasel war dance.
Step 10. Sigh, pick up box with wrapped presents and place up on high self. Watch ferrets wear themselves out.
Step 11. Place sleeping ferrets in their hammock and look for missing present.
Step 12. Find the missing present in the back of the Television out of reach.
Step 13. Go find long BBQ Tongs to retrieve found present.
Step 14. Dust off cobwebs from retrieved present place in box with other presents replace on high self.
Step 15. Make cup/glass of much need hot beverage and relax by watching the ferrets sleep like little angels.
Don’t forget this is the last day to enter the Hartz® Giveaway.
Have a Chittering good day
Jo
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
Ferret owners spoil their fur children by buying them new toys, clothing, and/or cages. Some ferret owners make this the day to take their ferrets to the vet for yearly check ups and vaccinations.
Having a day just for ferrets allows their owners an opportunity to take them out into public and showing their ferrets off.
Toys are a ferret owner’s greatest pleasure. Finding one that appeals to their ferret is satisfying. Many toys are made for infants and can hold up to a ferret’s no holds style of play.
Other toys are made for dogs and cats and on occasion, a toy specially made for ferrets is found at a price a pet parent is willing to pay.
There is a variety of clothing options for the fashionable ferret. These can range from a cool tee shirt to formal wear.
Collars are in this category and can be anything from the simple band of color to one that has many shiny stones on it. Clothing can range from a couple of dollars to a hundred or more.
Housing for a ferret depends on the owner and the number of ferrets he/she has. Some cages are a single level and are generally best for one or two ferrets.
There are homes called mansions that can be six levels or higher and can house several ferrets. Most of these larger cages are mounted on wheels and are easy to move about.
I celebrate ferret day with new toys and collars. This year I have a new addition to the ferret clan thanks to my roommate, Judy.
She brought home this little scrappy guy who thinks he is the boss of his new brothers. Both have put him in his place with well placed nips to his ears and scruff.
I did have to break it up between him and Lance as he can’t hear him squealing when he bit a little too hard.
New addition is named ManChester and has several nicknames now. Those are Manny, Chester, Chestnut, and squirm. He is a dark sable and will be three months old on 10 April.
Jo
Warning: Graphic Pictures Ahead
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and we think about the loved ones in our lives. This includes our fur children or in some cases feathered, or scaled.
We want to think we are giving them all the love they need. This includes taking them to the vet for annual check ups or when they get sick or injured.
We let ourselves think that only certain species get specific things, as only canines get heartworms. When the fact is that cats, ferrets, and in extremely rare cases humans can get this parasite.
Just how does our beloved pet get this life-threatening infection? It starts with the bite of a mosquito. All this annoying little insect has to do is suck the blood of an infected animal taking several of the young heartworms known as microfilariae into its system where they become infective larvae usually within two weeks. It is these larvae that are passed into another animal by the mosquito taking another blood meal. This process takes approximately six months.
The larvae travel through the host’s body for about three months some will mature into immature worms in the blood vessels of the lungs.
Another three months will see this worms mature into their adult form where the will lodge themselves in the right side of the heart reducing its ability to pump blood effectively. This can lead to heart murmurs, fluid in the heart and lungs.
In five to seven months after the infection the adult worms mate and create new microfilariae that can cause the pet’s immune system to react which can cause damage to other organs and keeps the cycle continuing with another mosquito bite.
Detecting heartworms in any pet can be done using a test called an IDEXX® snap test. This tests for several antigens (1) in the blood one of which is heartworms. It measures the protein on the skin of the adult female heartworm. If only male heartworms are present in the bloodstream, the test will show a false negative. Other tests that maybe included are x-rays, a complete blood count (CBC), and in some cases, an ultrasound of the heart.
Dogs and cats may show signs of heartworms when they have 10 to 60 of them but it can take only one or two to kill a ferret. We, as pet owners, must be continuously learning about what can affect our small fur babies.
Heartworms are under diagnosed in ferrets because not all vets are knowledgeable about ferrets or that they are susceptible to getting heartworms. The problem is not readily recognized because most ferrets that die are not necropsied (2) 
Prevention is the key to keeping our pets free of these parasites. While the options are limited, there are two. One is ProHeart® an injectable heartworm preventable that is given every six month.
ProHeart® is marketed and approved as a preventive for dogs but the Minor Species Act of 2004(3) allows for the use in exotics. The other recommended preventative is Advantage Multi® the makers Bayer™ have tested it in ferrets and found it to be a safe and effective treatment.
Before starting any treatment, it is wise to have your fur children tested for any evidence that they may have been infective and discuss a course of treatment with your vet.
Jo
(1) Antigens: enzymes, toxins, or other substances, usually high in molecule weight, to which the body reacts by producing antibodies.
(2) Necropsied: Having the animal’s dead body examined.
For more information you can go to the American Heartworm Society
I would like to thank,
Dr. Cottrell from West End Animal Hospital, FL for the use of the heartworm pictures and answering my questions.
To have gaily wrapped presents under a tree. Homemade goodies and candies piled up on the counter from neighbors and friends or our own ovens. We let our guard down about our animals. Forgetting that some of the most wonderful things about this time of year can also be the most deadliest.
Wrapping paper with its colorful print or metallic shine entices a ferret to come play with it. We forget that ferrets are the forever child that needs constant supervision. They love to put things into their mouths that could ultimately kill them. Some wrapping paper comes from around the world and the dyes that are used maybe toxic to a ferret who likes to lick paper. The metallic paper can produce its own hazard if it is ingested depending on what is used to give it the metallic look.
Chocolate is poisonous to more than just ferrets. As can an overload of sugar be dangerous to a ferret. Candies often are called lick and sticks by ferret owners because a ferret will lick a piece of candy until it is sticky and then leave it somewhere to glue its self in place or the unsuspecting hooman steps on said piece of pilfered candy in his/her bare feet.
Holiday plants pose their own brand of dangers. Some are toxic to animals and children that chew on them. The Christmas tree holds a number of hazards. The main one is its height. Remember ferrets don’t have depth perception so they always think they are only a few inches off the floor when in reality they are four to eight feet off of it and they love to climb.
Next are those beautiful blinking lights. While they may memorize us with their beauty, a ferret wants that nifty bulb for him/herself. They don’t know there is electricity running through those wires or that the whole tree will come crashing down while pulling on that one bulb.
If it is a live tree the pan with the water may have chemicals in it to preserve the tree for the time it is indoors. A ferret sees it as just another pan of water for them. Artificial trees cause problems when a ferret chews on the plastic needles and some of those sharp pieces make it into the ferret’s intestinal tract where they can puncture the lining.
We as ferret owners can never let our guard down for that one second of inattention can lead to the injury or death of our beloved ferret.
Jo
