Ferret Updates

Wez been busy trying to keep updated on all the ferret news in the last weeks. First up is about the infant that was supposedly attacked by ferrets.
At this moment wez still trying to find out if a necropsy was done on the ferrets and cats that were euthanized as that would prove or disprove the innocence of ferrets.
Our friend Lisa Silverstien of Silver Lining Ferret Sanctuary over in Whitehall Township, Lehigh county was on the television along with a vet to talk about ferret safety. You can watch the interview here.
The parents in this case have both been charged with five counts each of criminal child endangerment.
New York City still has itz ban on ferrets as there was no outcome in the January hearing. Not all is lost as the New York City Hygiene and Mental Health Board will be revisiting the issue in their March meeting. So wez are asking that all of our friends in New York City to find out the date, wez will post it once wez know it, and put it on their calendars to try and attend and support lifting the ban so those hiding in New York City  can come out and play and we can come visit.
Have a Chittering Good Day,
Manny

Year in Review: 2012

I am sitting here wrapped up in a cozy blanket with three ferrets playing hide and attack the toes making me giggle and squeal, as they get a little rough. Boyd the cat is sitting in the window looking at the snow falling while he is safely away from those needle teeth.

This year has had a lot of up and downs for us.

In January, Manny turned two and while the twitter pawty had several hitches, it was still a fun pawty and it lasted a lot longer than planned.

February brought home the fact that ferrets can injure themselves easily when Marcuz did something to his back and it took us five days to get to the vet because of no vehicle.

Marcus was lucky that he only had some swelling and what looked to be a narrowing of space between two disks that was later ruled as normal for his back.

Because of this incident, the challenge to get a vehicle was achieved by the gracious donations made by so many that follow both this blog and us on twitter.

Thus the Ferret Chariot  became a reality in May and its maiden voyage happened in June when we all loaded up with Doreen from Doggies and Stuff  and took the ultimate road trip to Salt Lake City, UT to attend Blog Paws

Blog Paws was Great as usual and thanks to Michelle Maskaly making me do a tout that I laughed about doing several times before it could be posted. I felt comfortable enough to do a radio interview with Steve Dale show #389 which led to other interviews that I would have never done otherwise.

August saw the addition of Marylin   to the Enlightened Ferret family.

September we loaded up the Ferret Chariot and drove across the state of Pennsylvania to participate in the Berks County 35th Annual walk for the Animals  and help out Boris Kitty’s  human 2 and Edgar support a great place.

We also went to the local pet fest and participated in the pet parade along with educating many people about ferrets.

October, November, and December saw us less online as I had a lot of orders come in for unique ferret costumes.

While we say goodbye to 2012 we are looking forward to the adventures 2013 has planned for us.

Have a Chittering New Year’s Eve Day,

Jo

On The Radio!

I meet Steve Dale at Blog Paws and we hit it off and he asked to do interview with me about ferrets and today the bit aired.

Please take a listen.

 

Have a Chittering Day,

Jo

Living Life Like a Ferret

Ferrets live life in the fast lane and to the fullest extent that they can. You can see the passion in their eyes as they take on a new challenge or adventure.

This week I made the decision to become the Crazy Ferret Lady and oddly things that I have been wanting to happen have started.

First was being the Featured Blogger on Pet PR’s site while I knew I would eventually be there I did not expect it to happen this week.

Then I was chosen for a writing job that has to do with pets. While it isn’t directly related to ferrets it is part of my passion and may lead to some other pet/ferret related work.

I did a prelim interview about the ferret clothing I make and while I am not ready to let more details out know that it will be huge for me and the boys.

So know your passion make the decision to follow your hearts passion to the ends and above all else grab that shiny and run like hell to your hidey hole to make it yours alone.

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Jake and Jasper: A Ferret Tale

I am always on the lookout for anything that showcases ferrets in a good light. There are too many negative examples out there. So when I started seeing tweets from @Jake_and_Jasper asking if they should do a podcast about the film I had to know more.

 

I emailed Alison the film’s director and asked for an email interview which she graciously gave. Her excitement was easy to see in her words and I can’t wait until the film is completed and offered for sale.

With that said here is the interview.

EF: I've read the blurb about the movie and wonder how you came on the idea?

I'm a filmmaker, but I'm also a ferret owner, so I've always tried to include them in my film projects.  My ferrets have been in several commercials for Marshall Pet Products and I also volunteered my services for a commercial for legalizeferrets.org which aired on TV in Los Angeles. 

I had always wanted to do a film about ferrets, but didn't have an idea for a story.  Then a few months ago I saw a short film made in Ireland that has the word ferret in the title (I don't want to promote it).  I was SO excited - but severely disappointed. 

In the film, the boy gets a ferret, but it's a working ferret that hunts rabbits, and the ferret ends up biting him on the nose.  The father returns the ferret to where they got it.  As soon as I saw that I KNEW I had to make a film about a boy and a ferret that showed ferrets in a positive light. 

The boy in this film, Jake (Played by Connor Stanhope, "Smallville"), is struggling to cope with the death of his mother and retreats from his family and the world at large.  He doesn't talk, doesn't smile, and gets into fights at school.  His sister Jesse (Played by Laci Mailey) gives him a pet ferret named Jasper, and they develop a very strong bond.  We'll see the ferret actually pry Jake from his shell and help him to smile, laugh and feel love again.

I love animal movies.  They always make me cry.  You're going to cry. 

EF: From whose point of view is the movie? Jake's or Jasper's?

 It's from Jake's point of view, but I think it would be great to make another film that is from the ferret's point of view.  In fact, someone has already contacted me with a script idea for this. :)

EF: How old is Jasper the ferret?

Jasper, which is played by my ferret Falcor, is just over 1 year old.  He's my little monkey man.

EF: Is Jasper the only ferret being used in the movie?

No.  There will be body doubles!  As any ferret owner knows, ferrets have one speed, one gear: GO!  They go hard for a couple hours and then sleep.  This is a problem when filming.  I will be bringing my other ferret Frisco who looks identical to Falcor, to be used in any wide shots where we can't see the face close up.  I'll also be putting the word out in Vancouver for dark sable ferrets to be used as backups.  Ideally I'd like to have 10 or more ferrets as backups but we'll see what happens.

EF: What else can you tell us about Jasper and Jake?

 I could go on and on!  I'm so excited about this film!  And it's been getting a tremendous response from the public, mainly ferret owners.  If you watch the promo video , you may notice in the end credits that I dedicate this film to animal lovers and ferret parents (farents) around the world.  I'm so tired of how ferrets are portrayed in the media.  It's always negative.  Either they're being shown as aggressive, being called rodents, stinky, etc, or the film only shows them for a few seconds.  So here's a film now where the ferret is one of the main characters, and it shows the joy and love a ferret can bring to your life.  There's going to be a montage in the film (because every film needs a montage!) that shows the bonding experience with Jake & Jasper; it will show Jake putting food and water in Jasper's cage, teaching him tricks, Jasper dragging his shoes around the room, etc.  I'm really excited about that part.  I also wanted to be sure to show a bit of the responsibility it takes to care for a ferret. 

After a fight with his father, Jake runs away to a forest with Jasper where he will encounter many animals such as a skunk, a fawn, a black wolf, and more.  Being an animal lover, this is a dream come true for me.  It's also a dream role for Connor Stanhope, who just happens to be an animal lover as well.  He's already developed a bond with Falcor in real life!  But we need to raise $10,000 to fill the forest with these animals as they are very expensive, so hopefully we are successful with that.  Anyone who donates will get a picture of their ferret in a special feature on the DVD, plus there are many more perks, like getting your name in the end credits, pre-ordered autographed DVD's, posters, and lots more.  We have until August 12 2011 to raise the money.  Here's the link for anyone who'd like to be a part of this special film: http://www.indiegogo.com/Jake-Jasper-A-Ferret-Tale

EF: Who is producing the film? Or is producer and director one in the same?

Director and Producer are not the same thing, but in this case it kinda is.  Because this is a low budget film, I can't afford to hire people to do all the producing for me.  So I do the bulk of it myself.  However I've just brought on 2 other producers to help lighten the workload for me a bit!

EF: Where is the film going to/being made?

Our forest scenes will be filmed in Langley, BC, Canada.  I haven't locked down the locations for the rest of the film but they will be in or around Vancouver, BC.  The Pacific Northwest is a beautiful place.  Mountains, forests, ocean.  It's perfect.

EF: What is your projected cost of making this movie?

Ask me tomorrow.  Ha ha.  It keeps going up as things move along and I come up with new ideas.  I know it will be the $10,000 on the animals and animal wrangler alone.  In addition to that, I have to rent equipment, pay for locations, permits, food for the crew, transportation, etc.  This could easily be another $10,000.  I'm currently trying to secure sponsorship for the film to help cover these costs.  And that's only the production part of things.  More money will be spent on post-production, but I'll be editing it myself to save money.   I'm blessed to have an awesome cast and crew who are all volunteering.  If it wasn't for them, there's no way this could happen.  Special thanks to my camera department team Shawn Seifert (also the Director of Photography), Jesse Vance and Salo Saade.  They work with me a lot and do a stellar job.  They also don't complain about working with animals.  They're used to it now.  I reward them with chocolate and ice cream when I can.  :)

EF: How long will it take to make the movie?

 It will probably be about 4 days of filming.  I haven't set the shooting dates yet but it will be shot at the end of August.

EF: Where will the first DVDs be released?

That is a loaded question, actually.  We have to make the festival circuit first.  I'll be submitting the film to film festivals around the world.  After that, the DVD's will be released.  Hopefully in stores, if we can get distribution.  If not, I will be selling them independently online.  Anyone who donates $25 or more to the film gets a pre-ordered DVD autographed by at least 1 cast member and myself.  Please be patient though, as sometimes you can't submit to a film festival if the movie is already on DVD.

EF: I don't know much about film festivals other than Cannes what other ones are there?

There are thousands of film festivals all around the world.  Cannes is definitely the biggest, but almost every city has its own festivals as well.  Big ones that I may be submitting this film to include Slamdance, Sundance, Toronto International Film Festival, Vancouver International Film Festival, Chicago, St. Louis, Cleveland, Whistler, Victoria, etc.  Getting selected at some of the festivals I just mentioned can even qualify a film to be considered for an Oscar nomination.

EF: Will those that donate get a % off of the price or just get to have pictures of their ferret(s) in the DVD?

$25 or more and they get a DVD for (free).  I have to laugh about your question though.  I think ferret owners would buy this DVD just to see their ferrets in the special feature ha-ha.

EF: Other than Twitter where else might we find information about Jake and Jasper: A ferret Tale?

Our official website is http://www.jake-and-jasper.com, our Facebook fan page is at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jake-Jasper-A-Ferret-Tale/178763242181186 and the IndieGoGo site where you can donate to the film is at http://www.indiegogo.com/Jake-Jasper-A-Ferret-Tale

EF: Can you break down how much it will cost for each animal you need for the forest scene? I saw on twitter that an owl is $135. Is that for the animal and handler?

Sure!

Skunk = $1000,

Raccoon = $1000,

Black Wolf = $1000,

Bats = $1000,

Rabbit = $400,

Frogs = $100,

Fawn = $4500. 

These prices all include the cost of an animal wrangler as well.  The owl is actually $1000.  What you saw on twitter is that we are $135 away from having raised enough for the Owl.  As I write this, we've raised enough for the skunk, wolf, and rabbit.

I learned a lot from Alison about this film and I hope you will give the sites a visit and maybe help this film get made.

Have a Chittering good day,

Jo

Update: Just before posting Alison let me know that they raised the money for the owl and frogs and are now on their way to getting the raccoon.

Ferret Giving Tree

     You may have noticed the button on the side of my blog. Some of you may have clicked it. But exactly what is the Ferret Giving Tree?

     I wondered the same thing and asked some questions. I emailed them to the administrator email address listed at the bottom of the page. The person taking care of this project this year was nice enough to forward my email to the person who knew the most about this project. Thanks for helping me out Melanee.

     Kristine Lunny started the Ferret Giving Tree in 1998. The tree was a way for ferrets residing in shelters to have a Christmas and to help those who give these little guys a home with expenses. Kris S. Mewton took over the project in 2000.

     The way the Ferret Giving Tree works is starting October 1^st to November 30^th shelters pick ten ferrets living with them and writes a short bio about the ferret and a wish list. A picture is taken to accompany the bio and list. Shelters then fill out a form on the Ferret Giving Tree site this takes about thirty minutes.

     The biggest requests shelters ask for is help with vet bills, food, and litter. For the ferrets, themselves the requests are for toys, treats, and hammocks. Giving these fun little creatures a comfortable place to sleep and to be able have nice things to play with during the holidays.

     After the shelters have submitted their ten ferrets they are placed on a tree. Each tree holds fifteen ferrets. This year there are 52 trees.

    

The first year 380 ferrets went onto the Ferret Giving Tree. Each year that number grows and still all the ferrets get a Secret Santa before it comes down. This year is a record breaking 805 babies on the tree and it is already down to only 226 needed their own Secret Santa. This remarkable idea has helped over 4000 ferrets have a wonderful Christmas. It is easy to tell when a ferret has a Santa because there is a filled stocking replacing the picture of the ferret and it states that he/she has a Santa. Or like Sierra, there will be a picture of a rainbow. A universal symbol among ferret owners/caregivers that they have crossed over the rainbow bridge.

“This just shows how wonderful the ferret community is and how they all stick together, and support shelters around the world.” Kris S. Mewton of the Michigan Ferret Rescue and Adoption Network said.

     There are fur babies that don’t have a Santa yet starting on tree 16 if you are interested in helping one of these little guys out. After selecting a ferret, you can read about him/her and at the bottom of the page is a link to take you to the Santa form.

Thank you Kris Mewton for explaining just how the tree works.

Jo