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

Ferret Giving Tree

 

Us three ferrets are lucky we have our loving forever home with our pet hooman, AmyJo, unfortunately there are many other ferrets that are living in shelters and rescues until they either find that perfect hooman or they cross over the Rainbow Bridge.

While they are safe and well taken care of in these places they aren’t always able to have some of the same things as us. Thankfully a bunch of pet hoomans got together and created the Ferret Giving Tree where shelters and rescues can list ferrets and their wish list for Santa Claws to see and maybe some of his elf helpers would jump in to supply some of the wishes.

This year the tree had 225 ferrets but there are still 104 ferrets needing Santas. We will be picking one or two from the tree but for us it isn’t just about the stories it is helping those that should have a loving home no matter what.

So won’t you give the Ferret Giving Tree a look and maybe one of those adorable little faces will tug at your heart strings that you can’t help but his or her Santa.

 

                                             

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Manny, Marcuz, and Marylin

Update: Wez selected Mojo Man to be Santa to. Isn’t he just unique? You can read more about him by clicking on his picture.

Ferret Giving Tree 2013

What is the Ferret Giving Tree? It is a place where shelters can put up homeless ferrets many of which have medical issues and will more than likely stay with the shelter until they pass over the Rainbow bridge. Some of the stories are heartbreaking and others just make you want to go strangle the person responsible for their pain.

Most shelters run on the kind donations of others and are often in need of items they just can’t afford due to the medical cost of these furry little critters. That is where the Ferret Giving Tree comes in.

Started in 1998 by Kristine in hopes of giving the ferrets special gifts that they might of never seen otherwise. The first year saw over three hundred ferrets listed on the tree and the numbers keep growing each year which is sad as that means more and more ferrets are ending up in shelters for many different reasons but the two main reasons are inexperienced owners and medical/age issues.

The Ferret Giving Tree is opened each October to the shelters to place bios of several ferrets on the tree and each tree holds the names and pictures of fifteen ferrets. The tree(s) are then opened to the public on November 1^st so each ferret can get his or her very own Santa. Some stay as secret Santa and others relish in giving something to these little guys.

I have participated in the Ferret Giving Tree the last two years with only being able to be Santa to one ferret this year I will be able to choose several ferrets so now my dilemma is choosing which ferrets and or shelter I wish to donate too.

I picked seven little fuzzies from Richmond Ferret Rescue League this way I only need to ship one box and I can include a nice surprise for the Shelter Mom.

The seven little darlings I have picked are

Silly Willie

Cooter Cutie

MoJo

George

Roxy

Bacardi, and

Miss Prissy

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Blog Paws 2013 Photos

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We are defiantly feeling the Blog Paws Hangover today. Still can’t believe it is over already.

Next year we are headed to Vegas!  Enjoy the photos.

Have a *yawn* Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Blog Paws 2013

Wow what a wild ride.  Finished packing at 4:30 am and then we were on the road. It rained, it was windy, and then the sun came out.

Unfortunately the camera was packed so couldn’t take any pictures.  There is still major construction going on so we missed the driveway more than once. lol

Marshall Pets has a nice set up and the kids love the small animal play area. Linda and Denise have been wonderful and right next to them is Washington Metro Ferret Outreach

Got to see old friends

and meet new ones

Then the camera battery died so no more pictures tonight and I am on my way to a hot bath and a soft bed.

 

See you all in the morning and have a chittering good day,

Jo

Leading Up to Blog Paws: Last Minute Details

Tomorrow we will be up bright and early to start our long drive to Tyson’s Corner, VA and the start of Blog Paws.

We are sad that our buddies Nikki and Ashley, from I love Rescue Animals won’t be there but were pleasantly surprised to find out that Edna from Nutro, Snotface Critter, George the Duck’s Typist will all be there.

This is the first year that we had two sponsors one we have met and the ferrets love giving her kisses and hugs. This is the second year she has supported Enlightened Ferret again thank you Lisa Taron.

After many emails back and forth and I am sure some other outside help we secured sponsorship from Marshall Pet.

Notice: If you don’t like them that is fine but don’t put hateful comments as they will be deleted from this post and any other regarding the Blog Paws Event.

This year the little fur kids will have their own playground to romp in not that, the dog park wasn’t fun for my kids it was my own peace of mind that was worn.

Enlightened Ferret will have some surprises for a few people as well. What they are differ from person to person but we are sure they will be well enjoyed.

With roomie joining us at this year’s Blog Paws, I hope to be in more pictures with my fur kids than they are. *Chitters* but they are the draw.

If you have questions about ferrets please be sure to stop by the Washington Metro Area Ferret Outreach’s table or Marshall’s if you can’t find them or they are too busy I will give you an answer if I can or will help you find it.

Ask nicely and I will chitter for you.

See you at Blog Paws.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Final Update on Amazing Grace’s Story.

I brought you the heart-wrenching story of Grace back in March when she was rescued from the hallway of an apartment building.

This amazing little girl survived for twenty-one days before she earned her wings to fly free from pain. In those twenty-one days, Amazing Grace touched the hearts of people all over the world of all ages.

I must clarify that the rescue that I named as the one helping Amazing Grace the Washington Metro Area Ferret Outreach (WMAFO) only took in Grace it was the caring Claudia of Oxford Ferret Rescue that took care of Grace 24/7.

It was hoped that justice would be served but it now looks like that will not happen. The Animal Investigator went to the apartment building where Grace was supposedly found and talked to the manager there and to the apartment occupants who have never had an animal verified by the management and the officer.

Further investigation revealed that the name and address given by the person turning Grace over to the WMAFO were false.

This information now makes everyone involved believe it was Grace’s true owner that brought her in and unfortunately that means the leads are cold and Grace’s murder will not be brought to justice.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Update on Grace

Photo from Washington Metro Area Ferret Outreach.

Grace is off the I.V. support and is eating on her own. Her blood work is slowly improving every day but she still has a long ways to go.

She is starting to act like a ferret by exploring her surroundings and finding comfortable spots to take naps. Her favorite place seems to be on Claudia.

Don’t know the story of Grace? Check it out here

Ferrets normally sleep between 14 to 18 hours a day but I am sure that Grace is sleeping a lot longer than that as she regains her stamina and strength.

If you look you can see where she is starting to get new hair and her ribs aren’t sticking out so far any more.

Enlightened Ferret is proud to help Grace by donating a portion of our sales from Ferret Fabulous Finds Auction House 

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Happy National Ferret Day.

 

April 2^nd was dedicated to helping others recognize the growing ferret community by educating others in the welfare of ferrets. With that said we are proud to update you on the progress of an amazing little ferret girl named Grace.

If you haven’t read Grace’s story you can do so here, but be forewarned that the picture is disturbing.

Not only has Grace survived she is improving each day. She is now eating a little on her own and her blood work is showing improvement but the biggest improvement is her weight gain. While she is still very underweight, she is regaining her strength along with the weight gain.

Photo from Washington Metro Area Ferret Outreach Facebook page.

This little girl has earned a huge following of people who have reached out to help her get well. Enlightened Ferret is proud to be a part of that by creating a special Ferret WarmUp Jacket named for her.

For each one sold 50% of the sale will go to Amazing Grace.

If you would like to help Grace, you can do so by donating to the Washington Metro Area Ferret Outreach 

and put for Grace in the note.

This little girl may not have known love in her past but now that is all she knows.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Justice for Grace.

 

Disclaimer: Photo is graphic. If abused animal disturb you then this is not the post for you.  If you continue to read you do at your own discretion.

For my regular readers you know I don’t often post about those evil people who abuse animals but when I do it is because one of them has grabbed a heart string and plucked it making it sing out in need.

Grace is one of those that has plucked more than just my heart string among us ferret lovers. I first saw a picture of Grace when it was posted on the Washington Metro Area Ferret Outreach’s Facebook page.

She is one of the lucky ones as she was abandoned in an apartment building hallway and animal control was called who in turn called the Outreach who knew exactly where to take her for the best medical care she could get.

An investigation has been opened to find Grace’s owner so that charges can be brought against him or her. There is no way this happened in a few days

and I hate to think about how she managed to survive this long.

If you would like to help Amazing Grace you can donate to the Chadwell Animal Hospital - 443-512-8338 VET INFO or send it to PayPal account steph@wmafo.org and add a note that says for Grace.

Another way to help is to bid on some amazing items from the Ferret Fabulous Finds Auction House 10% is donated to a weekly ferret shelter from all of the artists who have items listed and I am proud to be one of those artists with my unique ferret clothing and I will be donating between 15% and 100% depending on the item sold.

( Ferret WarmUp Jacket for fur challenged ferrets)

If you live in the Washington D.C. Area and recognize this little girl or might know who abandoned this sweet soul please call your local animal control with the information. This little girl did nothing to deserve this abuse.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

I Have a Dream

 

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 Giving Tree 2012

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

Pet Finder’s Less Adoptable : Summer

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Pet Finder’s Less Adoptable Week: Fred and Stewart

Would you like to see more pod casts or written posts? Have a Chittering Good Day, Jo

Pet Finder’s Less Adoptable Week

Most will be posting about dogs and cats that fall into the category of Less Adoptable due to age, disability, or breed but I am a ferret owner and blogger so my picks will of course be ferrets.

Our first pick is Dexter:

This guy is six years old and is blind in one eye. He also has Adrenal disease. He recently lost his lifelong buddy to the Rainbow Bridge.

If you are looking for a hefty boy to love Dexter can be found at Northern Arizona Ferret Alliance & Rescue, Inc, in Show Low, AZ  928-532-8795

 

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Ferret Fashion Show

I don’t know how many of you know that I design ferret clothing for my boys and for other ferrets. To date I have made everyday shirts, tuxedos, dresses, and even designed military BDU’s better known as fatigues.

View Full Album

I’ve been marketing these on Etsy and been auctioning several different outfits off on Fabulous Ferret Finds Auction page on Facebook. Which has begun to earn me a little money but thanks to this endeavor, I have come to the attention of several different outlets.

One of these outlets is hooked on the idea of a Ferret Fashion Show. I would love to help a shelter or rescue by creating several fashions that would be shown off by the shelter ferrets and then could be auctioned off with all the proceeds going to the shelter.

I am just not sure where to start other than asking first off what do you think of this idea?

2. Would this be something you would be interested in doing?

3. While I am thinking Western PA because it is close to where I live, other places would be fine too.

I would have Manny and Marcuz as part of the show and they would show up in the Ferret Chariot   along with some other surprises.

If this is something you would like to be a part of. Please contact me either by the comment box or slide me an email at enlightenedferret@hotmail.com

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

The Caged Bird Does Not Sing, And There’s Good Reason Why That Is So

 

Many of us enjoy having pets of all kinds, from dogs and cats to gerbils, goldfish and birds. For many, owning a pet is a pleasure. Pets provide companionship and are fun to have around. But still, the experience of keeping animals contained within your home is not an issue that is always easily dealt with for some.

As well treated as your pet may be, the very act of domesticating animals that were once wild sets up a moral dilemma for some. Keeping a dog or cat in your home is one thing. Both, under the right circumstances, can be allowed outdoors to wander about to varying degrees. But for bird owners, the proposition of owning a feathered friend is more troubling. Most birds that are kept as pets are enclosed in a bird cage. And that by itself gives many who are conscious of animal rights pause.

Except on occasions when their cages are being cleaned, birds kept as pets usually stay inside their cages 24 hours a day, seven days a week. To many, this is a cruel form of solitary confinement that is hard to justify. While a bird cage is not exactly the equivalent of a prison cell, it does confine one or more of nature’s creatures to a space that is unnaturally small and restrictive, and is certainly in conflict with the natural environment to which birds are normally accustomed. To many, this act of restriction in itself constitutes animal cruelty, and is an inexcusable form of imprisonment.

In general, birds do not thrive when they are caged. Some domesticated birds, such as parrots are sometimes kept on perches and not confined to a cage. For many, that is a preferable way of handling the issue of keeping animals that should ideally be able to roam free or fly where they may.

Commonly used phrases, such as “free as a bird” demonstrate the conflicted sense of propriety we are always likely to foster whenever the topic of keeping a pet in a bird cage comes up. While birds are beautiful creatures that are a pleasure to have around one’s home, the feeling of justification that some experience when it comes to the act of limiting an animal’s natural freedom is off-putting to many.

For the most part, the birds that most people keep caged in their homes were captured from the wild, or were raised domestically as pets. In either case, both domestic production or capturing wild creatures and keeping them confined for our own amusement is considered by many to be a reprehensible act. Animals are innocent creatures that typically thrive in the wild, unless they have become so domesticated that they cannot survive outside of the artificial environment created by humans.

Birds can be kept in sunny, pleasant areas of your home, where a controlled temperature will ensure that your pet is never too cold or too warm. They can be fed good, healthful diets and even be allowed to fly free inside the home on occasion. All of this can create an environment that is quite a bit better than a “prison cell” for pets. Despite all of the good intentions, keep in mind that birds were born to fly freely, and keeping them in any cage is against their nature.

 

Fabian

 

Disclosure: Enlightened Ferret does not normally have guest posters. In the future guest posters will be ferret experts in their own right. A monetary donation was made this disclosure is in keeping with the FCC rules.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Ferret Proofing 101

 

For those that haven’t read the previous ferret proofing post it is here .

Ferrets are notorious for getting into places they don’t belong. I already covered about couches, recliners, and wheel chairs. Other places ferrets can get into are dryers, refrigerators, and the stove. I know that many people let their ferrets be free roamers throughout their house but I would be a major basket case wondering where my boys were if I let them be free roamers.

  

They can also end up in the washing machine if you don’t check to make sure your little fuzzy isn’t taking a nap in the hamper or laundry basket.

Ferrets are smart and can disconnect the dryer vent hose and escape to the great outdoors. Once outside they will embark on a merry adventure until a hawk or other predator sees them. They won’t know how to get back home either as they are not blood hounds.

Many ferrets in shelters, rescues, and humane societies have been found alongside the road, under decks, or just wandering around. For this reason it might be a good idea to have your ferret micro chipped.

Cabinets are another place ferrets are great at getting into or behind and if there is a gap under them that is where a ferret will go. Imagine your surprise when you go to take out that pot for making spaghetti and inside it is a sleeping ferret.

  

Or you can see a paw sticking out from under the cabinet but for whatever reason the ferret can’t figure out how to get out from underneath it. Believe me it has happened to many ferret owners at least once. Sometimes all it takes is a whiff of Ferretone or a special treat to get them out but other times it takes some muscle to lift the cabinet while someone else grabs the ferret and drags them out.

I am glad most of my cabinetry is on wheels for that very reason and again my boys are only allowed in one room of the house.

Next time I will talk about ferret proofing while traveling with the fuzzy butts.

Disclosure: The photos are not mine and are linked back to the sites they have come from except for the pot and drawer one.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Featured Ferret: Goober

 

Hi yall’z My name iz Goober. I knowz I look like I just crawled out of da ash can but it iz my normal coloring.

I am about 3 years old and I love giving kissez to all da hoomanz here at the Humane Society of Camden County, Kingsland, GA but I would dearly lovez to have me own hooman to love and take care of.

Do you happen to know of a hooman dat could give me a forever home in exchange fer all da kissez and dancez I can give em? If ya do can you send em on down here to come visit wif me and see if we would make the perfect pair?

Lovez,

Goober

Disclosure: I get no compensation for featuring ferrets from Pet Finder I pick each ferret at random and create his or her voice with the information available. All photos of featured ferrets come from the page they are on.

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Featured Ferret: Raffles

Hi all my name is Raffles and I am living at the Nebraska Humane Society in Omaha, NE

I am a little sable boy and I would love to find my very own forever home with my own hooman to train. We could learn about each other.

Do you know of someone needing daily ferret kisses and a dose of joy?

Raf

Disclaimer: I get no compensation for doing featured ferrets from the pet finder site. All profiles are from my own mind using what information that is with the selected ferret.

Please pass on to those you would think would like to help find this little guy his forever home.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo