Triangle Ferret Lovers Newsletter

Issue 10, August/September 1996

Table of Contents

1. Life With a Ferret
2. New Meeting Location For September!
3. August Meeting Notes
4. Annual TriFL Membership
5. Maybe he is a weasel after all...
6. Up Coming Animal Shows/Competitions
7. Pesticides
8. Recliners
9. A Practical Guide to Ferret Care
10. TriFL Has Ferret Items for Sale!
11. STARFerrets and Ferret Food
12. A Tale About Otis Coming Home
13. Nigel, a poem
14. Shelter Information and Contacts

Mine are allowed out of their cage to play in a ferret-proofed room but only under TOTAL supervision. This seems to keep them quite happy as ferrets should be uncaged daily for exercise and contact with people (they are not hamsters that just stay in a cage and get an occasional pat on the head). Ferret maintenance includes bathing (with a ferret shampoo no more than once every 3 weeks or so), trimming nails (which can be a real tricky thing unless you have Ferretone or linatone handy!), cleaning ears, brushing, and a yearly rabies (recommended) and distemper shot (required) from a knowledgeable ferret vet. Some people even prefer to brush\scrape tartar from the teeth of the ferret.

Some supplies include: feeding and watering bowls (or water bottle), cage, nail clippers (human kind works fine), a high quality ferret or cat/kitten food (Totally Ferret, Marshall's, Iams Kitten, Science Diet), blankets and ferret sleeping bags to cuddle and keep warm in, and plenty of cat toys (NO foam balls, thin latex vinyl, or toys were objects could come off and lodge in the ferrets throat or intestinal track. Check toys on a regular basis and remove those that could become a potential danger.

Ferrets also like to have occasional treats including Ferretone, Ferretvite\Nutrical, Ferretbites, peanut butter, and an occasional raisin or small piece of banana.

Ferrets can have health problems just like any other animal. Ferrets have been known to get different kinds of cancers (insulinoma, carcinoma, lymphoma), adrenal tumors, cardiomyopathy, kidney or liver problems. It is very important that you educate yourselves on the symptoms of the diseases, the disease itself, and the commonly used treatment methods. Sometimes treatments or surgeries can be expensive. Please educate yourself and family on how to care for a ferret.

TriFL needs your help in finding a monthly meeting location. Ideally, this would be central to the Triangle, large enough to accommodate 25-30 people, and a few friendly ferrets with litter boxes. The site would also have to be very low cost or free, since TriFL does not have much money. Suggestions included office conference room (not a fancy one!), church room, civic organizations' building (Rotary Club, Lions Club, scouts, YMCA, Jaycees), school room, day care center, parks & recreation educational building, etc. If you could help us locate a site, please call Karen Marsh- Lovvorn (596-9393).

1. We will have a booth at the September 21-22 Umstead Festival. Nicole volunteered to round up people to help out (266-7408).
2. Josette suggested selling merchandise at ferret shows, and has a tape of a show she went to, which she will bring to play at the next meeting.
3. We have ferret pins, Deborah Jean's book, and shirts, and are thinking about creating a "Ferrets of TriFL" calendar. We took names for a mass order of an established 1997 ferret calendar, which gives a discount for large orders. The price is $13.95 each if we get 12 orders.
4. CORRECTION on non-profit status: We need $150 to file for federal non-profit status. The state filing will be additional. But it is worth it because we get free bank accounts, no taxes, and can take tax-deductible donations.
5. Colleen & Mel are going to a League Of SuperFerrets show in Washington D.C., and will bring information to the September meeting.
6. We are considering having in the future a show or ferret olympics, but for now we must concentrate on raising the money for our non-profit status.
7. We are working on getting a discount with Iams - a boon to slaves of the purple bag!
8. About 25 fert people and 13 ferts were at the August meeting -are we growing or what?

I was feeding my ferrets, Ren & Stimpy, some smoked turkey when Stimpy decided he had his fill. Of course, ferrets don't stop taking food just because they're full. He grabbed the next piece I offered, turned his head slightly in both directions to make sure the coast was clear, and then veered about face and skedaddled upstairs to the living room. It is perfectly understandable behavior in the wild to want to cache extra food for later use, but having rotting food under the sofa doesn't scan with me. I dashed upstairs in pursuit and caught Stimpy by the sofa. I pointed an accusing finger at him and inquired, "Did you eat that?" He cocked his head and stared at me. I repeated my question. "Did you eat that?" He sniffed the air and looked at me again. "DID you eat that?", I demanded. With a grand flourish he licked his chops, gyrating his head from side to side and made this sound that was identical to the pesky weasel in the Foghorn Leghorn cartoons. It was hysterical! Maybe there is a little pesky weasel in his bloodline somewhere.

AUG 30-SEPT 2 Pet Expo, Broward Co. Convention Center, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

SEPT 21 Baltimore Ferret Club Show, Annapolis, MD

SEPT or OCT Renaissance 96, GLFA Fall show, MI

OCT 5 LIFE show, National Ferret Fiasco, Legion of Superferrets, Croydon PA

OCT 12 LIFE Show, Atlanta, Georgia Domestic Ferret Assoc.

OCT 19 8th edition of the Greatest Ferret Show on Earth, DuPage County Fairgrounds, IL

OCT Fall Harvest Expo, Frederick, MD

NOV 2 LIFE Show, Susquehana Valley Ferret Club, PA

NOV 9 FACT Show, CT

NOV 14-17 Pet Expo, Nassau Coliseum, Long Island, NY

In memory of Boogie
(Oct 94 - Dec 95) Nancy William

The 2nd edition of "A Practical Guide To Ferret Care" by Deborah Jeans is now available through TriFL and Rogues Gallery Ferret Shelter. This informative and up-to-date book on ferrets is available to TriFL members for 15% of the cover price - $19.50, and non-members $22.95. All proceeds from the sale of this popular book go to benefit Rogues Gallery Ferret Shelter emergency medical fund. Call Karen Marsh-Lovvorn to order your book @ 596-9393.

TriFL Has Ferret Items For Sale!

Shirts-Embroidered Items: Beautiful, machine-embroidered ferret design available in albino, dark-eyed white, sable or silver mitt. Choose from 3 shirt styles and 5 colors. Please specify shirt size/color and ferret color when ordering (S, M, L, XL, XXL). Colors: red, blue, white, purple, yellow.
Design is also available on canvas tote bag or ball cap. Bags come only in white. Ballcap is your choice of colors.
Want to personalize? We will embroider your name or your ferret's name free of charge!

Tee shirt: $21.00*
3-button shirt: $28.00*
Polo shirt: $35.00*
Canvas bag(avail. in white only): $20.00*
Ballcap (please specify color): $15.00*

Jewelry: Finely detailed sterling silver or gold-plate ferret pins are available in 2 designs: a small (1" x 1") sitting ferret or a large (2" x 1") standing ferret.

Sterling silver: Small ferret $13.00*
$18.00* Large ferret
Gold plate: Small ferret $18.00*
$23.00* Large ferret

*Plus shipping

Contact:
Karen Marsh-Lovvorn
Rogues Gallery Ferret Rescue/TriFL 919/596-9393
Email:kem7@mail.duke.edu

Oh a ferret is a wonderful pet, It doesn't stink and only nips. About Nigel; I have no regrets. The naughty boy will kiss your lips!

Oh a ferret is a wonderful thing, Running and hiding under cover And steal about anything! Okay, I'm a ferret LOVER!

by Eddie Barnes

Please contact Karen Marsh-Lovvorn of Rogues Gallery at 596-9393, or Linda Goodwin of Guardian Angels at 362-8460, if you can adopt a shelter ferret!

This web page is maintained by Pam Sessoms. I can be reached at: pjdutche@email.unc.edu.

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