Triangle Ferret Lovers Newsletter

Issue 15, February/March 1997

Table of Contents

1. What vaccinations will my ferret need, and when?>
2. Where Will the March 1st TriFL Meeting Be Held?
3. February 1st Meeting Notes
4. Annual TriFL Membership
5. Ear Cleaning by Monica Buel
6. 1997 TriFL Board Elections
7. Housing Your Ferret
8. Ferret-Proofing Kitchen Appliances by Kim Hastings
9. The Latest Craze is...
10. Glossary of Ferret Terms by Kimberly Burkard
11. Renaissance Faire
12. Ferret Top Ten List
13. Shelter and Fostering Information
14. To Reach Triangle Ferret Lovers On-Line
15. Newsletter Address

The rabies vaccine to use is Imrab-3. One vaccination at 14-16 weeks, separated from the distemper vaccines by 2-3 weeks, then boosters yearly. This is the only rabies vaccine approved for ferrets. Although the state does not require your ferret to have this vaccination (official studies of virus shedding time in ferrets are yet to be concluded) it is a good idea to get the ferret vaccinated in case it bites someone.

Ferrets do not need vaccinations for feline distemper, parvo, or a 5-way dog vaccine.

Like any other animals, ferrets occasionally have adverse reactions to vaccinations, typically on the second or third exposure to a particular vaccine. Reactions are rare, and giving the rabies and distemper vaccinations two weeks apart is thought to reduce the chance, but they can be life-threatening.

There are several kinds of vaccine reactions. The most dangerous, anaphylactic (severe hypersensitivity) reactions, usually occur within an hour after the vaccination. Stay at your vet's office for at least 30 minutes after a vaccination, just in case. Watch for vomiting, diarrhea or loss of bladder/bowel control; signs of nausea or dizziness; dark bluish-purple blotches spreading under the skin; difficulty breathing; pale or bright pink gums, ears, feet or nose; seizures, convulsions, or passing out; or anything else that's alarming -- bad reactions are hard to miss. Get the ferret back to the vet right away, probably for a shot of antihistamine and perhaps a corticosteroid or epinephrine. Ferrets who have had mild to moderate anaphylactic reactions to a particular vaccine can be pre-treated with an antihistamine the next time.

(An Excerpt From the Ferret Mailing List FAQ)

1. See above.
2. TriFL will be participating in the Raleigh Renaissance Fair in March.
3. Other 1997 events the club may participate in are: Centerfest, Apple Chill Festival, and the Festival for the Eno. If you would like to be a Committee Chairperson to locate potential events or be a Sub-Committee Chairperson to oversee a particular festival booth arrangements, please let us know at the March meeting.
4. Fund raising is on hold. A Committee Chairperson is needed to help in this area. Currently, we are relying on membership dues; and, mail orders of products sold at festivals, club meetings, and from our web site. If you have a fundraising idea, contact Karen Marsh-Lovvorn.
5. The News & Observer has selected TriFL to be in the Wednesday "Join The Club" feature.
6. The annual Board elections will be held at the March meeting. Karen Marsh-Lovvorn will not be able to continue as President. The position of Vice-President will be created to help spread out the President position responsibilities. Please come join us to volunteer or vote. We value your input!
7. Pet store Nip Training lessons need to be coordinated for Cary, Raleigh, and Durham. Please let us know if you are interested in participating.

Annual TriFL Membership is Only $15

The following responsibilities will be handled between the two Officers with the help of other Board and Committee Chairpersons: Conduct monthly, annual Executive Board, and general election meetings; compile monthly agenda; communicate with the public and TriFL about club activities; appoint volunteer committee chairpersons; interact and improve public relations with area Animal Control officials, pet stores, and festival organizers; provide accurate Policies and Mission Statement objectives of the club to the public; and provide up to date information on legislation.

Our current President, Karen Marsh-Lovvorn (596-9393), and General Counsel, Jeff Marsocci (873-0529), have a copy of the club charter if you want to review our official Mission Statement or have questions about the positions.

Where there are holes under kitchen appliances, it usually means it needs to breath, so taping over the holes might not be a good idea. We use fine-mesh hardware cloth. Get some thin sheet metal screws, unplug the appliance, drill holes for the screws around the hole you want to cover, cut hardware cloth to fit, screw it down, and your appliance is as ferret-proof as it can get. [Or get sheet metal cut about 1" high, plus the length and depth of your stove to protect them from getting behind it...Shari]

Bright-Eyed & Bushy Tailed - Describes an excited ferret. The tail hairs stand on end and eyes sparkle. Accompanied by dooks an the War Dance.

Dash & Cache - Quick grab of food, socks, keys, etc. and the mad dash to a hidey hole.

Dook - Happy chuckling or chortling sound a ferret makes.

Drag Racing - This takes place after the ferret has made good use of their litter box or favorite newspaper placement.

Hidey Hole - The "secret" spot where a ferret hides all of their treasures. Often inaccessible to all but ferrets.

Hole of Discovery - Area that has not been ferret-proofed well enough, potentially inaccessible to hooman-beans.

Hooman Bean - Large, bipedal, tail-less ferrets with surprisingly little fur, and thin, sensitive skin.

The Licker - A sign of affection. The ferret licks an area of exposed skin. (Also known as, Lick Lick Chomp!)

The War Dance - A wild dance consisting of the ferret arching their back, jumping up and down stiff legged, swinging the head back and forth while dooking. This is done for many reason; victory, joy, enticement to play, etc.

Costume makers and simple clothing patterns are available to help you decide on your required period dressage. If you plan to bring your even-tempered and child-friendly ferret, bring an appropriate carry bag, harness and leash, food, water, and litterbox. If you want to be authentic a leather or braided rope/fabric harness will do for your ferrets' costume. Be creative! Feel free to bring songs, poems, stories, props, or teach your ferret a few tricks to show off. Information will be available at the March 1st meeting.

10... Can't come into work today - ferret stole my shoes.

9... Can't paint the house this weekend - paint trays are now "ferret potty trays."

8... Can't pick up your clothes off the floor - ferrets may be sleeping in them.

7... Don't want to go to the gym - too tired from chasing the ferrets throughout the house.

6... Don't want to clean the house - afraid of what you might find hidden last year by your fuzzball.

5... Don't want to open the front door for the in-laws - ferrets might escape outdoors between your feet.

4... Must go shopping (in search of crock-lock bowls) - ferrets kept me awake last night drinking from the water bottle.

3... Don't want to get up in the morning - might disturb the fert sleeping soundly in their hammock.

2... Don't or can't pay your income tax - the annual trip to the vet is coming up.

1... My house really isn't messy - I own ferrets!

TriFL email from June, 1996 to present is available from the listserv. To get a list of available issues, send the command "index trifl" to "majordomo@mindforge.com". To get a particular back issue, send a command of the form "get trifl trifl.YYMM" to "majordomo@mindforge.com", e.g. of retrieving June, 1996, "get trifl trifl.9606". Happy reading!

Respiratory Toxicity of Cedar and Pine Wood: A Review of the Biomedical Literature from 1986 through 1995 by TriFL member Jeff Johnston = http://www.trifl.org/cedar.html

TRIangle Ferret Lovers

4001 Cummings Circle #1-B

Raleigh, NC  27613

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

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