Triangle Ferret Lovers Newsletter

Issue 14, January/February 1997

Our goal is to promote the welfare of the domestic ferret through public awareness, and increase the enjoyment of ferret ownership by providing information and activities.

New Year's Resolutions!
Next TriFL Meeting
January Meeting Notes
Annual TriFL Membership
TriFL Tax Exemption!
1997 Ferret Event Schedule
Some Pointers for New Ferret Owners
We Are Here To Help You!
Ferret Proof Locks Needed?
Living With Thieving Ferrets
Shelter and Fostering Information
To Reach Triangle Ferret Lovers On-Line
Newsletter Address

New Year's Resolutions!

I will keep the following telephone numbers next to a central telephone (or on the refrigerator) in my home:
- My veterinarian, including the after-hours emergency clinic
- Poison Control Hotline
- Local ferret club/shelter/rescue contact
I will keep my ferrets' medical history, annual examinations and vaccination information together in a place easily accessible in a moment's notice.
I will train my ferret/s to come to the sound of a squeaky toy.
Plan an escape route to safely evacuate family and pets in case of fire or other emergency.
Life long commitment - ferret-proofing my home.
Contribute monthly to a savings program for future vet medical bills.
I will clean out the litterboxes daily. Wash their bedding, towels, and/or blanket weekly.
Continually educate myself and others on ferret care: medical, food, housing, training, etc.
Switch to a higher quality food, if ferrets are not already on one. (Recommended percentages are Protein 32% min. and Fat 18% min. consisting mainly of meat or animal by-products rather than grain. Remember, ferrets are carnivores.)
I will keep myself open each and every day to the infectious joy and curiosity of my ferrets!

Next TriFL Meeting

Our next meeting is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, February 1st from 5:30pm-8:00pm at Duke University, Law School. Directions to the location will be emailed to the TriFL listserv by January 17th. Off-line club members will be mailed directions. If you are not a member and need directions, please call Shari or another club member. There are many agenda items needing to be discussed at the February meeting. Come join us and put your 2 cents worth in.

TriFL needs your help in finding a monthly meeting location-central to the Triangle, large enough to accommodate 30-40 people, and with or without friendly ferrets with litter boxes (getting desperate!). Low cost or free is preferable...church room or hall, civic organizations' building, school room, etc. We usually meet the first Saturday of the month. Please take a moment to quiz your family, co-workers, employer, and friends on any suggestions they may have. If you can help us out, please call Karen Marsh-Lovvorn (596-9393) or Shari Gunter (231-3222). Thank you!

January Meeting Notes

None. No meeting location available. Too tired from the holidays. Out of town for vacation.

TriFL Tax Exemption

Jeffrey G. Marsocci, TriFL's attorney, has received notice from the IRS that we are now tax-exempt. The club is incorporated as a non-profit in North Carolina according to the Secretary of State's Office. Our next step is to become officially classified as a non-profit business through the NC Department of Revenue. (Mr. Marsocci can be reached at Web Site - http://icomnet.com/~nclawyer/ or Email Address - nclawyer@icomnet.com or The Old Fashioned Way - 919/873-0529.)

Annual TriFL Membership is Only $15

TriFL is vital in providing ferret lovers information on care and activities. Membership fees pay the costs associated with local ferret education - pamphlets, latest medical information, leaflets on preventive care, emergency funds for shelter, newsletter production, postage for members, vets, and pet stores, as well as, booth fees, and materials for our display exhibit with signage. If you want to be a TriFL member or contribute to our efforts, please send your dues to Pam Taynor @ 4001 Cummings Circle #1-B, Raleigh, NC 27613.

1997 FERRET EVENT SCHEDULE


(Not all events feature ferrets, but ferret organizations will

usually be there.)



Courtesy of:           Pam Grant of STAR* Ferrets

                       P.O. Box 1714, Springfield, VA 22151

                       STARFerret@aol.com



FEB 1&2  Ft. Lauderdale Pet Expo, FL - 860-563-2111

FEB 12-15  STAR* Booth at HSUS Animal Care Expo, Orlando, FL -

     1-800-248-EXPO

FEB 22  LIFE Show, LOS WA, Seattle - 206-838-3321



MAR 1  Ferret Expo '97, AFA, Maryland - 888-FERRET1

MAR ?  LOS All Specialty Fiasco, PA - 215-946-2747

MAR ?  Spring Fling, AZ - 520-622-4940

MAR 21-23  Chicagoland Family Pet Show, IL - 800-946-4611

MAR 22&23  Rhode Island Pet Expo, Providence, RI - 860- 563-2111

MAR 22&23  Exotics & Family Pet Showcase, Upper Marlboro, MD - 

     215-721- 7199

MAR 22  LAFF's Ferrets on Parade, VA - 703-777-2112

MAR 29&30  Mid-Western Exotics Fair, St. Louis, MO - 314-427-6341

APR 25-26  Exotics & Family Pet Showcase, Ft. Washington, PA - 

     215-721-7199



APR 26 or 27  FARI Spring Frolic, Rhode Island - 401-294-6309

APR ?  NAFA show, Midwest Ferret Expo '97, IN.

     Show theme and discounts revolve around rescue and shelter ferrets. 

     219-296-1711 or 317- 535-8010

APR or MAY   SVFC, PA will be having a Championship ferret show -

     717-540-1078



MAY 3-4  Flint Family Pet Show, MI-800-946-4611

MAY ?  Ferret Expo Midwest, MN - 860-350-3610

MAY 16-18  4th Annual Pet Expo, Knoxville, TN - 423-475-3777

MAY 17  F.A.C.T. Frolic, CT - 860-289-6895

MAY 30-JUNE 1  Exotics & Family Pet Showcase, Allentown, PA - 

     215-721- 7199



JUN 7-8  Exotics & Family Pet Showcase, Edison, NJ -

     215-721-7199

JUNE ?  FerretQuest, GLFA, MI - 313-676-9138

JUNE ?  L.A.F.F. Fun Match, VA - 703-777-2112

JUNE 29  Ferret Frolic & Olympics, Seattle, WA -

     206-232-1228



AUG 22-24  Small Mammal Vet Conference, Baltimore, MD -

     1-888-FERRET-1

AUG ?  Pet Expo, Broward Co.  Convention Center, Ft.  Lauderdale,

     FL - 305-666-5944

Some Pointers for New Ferret Owners

by Joanie Williams

If possible, close off your utility room. It can be hazardous due to containers of chemicals, detergents, laundry machines, and many a ferret has escaped out of the house through the dryer hose vent. If the ferret is unable to pry the hose loose from its attachment to the machine or wall, the ferret may very well scratch or bite a hole in it, enabling an exit out the wall vent.
Ferrets can and will jump into the bathtub. Therefore, if you are running hot bathwater for yourself, shut the bathroom door so that your ferret does not do a nosedive into too hot of water and get scaled.
If you walk your ferret (always on a leash, please!) be careful of approaching dogs. All it takes is one snap from an unfriendly canine to seriously injure or kill a ferret.
Never let your ferret outside to play unsupervised. Even if your yard is fenced, don't assume that a ferret won't find a way out; it probably will. Outdoor cats, hawks, and raccoons are a danger to your ferret, as well.
Check the inside of the dishwasher, washing machine, and dryer before starting it. An appliance that is left open may seem to a ferret like a secret hiding place; never assume a ferret is not in there. Folks, this has actually happened. Never underestimate a ferret. Be careful.
Recliner chairs and sofa sleepers are known death traps. A ferret can get inside and get caught in the mechanisms. Don't let your ferrets have access to the room where these are located, or better yet - sell the furniture and buy a futon! When you have visitors who are not in tune with the ways of ferrets, it is a good idea to keep an especially close eye out and possibly keep them in a more confined area (their cage or another room). Visitors might be careless about leaving doors open, watching where they walk or sit. These are precautions to take to keep your little carpet shark safe from harm.

We Are Here To Help You!

In the past two weeks, I was advised second-handedly that there are/were 1 lost and 2 found ferret cases in the Triangle. These three people did not know about the clubs' existence. Let's get the word out to pet store owners/ managers/staff and vet offices who receive lost and found notices that club members will assist in arranging a search party, post the notice on the TriFL listserv, help distribute flyers, contact animal agencies, etc.

Ferret Proof Locks Needed?

In the Ferret Mailing List (FML) Digest last November, there was an informative discussion on the best ways to keep your ferrets from opening up kitchen or bathroom cabinet doors. Highly recommend was Magnetic Tot Loks. If you cannot find them locally, the Safety Zoneş mail order catalog sales them (item #K845776). Contact the company at (800) 999-3030.

New Ferret Game!

by Troy Lynn Eckart Take a large frisbee, turn it upside down, place on the carpet. Pick up a ferret and circle their bodies into the frisbee. Hold your hand over them so they realize they are to stay put. Then slowly and gently swish them side to side in a large arc. Once they don't object, whoosh them across the carpet, but not into any furniture or walls. Two people can play, and the frisbee ferret gets whooshed back and forth. Some ferrets stay put, others do the dance of joy. [Also, fun with a plastic grocery bag.]

Living With Thieving Ferrets

At some point in time, you may be missing one or all of the following items:


Shoes - Wallets - Slippers

Socks - Combs - Brushes

The dog's food - The cat's toys - Your food

Rubber ducky - Computer equipment/accessories

Shoe insoles (make sure they do not chew it)

Stuffed animals (remove any plastic buttons or eyes)

Small things, large things, huge things

Items that do not belong to them.

Well, you get the idea. Stealing is a main objective, next to exploring, for a ferret. Be aware of items that could cause an intestinal blockage (soft latex toys are a major problem).

Watch out...The first thing they usually steal is your heart!

Shelter and Fostering Information

Rogues Gallery Ferret Rescue will be unable to accept new ferrets for adoption until late Spring 1997, although we will continue to act as a centralized clearinghouse and referral service. Since most owners are willing to keep their ferret(s) until a new home can be found, foster care is not needed for every ferret referred to the shelter. If immediate placement is required (i.e., no-pets rule, moving, or any other reason that the owner cannot keep the ferrets), we will need foster families! Please contact Karen Marsh-Lovvorn @ (919) 596-9393 if you would like to be a Foster Parent.

To Reach Triangle Ferret Lovers On-Line:

NEW ADDRESS World Wide Web page = http://www.trifl.org/
To subscribe/unsubscribe to the TriFL listserv = majordomo@mindforge.com
NEW ADDRESS E-Mail = trifl@mindforge.com

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

TriFL Newsletter Address


TRIangle Ferret Lovers

4001 Cummings Circle #1-B

Raleigh, NC  27613

Shari Gunter is the TriFL Newsletter editor. Please contact Shari at sharidiane@aol.com if you have questions about TriFL Newsletter content.

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

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