Hi Everyone,

I'm Kim, Stan's wife.

I just wanted to say hello, and share some photos of our latest litter of ferrets, well...because they're cute, and because they're great pets. They're natural mousers, much more effective than cats, and much less aloof. Sorry cat people, I mean no disrespect, but we have cats, a dog, and ferrets...and the ferrets are like a great combination of both dogs and cats.

We have several ferrets, six of which live in the house 24/7 like a cat or dog would, and use a litterbox like a cat does.

Anyhow, I didn't see a pet forum, and I've offered to give pet advice, so I figured since pets are part of our families, I'd post the photos and offer of help here. I have worked as a veterinary technician for many years, and I would be more than willing to provide a Q & A for pets somewhere on the board, if it would be of help to anyone. I'm not a vet, and don't pretend to be one...but I can help point you in the right direction with animal questions.

Anyhow,....Hi, nice to meet everyone, and without further delay, today's photo of our litter of baby ferrets.

http://www.pooflinger.com/doppelettes/0519.jpg

Stan's off at band practice, so I figured now was as good a time as ever to say hi.

:waves:

kim

My girlfriend is allergic to cats. I wonder if she would be allergic to a ferret? I miss having animals around. What do you think?

Aww, cute ferrets!

Reminds me of my favorite comic ferret, Kiki:
http://sluggy.com/daily.php?date=001107

The best way to find out is to be around a ferret.

Most states have ferret specific shelters. There's a really good list here of shelters, state by state:

http://www.ferret.org/links/shelters.asp

See if there's a shelter near you, and go visit. Nothing like visiting a houseful of ferrets to find out if you're allergic or not. :)

If there isn't a shelter nearby, most PetCo (as well as other) petstores carry baby ferrets. Go in and see if she can handle a ferret without any adverse reaction(s). Stan is allergic to cats, but not the ferrets. Thank goodness....hahaha...or we probably would have never got married!

:)
kim

LOL! Another Kiki fan! Gotta love Kiki!

Who'da thought it?

I've been actually holding out on posting here, because I was nervous. Thank you all for the very warm welcome.

:)
kim

Yes, we are all actually very cozy and fuzzy-wuzzy. :)

Sluggy is a very funny comic, and Bun-Bun and Kiki are absurdly funny. Ferret shock, "Stay good!", ""Oooh, shiny!" -- unforgettable. I read it every day, and my gf does too. (Poor girl, I got her hooked and then she had to read through years of daily strips to catch up.)

I once saw a man with a ferret in a leash jumping after him in the snow, from footprint to footprint. The ferret looked sleek, quick, fascinating. But I've heard they bite.

Hello Kim. Welcome to VNN.

Anything with teeth can bite. It's all in how they're raised. If a ferret is raised with human touch and kindness, bites are not normal. Baby ferrets go through a normal gnawing period where they're learning their limits, and teething also...but grown ferrets who bite, sadly, have reasons. Just like dogs, they've either been neglected or unsocialized and don't know better.

Out of all of our double digit ferrets, I can honestly say I would trust all of them with a stranger except for one, who was horribly abused before he came to live with us. He's since bonded with me, but still is a little scared around strangers.

The best part of having ferrets? Having a 70 pound German Shepherd who thinks he is one. Seriously, Mr. Ito, Stan's avatar, has no idea he's a dog sometimes...he was raised since age five months around the ferrets, and is so wonderful around them. He whines and fusses when the baby ferrets fuss...and when they are bigger, he'll do his best herding dog impression and try to keep them in one area, which never works (baby ferrets scatter faster than roaches when the kitchen light is turned on). This picture was taken 2 years ago, when he was playing with baby Gooch....I guess they were playing dentist or something....please know that no ferrets or dogs were injured during this photo shoot.

http://www.pooflinger.com/photos/goochito0828.jpg

:)
kim

Thank you! I look forward to participating more. I have offered to do some voice overs for the Goyfire as well as doing a Q&A about animal health. Thank you all very much for the warm welcome. I do appreciate it.

kim

That's a great picture. Gosh darn it, now I want a ferret, but I mustn't buy one!

Welcome, spahnranch. Hope you won't find the forum too weird, it's an eclectic lot.

Awww, your ferrets are adorable!

Welcome to VNN. :)

Welcome! Those are some cute ferrets. This girl I met at school this last semester just got a breeding pair. I guess if she has any questions I can bug you for answers? :D You're husband's contributed a hell of a lot, and its good to have both aboard! Its enlightening, occasionally disturbing, and sometimes outright hostile, but this is the greatest forum ever. Lots of interesting minds. :D

I'd be happy to answer any ferrety or other animal (small animal...I'm not well versed in large animals (cows and other farm animals) questions.

Breeding ferrets can be tricky. Two years ago one of our girls had to have a c-section, to the tune of over $700. Ouch. But, it was worth it to save her and her kits. She's still doing well, but she's spayed now (I never want to go through that again, thank you very much!)

Then there's the health concerns, and the genetics of breeding certain color patterns together to avoid genetic problems such as waardensburg syndrome, which can cause deafness and other problems. So please, yes, if she has any questions, have her contact me. I'd be happy to help.

And thank you everyone else (_DC_ and Pixi) for your kind comments!

:)
kim

Hi Kim, I'm still young here on the forum myself. A pretty good bunch. They slap each other around a bit but Iron sharpens Iron right?

I think we've had just about everything but ferrets, trying to cut the numbers down some lately. Too much work.

Anyway, glad to have you and Stan.

See you around :)

The best way to find out is to be around a ferret.

Most states have ferret specific shelters. There's a really good list here of shelters, state by state:

http://www.ferret.org/links/shelters.asp

See if there's a shelter near you, and go visit. Nothing like visiting a houseful of ferrets to find out if you're allergic or not. :)

If there isn't a shelter nearby, most PetCo (as well as other) petstores carry baby ferrets. Go in and see if she can handle a ferret without any adverse reaction(s). Stan is allergic to cats, but not the ferrets. Thank goodness....hahaha...or we probably would have never got married!

:)
kim

I'll check it out. Thanks for the advice.

Welcome to the VNN forums Kim.

Anyone that has animal/pet related questions as to health issues, proper care and feeding, breeding, etc., post them here so I can find them. I want to institute a 15 minute segment on the broadcasting network dedicated to animal care. I know that there are a lot of animal owners among us and Kim has a large knowledge of animal care that will help us all to keep our animals in good health and spirit, affordably as well without falling for uncle jewy's (tm R. MAcDonald) advertising and overpriced vet voodoo.

Domestic ferrets are illegal in California, so that is that so far as I'm concerned.

I have some rats around the chicken house. Will ferrets get 'em?

I got a friend with vole problems, is there a Ferret Final Solution for his voles?

Both of our households are full of animals that are treated very well, and ferrets would make themselves at home here, but we are only intersted if they are employable. I know they are aggressive predators. I have rabbits, too. Ferrets would probably kill them, eh?

Rob

I know they are aggressive predators. I have rabbits, too. Ferrets would probably kill them, eh?

I'm liking them more and more!

I read an essay about pets that felt like a revelation to me. It said that animals with their eyes on the sides of the head don't make good pets, whereas animals with their eyes in the front make good pets. Because the herbivores (with eyes on the sides) will always be afraid, as you are their natural enemy. Cats and dogs on the other hand recognize you as a fellow predator and are more at ease.

I've seen this myself: the hamsters, rabbits and guinea pigs I had as a kid weren't really good pets. They didn't enjoy cuddling in anyone's lap, they just wanted to get away and hide. Rabbits are the worst. They should be kept outdoors.

Cats and dogs on the other hand, what splendid animals they are!

Also, the article said something I had never thought of: we feel more at ease eating herbivores than carnivores. We eat rabbits and cows and so on, but the thought of eating cats or wolves is apalling to us. They are our own kind, in a way.

Speaking of cats, I recommend the siamese. Ordinary cats are good enough, but you can really tell the difference when you buy one of the higher prized races, with higher intelligence and calmer minds. The siamese are highly intelligent, and they are sleek, with light fur and big blue eyes. They look like cat nobility. I understand why Dr. Pierce said that ever since he founded the NA there had been a male siamese cat in his home.

I'd be happy to answer any ferrety or other animal questions.

Are they better sauted or barbequed? :D

Just kidding....welcome to the forum, Stans wife!

http://www.pooflinger.com/doppelettes/0519.jpg

How cute!!! Are they always white when they're first born? Gosh.... now I want one.

I'm so glad you're a part of VNN. Welcome!

- Katie

welcome spahnranch!

Welcome, Kim, can't wait to hear your animal show on Vanguard Radio.

Ferrets will kill small rodents, and also rabbits. In the UK they still use ferrets to control the rabbit population.

But, they can't be left outdoors like a barn cat, as they don't do well unsupervised outdoors. They would most likely wander off or be killed on the roads or by other larger predators (like dogs).

:)

kim

I agree with you regarding the eye placement. I've never read that article, but you're right, carnivores/omnivores do make better pets than herbivores, at least IMO. The only thing I could think of that might break that mold would be an iguana...as they're lovely pets if you have the time to properly care for them, and they are vegetarian reptiles.

We have 2 cats here, a regular old housecat and a very fancy Bengal cat, that a friend of Stan's could no longer keep and we ended up "watching" him for one night, back around Easter. As you can see, that one night sure has been long! He's beautiful though, and very vocal, like a Siamese. He's also very intelligent, and sneaky too. :)

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome!

kim
PS everyone knows that ferrets taste best when breaded and served like veal parmesean. :)