DOOK OF THE MONTH:

This page has articles about ferrets, ferret vets, recipes for ferret food and treats, etc...

The good, the bad,and the fuzzy:
All about ferret shows!
By Zoi D., president,
Ferret Friends Fellowship

I have attended many ferret shows and will therefore try to take you on a little tour of a
ferret show. At the average show there'll be
lots of good vendors with great deals on all
the things you need (and don't need).

There'll be many boothes selling hammocks, beds, toys, and more. Some folks sell clothing
for the ferret owners, others sell clothing for the ferrets. Some sell kibble and treats and others sell holistic, super-fancy raw-prey food.
You can even buy frozen mice there. (Ugh!)

At ferret shows, you get the opportunity to meet lots of other ferret owners. But some folks are just too nervous to be able to make new friends. With time, I've gotten better at socializing at shows but in the begining it was really hard. "Why?" you might find yourself asking. Well, if you're showing your kids, you'll probably be super-nervous, worrying about whether they win or not. That's at least the way I am. And when you're nervous you're usually not at your best so talking to folks or buying ferrety stuff isn't always the easiest.

Despite being nervous and not so eager to talk I HAVE managed to meet some very nice ferret folks at shows. I've traveled to shows in many different states. While in Denmark a few years ago I met a very nice Danish ferret breeder. Thanks to my ferrets I've made new friends both in US as well as Europe. So networking is certainly a good aspect of ferret shows.

I'm not going to hide this: ferret shows are for the sake of the owners. Do ferrets care if they win 1st or 10th? No! In fact, most ferrets would prefer to spend the day snoozing in a hammy instead of being dragged cross-country to be examined by some strange person surrounded by strange sounds and smells. I've chosen to only take three of my kids to shows because I know the others would just get freaked out. Of those I've taken along to some shows, two of them hated it. The third, my breeder boy, actually seems to enjoy riding in the car and has no problems being handled by strangers. But he is an exception.

I am "retiring" the other two from showing because they hate it. I see no reason to cause them discomfort just because I want to have my ferrets win. I would never force my kids to do something just to make me feel good about myself. I am, however, still taking my breeder boy to shows because he actually likes 'em.

'Nuf said. Ferret shows are fun if handled the right way. Go in with a positive attitude and
don't be surprised if you don't win anything great. Try, try again. I hope to see you at the 2012 Ferret Fiesta in Milwaukee, WI.

FERRET FOOD RECIPES:

Here is a simple, quick, un-traditional version
of the traditional “Duck soup” recipe.

“Duck soup”
1 jar of chicken or turkey baby food.
(Make sure that there's ONLY meat in it.)
2 or 3 tablespoons plain canned pumpkin.
1 tablespoon olive oil.
2 tablespoons FerreTone and/or Vivify.
You can buy the canned goods at grocery stores.
FerreTone and Vivify can be found online at places like www.ferretdepot.com

Heat the first three ingredients in a pot until warm. (Not boiling, just warm.) Make sure to stir it alot so it doesn't burn on the bottom. Remove from heat and add the 'Tone and/or Vivify.
Stir and serve when it's cooled enough that the fuzzies won't burn their tongues.

This is great for sick ferrets but healthy ones love it, too! It's good to get them used to it so that when/if they get sick, they'll be used to the taste. The pumpkin is a natural laxative so it helps remove possible furballs and other ingested things that shouldn't be there.

If your ferret(s) won't eat it, try putting a bit of the soup on it's gums or mouth. This will make the ferret start licking. Once they lick it, they usually find out that it's very tasty.