Yarm Ferret Rescue - January 2009
by Sue Lloyd
Happy New Year to you all. January and the juggling has already started, trying to find new homes for unwanted ferrets. When will parents learn that children nearly always lose interest in their pets? Christmas here was greatly jollied along by a group of boarders, all loveable characters. One has an ability to climb that would do a squirrel proud!
Again we are faced with a shortage of wood shavings, the recession having closed several wood yards.
Last year one of my jills picked up a bug, possibly at a ferret racing event. Most of us have done the battle of trying to syringe Baytril! Thank goodness it is available in pill form; if your ferret is still eating it may eat a dose hidden in a little meat or a treat. The pill form is a bit more expensive; the dosage rate we use is 1/4 twice daily, but of course not every poorly ferret will eat it as was the case with this jill. She needed Sulphadimindine drug in the form of 0.03mls of Intradine daily which soon had her up and about.
So upwards and onwards into 2009. The weather here has been very cold for long periods. Perhaps the ferrets expected it as they have all grown very thick coats and built deep nests whilst the local stoat population has once again turned winter white into ermine: they look absolutely gorgeous.