Raffle Winner and AFA Show a Success

Congratulations go out to Sheryl Atencio of Groton, Connecticut for

winning the 6 piece bedding set!

This past weekend The Ferret Inn attended the Spring Nationals in
York, PA. As you all know, show weekends mean a lot more work for
everyone, but it is a worthy cause.

Our girls, Choco Latte and Mandy, both won 2nd place in specialty
classes.
The goodies baked by our own “pastry chef Pam” as we noted on the
pricing sign did great as usual.

We are very pleased, and want to thank all of you who
helped make it happen. Including the behind the scenes’ folk. Lynn,
our one woman design team, Farida and Bonnie who took care of the
stay at home ferrets and Crystal for manning the booths at Petco by
herself Sat and Sun, the most beautiful two days of the year thus far!

And, as always, Lisa O's bedding set donated towards the raffle

We truly missed seeing our good buds Tracy and John, our gourmet
foods and coffee buddies from Rhode Island, but we know they were
with us in spirit! Hopefully we will see you at the next show!

Thank you once again to all who contributed to this most recent
success!

Giving Thanks

Cookie, a resident of the Inn, participates in this year's Giving Tree. (Click here to sponsor Cookie)

Dear Friends and Family of The Ferret Inn,

As we approach this holiday season, I want to personally give thanks to all the beautiful fuzzy creatures who have come and gone from our lives this year, as well as to all the wonderful human lives whose paths have crossed with my own as volunteers or friends of The Ferret Inn.

This year has brought two special losses for me. First Sam, and then Blackie. Many of you were familiar with Blackie and Sam, and helped care for them while they spent days and nights at The Inn. I want to thank each of you, for caring for my kids as if they were your own, as you tended to their meds, and gruel, and gave them kisses and hugs.

Many of you have suffered similar losses, including long term residents of The Inn such as our precious Mary, and Hunny.

What would life be for any of us without our precious furkids?

This year has seen great economic challenges for all shelters and rescues. Each one of my now 7 (previously 9 ) furkids were once residents of The Ferret Inn. I am deeply grateful that they were delivered to The Inn, were they could be properly cared for, vetted, vaccinated, and nursed back to health, both physically and emotionally, and finally prepared for their forever home: MY HOME!. How lucky I am to receive such joy.

What would life be with no shelter?

Please remember, in this season of giving thanks, who cared for our furkids, and who was there to receive them when they were discarded by their previous owners, often malnutritioned, dehydrated, injured or neglected. The Ferret Inn has spent well over 12 thousand dollars in veterinary care alone this year, much less the cost of daily care...bedding, food, cleaning supplies, utility bills, transportation, etc.

I am asking each of you, whose lives have been touched by The Ferret Inn, to consider picking a ferret to sponsor from the annual Ferret Giving Tree 2009, and to donate food, or to vet bills, or to volunteer a few more hours as a sign of hope that The Ferret Inn can continue to thrive with all of your generosity and help for yet another year, to offer a special respite to tired, weak, old or sick ferrets until they find their forever home. Click on this link to The Giving Tree and choose tree 26 where 10 of our precious ferret residents can be sponsored, beginning with Violet and ending with Blaze.

Sincerely,

Bonnie Russell

Secretary, The Ferret Inn

Slinky also joins the tree (click here to sponsor Slinky)

Boarding at The Ferret Inn

The Ferret Inn provides 24 hour fully supervised boarding in an ADV negative
home setting.
It is our mission to provide a caring, safe, and enriching experience for
your ferret. You can be confident that while you are away, your pet will
receive the highest quality of care, by very knowledgeable caregivers.

We encourage you to visit before boarding your ferret so that we may answer
all your questions.

Boarding fees range from $9.00 per night to $18.00, per single ferret, and
whether or not you have previously adopted from The Ferret Inn. There is an
additional charge for critical care. Prices vary for more than one ferret
per night.
Call Nancy at #410-531-4936 for more details. All boarders will be required to sign a
boarding contract at the time of boarding. ADV testing for your ferret is
offered at least one week prior to boarding at a cost of $25.00.

References available.

The Ferret Inn at the Fandango

The Ferret Inn had a successful showing at the semi-annual Ferret Fandango, an AFA sponsored show hosted by The Pennsylvania Ferret Club.

Our little shelter girl, "Mandy" won the prestigious title of "Senorita of the Fandango" and is the proud winner of the coveted Sombrero! She also pulled off a second in the Mutt class and was on her best behavior throughout the show.

The beautiful "Love a Weasel" bedding set raffle drawing was held at 4:00 PM at the show. Lindsay Forgette, an attendee of the Fandango, was the proud winner!

Between Lisa O's popular bedding sets and Pam Z's baked gourmet goodies sales, we have replenished our funds. 100% of the proceeds of the sales go towards the care of the ferrets.

Annual Volunteer Appreciation

Volunteers and Supporters attended The Ferret Inn's Annual Volunteer Appreciation Pool Party and Memorial Service held in Burtonsville, MD this past Saturday, August 15th. Tom Wilson served up some wonderful rotisserie roast beef along with his specialty drink, homemade Mojitos! Plenty of delicious vegetarian dishes were also served for our non-carnivorous brethren. A very touching and private ceremony was held during the event so that this past year's losses could be remembered.

Volunteer Appreciation Party 2009

MISSING FERRET IN COLUMBIA-HELP

A resident of nearby apartments, Tamar Meadow, located in Columbia MD 21045, contacted us to say her ferret escaped from her apartment on August 8th.

We have sent her suggestions on locating her missing ferret.

If you find a ferret in Columbia, MD, please contact us and we can put you in touch with the owner. See pictures. We do not yet know the ferret's name but according to the owner, he is very friendly.

Thank you!

FOLLOW-UP Monday, August 17th. As commented in this article, the ferret has not yet been found. His owner is offering a $100.00 reward for his safe return. His name is Pole Cat

In Loving Memory

There is Something about Mary....

Long term resident of The Ferret Inn, our beautiful Mary has passed after a long struggle with Lymphoma. Mary came to us in February of 2008 from a wildlife sanctuary where she appeared to be about five.

Ever since her arrival at "The Inn", we knew there was something special about our Mary.

With a sparse, coarse coat and an earthy smell we attempted an adrenal surgery. Early into surgery it was apparent that adrenal disease was the least of her worries and a histology was done. Sadly the diagnosis was Lymphoma, Mary began chemo shortly thereafter.

Over her year and a half with us, she underwent many different chemo treatments and had thrived despite her bouts of various infections as a side effect of the chemo. Throughout these many treatments (including acupuncture), Mary always kept her high-spirited personality and nurturing ways. She had the most wonderful gift of "cleaning up" anyone in her presence...from ear, to chin, to eyes, to nose..Mary would gently lick all the dirt away from human and animal.

Mary also held a special spot for other sick or elderly ferrets and soon became the resident nurse. She would lie down beside other ferrets and gently clean them and nurture them while they were ill. She even seemed to take special attention to ferrets who suffered from lymphoma like herself. Everyone who visited The Inn would immediately take to little Mary, as she always permitted being hugged and doted over by strangers, family and friends.

In the photo above, Mary cuddles with Blackie, another close ferret friend with lymphoma. In the photo below, Mary gives gentle re-assurance to a dying ferret endearingly known as "1722" , one of our little research gals who also had cancer.


Mary will be sorely missed by many but no one held her closer to his heart than did her sponsor of many months, her" Papa Scott". Not only did he help finance Mary' many months of medical care, but spent many hours visiting with Mary and her friends. Scott visited Mary and her friends at The Inn frequently and would sit and rock Mary to sleep.

He is shown below cradling Mary at our vet's office



Mary was a heroine among ferrets and will be missed by all.

Preventing Fleas and Ear Mites

Ferrets are susceptible to both fleas and ear mites, especially during the increasingly warm summer months.
Let's cover nasty fleas first!.
At The Ferret Inn, we have rescued ferrets infested with fleas who were extremely anemic and needed blood transfusions to save their life. Fleas literally feed off of an animals blood and flesh, leaving a two pound animal defenseless. Fleas can also carry tapeworms to your ferrets.
At The Ferret Inn, we use a flea preventative once a month called FrontLine spray. Our vet also recommends using a product called Revolution. Both of these products can be properly dosed and obtained from your ferret knowledgeable veterinarian.
Revolution can also prevent heartworms (yes, ferrets can also get heartworms from mosquitoes), and ear mites.
Ear Mites are a common pest with ferrets and can lead to ear problems if left untreated. Your ferret does not have to go outside to come in contact with either ear mites! They can live in ferret bedding, carpeting, furniture, etc. The best thing is to use a monthly preventative. We use a product called Ivermectin, which can be obtained and properly dosed be your ferret knowledgeable vet.
How can you tell if your ferret has fleas, tapeworms, or ear mites? Fleas can result in an extra itchy ferret and you should regularly use a flea comb to comb through your ferrets hair if you suspect fleas. Fleas also leave behind 'flea dirt" which looks like little tiny speckles of black in the ferrets hair close to the skin. As for ear mites, the ear wax of a ferret tends to become very dark ,almost blackish. Ear mites can be detected by a qualified vet who will do a swab sample and run it under a microscope. The presence of tapeworms, and other GI parasites can only be confirmed through a fecal sample at your vets office. Even so, it can take multiple samples for proper detection.
NEVER assume that a common dog or cat flea product can be used on a ferret. Some can be highly toxic or fatal.

Adoption updates

Congratulations for the following ferrets who were adopted in the last few days:

Marley and Peebles



Clyde and Isis



Jackie O




Flea and Punkin Pie




Dookers, Hank, Butterball, Solomon

5 things every ferret owner should know

1. Health issues. Ferrets make great pets. Unfortunately, they are prone to many potentially deadly health issues. About 80% of all ferrets will develop adrenal disease or insulinoma. Since ferrets who are over three-years-old are considered geriatric, owners should expect to have at least one surgery during that ferret's lifetime. Read more about these two illnesses (and others) on miamiferret.org.
2. Play time. People often associate ferrets with rabbits, guinea pigs, and mice because of their small stature and furry bodies. That's about the only things ferrets have in common with these other animals. Ferrets are not cage animals. They need to play around the house as a cat or dog would. They need constant stimulation, enrichment and interaction. Ferret owners should have large cages for their ferrets as a safety, since ferrets cannot be supervised around the clock. Read more about what games ferrets like to play.
3. Blockages and hairball prevention. Laxatives made for ferrets should be given about twice a week. Ferrets need lax to help prevent hairballs. Unlike cats, ferrets cannot throw up a hairball. Some ferrets are very fond of eating things they shouldn't eat, such as rubber, cotton, cloth, etc. All of those things can cause a potentially deadly blockage. Lax cannot remove all blockages; sometimes surgery is the best solution. Read more blockages here and here.
   
4. Carnivores. Ferrets are obligate carnivores, which means they are strict meat-eaters. Anything with fruits, vegetables, or sugar should never be fed to ferrets. A diet free of sugars and low in carbohydrates may help prevent insulinoma. If you are unsure what to feed your ferret, check out this handy food chart.
5. Ferret-knowledgeable vets. One of the most important things you can do to your ferret is finding a ferret-knowledgeable vet. Please note that just because a vet says s/he treats ferrets, it does not mean that the vet is qualified. Make sure to ask a potential ferret vet these important questions. To find a ferret vet close to you, click here.