Paw Print - Issue #6 – July 2010

Summer Arrives…

And for every animal shelter, so does “summer drop-off season.”

People often ask what I mean when I use that phrase.  But the shelters know – it’s the time of year when animals – cats, dogs, ferrets, and everything else – arrive in quantity.

 Despite what people often think, most animals aren’t abandoned because of behavior problems.  More often, it’s because people’s lives have changed – a young family has a child, people take new jobs or go on vacation, kids go to or come home from college, and people move.  Studies have shown that “moving” is one of the top 3 reasons for animal abandonment, and summer is prime time to move.  For many of the same reasons, less people are adopting animals in the summer.  So shelters fill up fast.  If you are thinking of adding to your pet family, this is a GREAT time to find that perfect new 4-legged buddy.

L. Vanessa Gruden
Shelter Director

Paw Print is the Ferret Association of Connecticut’s online newsletter.  You are receiving this message because you contacted us for information.  If you do NOT want to be on our e-mail list, please click here to unsubscribe!  FACT never sells or rents our e-mail lists.

Summer Heat!

Make sure your ferrets stay cool when it gets hot!  Over 85 degree (29 Celsius) heat can cause heatstroke.  Over 90 – especially with high humidity – can kill in minutes.  Make sure your ferret’s cage isn’t in direct sunlight during the hottest part of the day.  Give them plenty of fresh, cool water and in a heat wave, move them to a basement or other cool area.  Never leave them in a car when the temperature goes above 75 degrees (23C), and avoid outside sidewalks, streets, or driveways when the temperature rises.

A fan is not enough to keep your pets cool.  Small window air conditioners sell for less than $80 and are easy to install.  You can find inexpensive older models at tag or garage sales.  They do not use a lot of electricity and can literally be the difference between life and death for your ferret.  Even if you don’t like air conditioners, their cost is much less than the veterinary bill if your ferrets become sick from the heat.  And you’ll never forgive yourself if they die.  Click here for a good article with heatstroke symptoms and care.

Featured Article:  It Started by Cleaning the Ferret’s Closet…
By Ann Gruden

 …and ended up in 9 boxes, weighing over 80 pounds, headed to 8 ferret shelters and hospices across the country.

I now only have 4 ferrets.  And while I occasionally board others, it didn’t make sense to keep a double closet stuffed with hammocks, snooze tubes, sleep sacks, baby quilts, beds, toys, etc.  By the time I was done with the closet and other “stashes,” there stood a 4’ pile of mixed bedding - enough to replace what I was keeping at least 3 times!

Since Vanessa and I both sew, we replace ferret bedding often.  To be honest, I often become bored with looking at it before it wears out! 

So we decided to offer the excess to the shelters of the Ferret Mailing List.  Eight sanctuaries requested whatever we would be willing to send.  Afraid we didn’t have enough to go around, we asked a couple regular volunteers (thanks to Barbara Podann and Roxanne Bernier!) to chip in and added another 15 newly made sleep sacks to ensure everyone got something new.

The total, when boxed, came to over 80 pounds of bedding, which is headed to US shelters housing anywhere from 15 to 100 ferrets in their shelter networks.  All told, over 350 ferrets will get to ransack “new” used bedding and toys.  And what ferret doesn’t LOVE to rummage through an empty box – just one more added benefit!

Humor:  Ferret Self-Help Books
By L. Vanessa Gruden

Chewing Rubber Bands - The cure for boredom, lack of vacation travel, and your owner's fat bank account.
Faking Insulinoma - How to get treats and duck soup 3 times a day.
I'm OK, You're Not - A guide to which other ferret screams the most when you head butt them.
You a Skank - Rid your mommie's life of too many beaux by biting them.
Ferret Owner Follies - You spent HOW much for that litter pan I'm never gonna use?
Nike and Me -  My love affair with a 1981 classic Air Jordan.
Poop the Walls - Aiming high in a low activity.
My Life as a Sock Addict
Why Plants Need to Die - A manifesto.
101 Things Worth Stealing
Another 101 Things Worth Stealing
A Few Thousand MORE Things Worth Stealing
Digging for Treasure - Searching for the perfect piece of kibble and drop of water in the bowl.
Loving Your Neighbor - Especially fluffy little hamsters and tasty chirping birds.
Help!  Someone Posted Pictures of Me Dressed in Drag on Facebook.
Talkin' Trash - Confessions of a wastebasket tosser.
Thinking Outside the (Litter) Box
Overcoming Your Addiction to Linatone
Fast & Loose - How I got outside and lived to tell the tale.
Why Me, God?  Surviving the human mania for dressing pets.
Yes, You CAN! - How to achieve goals through persistence and positive thinking.

Give an Animal Rescuer a Chance to Attend Lilith Fair!

The ASPCA, along with Lilith Fair, is sponsoring a contest to award 30 pairs of tickets to this touring festival of female performers.  You can nominate a woman in each area the tour will visit who goes above & beyond to save homeless animals.  You’ll need to include a photo of your nominee and a 300-word short essay on why she deserves to attend the concert.  Visit ASPCA to enter but don’t delay – the tour starts July 2^nd and ends in early August!

14 Sherbrooke Avenue, Hartford, CT 06106-3838
www.ferret-fact.org

Give a Little, Get a Little – FACT’s Summer Fundraiser

We love giving stuff away!  Especially to all the wonderful donors who help our work for homeless ferrets.  So this drawing works a little differently…you give us $10 (or any multiple of $10) and we’ll give you your choice of a toy or a summer-weight polar fleece pouch for your ferret.  PLUS you’ll receive 2 entries into a drawing, to be held September 1, for three very cool prizes.

One prize is an Artist Proof of a limited edition print by artist Elaine Verstraete.  You won’t find these available anywhere else – they are long out of print.  This photo does not do the print justice – it’s lovely & detailed and practically priceless!

The next prize is a 26” high plastic play yard.  Sold online starting at $50, this ferret-safe playpen assembles & comes apart easily and folds for storage.  Great for summer outings or to give your pets a secure play area on deck or patio.

The final prize is a scale model of a camping tent.  You’ve probably seen these in stores, used as displays, and thought they were perfectly ferret-sized.  But you can’t buy them – manufacturers require stores return them after use.  You can find a few online, but they start at $50+ and people often get into bidding wars over them!  This one is sturdy and your ferrets would have a great time playing in, out, and all over.

How to get in on the goodies?  Follow this link to our webpage with the full directions, prize descriptions, and entry form. 

Featured Ferret for Adoption

Alice arrived in March as part of a trio of ferrets from a Massachusetts ferret shelter.  The three had been kept outside and the operator, Diddy Wheeler, had been working to get them signed over to the shelter.  Pretty, silver mitt Alice is about 2 years old now and would love a home with other ferrets to play with.  She’s an active girl and loves attention from people.  If you’re interested in adopting Alice, please e-mail us for an adoption application.  Lots of other wonderful ferrets await a loving new home – please check out our site on Petfinder.com to see if there’s a fuzzy face perfect for you!

FACT is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and donations are deductible to the extent allowed by law.