From:
emaro@mindspring.com
Date: 2002-07-16 02:29:11 UTC
Subject: potential playmate
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <28323458.1026786551223.JavaMail.root@scandium>
Taz's partner of 7 years passed away 2 months ago. We would like to get her a new buddy and have taken her to a private shelter to interview prospective partners. No one seemed to click with her (she's been there twice). Recently, we went to the county shelter where there is a beautiful male ferret who is supposedly a year and a half. He is quite gentle but playful and I'm considering adopting him to live with Taz. I noticed he doesn't have the classic tattoos in the ear as MF ferrets have. I haven't seen any tattoos which leads me to believe maybe he came from a breeder.
My question is, if he isn't from MF, could he be from another commercial breeder with tattoos located elsewhere on the body? Don't all ferrets from a commercial breeder have to have the tattoos?? I'm also wondering if I am headed for disaster adopting a companion so much younger than Taz. He appears to be healthy, rather robust, but I haven't picked up on any obvious signs of the classic ailments.
Also, any advice on how to socialize them would be greatly appreciated.
Marjorie