Dear Dr. Forsythe: I am interested in getting a ferret. I have a friend in the Midwest who has one and loves her very much. I live alone and wanted to have one and was even considering getting a breeding pair. What do you think?
Lonely in Sonoma
Dear Lonely: First, I’ll tell you that Ferrets are wonderful pets, even though they are illegal in the state of California, a “ferret-free Zone.” I used to treat them frequently when I was a veterinarian in Indiana, where they are extremely popular as pets. You will have a very difficult, if not impossible, time finding a breeding pair, as most ferrets are sold as companion animals and are descented (demusked) and neutered at a young age. You will have to go out of state to get your ferret, but I have seen them for sale in Washington, Oregon, or Nevada.
You have probably heard that ferrets are good-natured, playful, non-aggressive little animals that are very active and curious and enjoy the company of humans and other animals. They are also little kleptomaniacs! They steal items they treasure and drag things back into nooks and corners. Most ferrets have stashes in several locations around a home. It is really fun to watch them wriggle around and squeeze themselves into tight places. If they can get their head in, the body will follow. They like sacks, tunnels, pillow cases, drawers, clothing, ducts, boxes, cupboards and cabinets. So you can imagine the zany antics that ensue when a ferret joins the family fun.
In terms of their health, they are true carnivores that eat a specific type of commercial ferret food. They have a short GI tract and their total transit time for passage of ingesta is three hours. Despite the fact that California is a “ferret-free zone,” veterinarians here are allowed to treat them, and they are wonderful pets that bring enormous joy to their owners.
Dr. F
Dear Dr. Forsythe: My wife and I disagree about whether or not to take our pet to this year’s fireworks display near the General’s Daughter. She’s gone with us the last two years and done very well. It wasn’t until last year that she started barking a little just before the finale. A few of the other spectators on nearby blankets actually heckled us and shouted for us to take our dog and leave, which I thought was really rude. It really is none of their business where we go with our pet, wouldn’t you agree?
Go where I want with my pet
Dear go where you want: Be prepared, with an attitude like that, for the pet adoring people of Sonoma to speak up when they see a dog being subjected to loud crackling noises and huge bursts of bright light. You can be certain that if your poor pooch began barking, the people around you were concerned about pet cruelty, and this obviously pressed a “button” that elicited an emotional response. I’ve been to that fireworks display many times, and my family and I have usually seen other people with their dogs there. Most of the time I feel sorry for the animal being subjected to the loud noises because they almost always seem scared out of their fur! The Fourth of July is one holiday where I get lots of requests for tranquilizers from clients who need to sedate their pets at home just so they won’t become too agitated from the distant noise of fireworks, so I can’t imagine taking my family pet to the very spot where the big pyrotechnics are shot off and placing the pet in the middle of a crowd? Perhaps this year you should leave the pet at home and enjoy the festivities with your human family members instead. I’m sure your pooch, your family and everyone on the nearby blankets watching the fireworks will be glad you did.
Dr. F
Dear Dr. Forsythe: I wanted you to let your readers know how important it is to have a current health certificate for your pet when traveling with it by air. I was unable to take a flight two weeks ago because I failed to get one prior to my departure. Even though I had all my other veterinary receipts and a previous health certificate from my last trip to Denver, they would not let me get on the plane with my pet. I do think this is outrageous. This is just another way the airlines are bilking us out of more money. Next time I’ll take the train!
Mary in Sonoma
Dear Mary: I do agree that the airlines are bilking us, but the health certificate for your pet is not the area where the bilking is taking place. That certificate is meant to verify that your pet has been checked by a veterinarian within 30 days of departure and does not appear to have any infectious or serious health conditions that would put it at risk during travel. No doubt that studies show that pets with a valid health certificate have a much lower chance of any complication during transit. I’m sure the airlines are mostly worried about any possible litigation should a poor dog or cat pass away during a trip. By forcing each and every pet passenger to hold a valid health certificate with no exception, there is much less chance that something could go wrong. I know it is difficult when people and companies can’t see “outside the box” and customers like you are inconvenienced, as I dislike that, too, but hopefully you can look forward to a peaceful relaxing train trip next time and avoid that humiliating frisking down thru security that all of us would gladly avoid anyway!
Dr. F
We welcome your feedback. For general feedback or to contact one of our columnists, please visit the Columns page at www.sonomasun.com.
