Xylitol (sugar substitute) Can Be Deadly to Ferrets

The Food and Drug Administration has issued a new warning about the dangers of the sugar-substitute "xylitol" for ferrets and dogs:

"Xylitol is a sugar alcohol approved for use in many common products, including sugar-free baked goods, candy, oral hygiene products, and chewing gum.


Xylitol can be found in many over-the-counter drugs such as chewable vitamins and throat lozenges and sprays. It can also be purchased in bulk bags for use in home baking. These products are intended only for human use.


The FDA reports included clinical signs such as a sudden drop in blood sugar (hypoglycemia), seizures and liver failure. If you suspect your pet has ingested xylitol, some signs to look for are depression, loss of coordination and vomiting. The signs of illness may occur within minutes to days of ingesting xylitol. Owners should consult their veterinarian or pet poison control center immediately for advice if they know or suspect that their pet has ingested a human product containing xylitol."

My furry five live by the motto "Leave No Glass Unturned" and, like all ferrets, love to get into everything. But with a Type I diabetic daughter almost everything in the house is sugar-free, so I will certainly be checking labels and being even more cautious than before.

Arizona Reporter » Black-Footed Ferret, Recovery Efforts Require Volunteers

I wish I lived near Arizonia right now because volunteers needed for the Black-footed ferret recovery efforts:

Arizona Reporter » Black-Footed Ferret, Recovery Efforts Require Volunteers

...March 17-21, Game and Fish will be conducting its annual spring spotlighting effort and needs volunteers to help document black-footed ferret numbers throughout the Aubrey Valley, just west of Seligman.


"Volunteers have always played a vital role in this recovery effort," said Jeff Pebworth, wildlife program manager at the Game and Fish Kingman office. "We don't have the personnel available to fully staff these events, and the program's continued success depends on people remaining involved."


Those wishing to volunteer, or needing more information, should e-mail azferret@azgfd.gov by March 11 with "March Spotlighting" in the subject line. Individuals should indicate which night(s) they are available to help; include a first and last name, a contact number, and if anyone else will be attending with them.


Additional information will be sent following contact, including meeting location and times.


Volunteers should also note any of the following equipment they can bring: GPS, clipboard, backpack (to carry a 30-pound battery), headlamp, pen, compass, binoculars, walkie-talkies, 4x4 vehicle (please list passenger capacity), compass, spotlight (that can plug into a cigarette lighter), or a cordless rechargeable spotlight.

If you join the volunteer effort, please write me about your experiences.

Melanie Dawn Molina Wood is a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate LLC in Miami, Florida and a member of the US Green Building Council. She is a designated Eco-Broker and a long-time member of the Sierra Club. She shares her home with her daughter and five domesticated ferrets. You can visit her website at www.MelanieSellsMiami.com or follow her on Twitter @MelanieDawnMW

"Return of the Prairie Bandit" documentary to air February 10 on CBC's "Nature of Things"

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Canada's version of PBS in the US, will air filmmaker Kenton Vaughan's documentary "Return of the Prairie Bandit" on Thursday, February10, at 8:00 p.m. on "The Nature of Things."

This dramatic story of the ferrets’ reintroduction to the wild unfolds in Return of the Prairie Bandit, a new documentary by Kenton Vaughan set in the stunning prairie of southern Saskatchewan... At Grasslands National Park in Saskatchewan, Canada’s last refuge for prairie dogs, the painstaking, precarious campaign to bring the ferret back is underway. Shot over the course of one year, Returnof the Prairie Bandit is a fascinating look at the ups and downs of this campaign set against the sweeping, stark beauty of the park.


The film charts the progress made by wildlife biologist Travis Livieri who is spearheading the black-footed ferret revival in North America. Alongside Parks Canada staff, he directs the release of the animal onto prairie dog colonies, and returns each season to check on their survival rate. At each turn, the ferrets face seemingly catastrophic challenges, from an unseasonably harsh winter to plague.

The show will air again on Thursday, February 17, at 10 pm ET/PT. For US audiences, visit "The Nature of Things" CBC website to watch online, and don't miss the video clip of a black-footed ferret happy dance. All of us who know and love our domesticated ferrets are familiar with this joyful little dance, and it made me laugh out loud to see their wild cousins dancing, too.

In a related story, the Canadian Wildlife Service and Park Canada set up motion activated cameras in the Grasslands National Park in November 2009. The original purpose was to see when the burrowing owls returned, so staff were surprised when black-footed ferrets showed up too. The next summer, Calgary Zoo staff used the same remote cameras to count prairie dogs and once again captured images of black-footed ferrets. Visit the CBC's Documentaries web page to see clips of the black-footed ferrets and other wildlife.

Melanie Dawn Molina Wood is a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate LLC in Miami, Florida and a member of the US Green Building Council. She is a designated Eco-Broker and a long-time member of the Sierra Club. She shares her home with her daughter and five domesticated ferrets. You can visit her website at www.MelanieSellsMiami.com or follow her on Twitter @MelanieDawnMW

Ferret lobby's new argument: Legalization would save California money - San Jose Mercury News

An Environmental Impact Report by the Sacramento State University showing that domesticated ferrets are not a threat to indigenous wildlife didn't work. Perhaps appealing to California State's budgetary woes will.

Ferret lobby's new argument: Legalization would save California money - San Jose Mercury News

Short on cash and support in California's Legislature and stymied by procedural requirements at the Fish and Game Commission, a coalition of ferret legalization supporters is hoping to gain traction with a new argument on the cost of the state's ban...

Estimates on the state's illegal ferret population vary significantly, but pet industry experts estimate one-quarter of ferret supplies sold in the country come from California shelves.

Legalization proponents say those numbers show the state is missing out on revenue from sales of ferrets, which cost more than $100 apiece, and startup food and supplies, often bought when the owner purchases the pet in Nevada or other neighboring states.

"There's the cage, there's the food, there's the litter pans," said West Coast Ferrets Association member Debby Greatbanks. "It's a good $500 investment."...

"I don't think there's any doubt that there would be a positive economic impact for California, for California businesses and for revenue for California," said Michael Maddox, vice president of government relations for the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council.

What do you think?

Melanie Dawn Molina Wood is a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate LLC in Miami, Florida and a member of the US Green Building Council. She is a designated Eco-Broker and a long-time member of the Sierra Club. She shares her home with her daughter and five domesticated ferrets. You can visit her website at www.MelanieSellsMiami.com or follow her on Twitter @MelanieDawnMW

A Very Ferrety Christmas - 2010

Happy Holidays!

How To Wrap A Christmas Gift (With a Ferret in the House)

Just ran across this on the 'net and it reminded me so much of the last few days around our house, I had to share:

1. Clear large space on table for wrapping present.
2. Go to closet and collect bag in which present is contained, and shut door.
3. Open door and remove ferret from closet.
4. Go to cupboard and retrieve rolls of wrapping paper.
5. Go back and remove ferret from cupboard.
6. Go to drawer, and collect transparent sticky tape, ribbons, scissors, labels, etc...
7. Lay out presents and wrapping materials on table, to enable wrapping strategy to be formed.
8. Go back to drawer to get string, remove ferret that has been in the drawer since last visit and collect string.
9. Remove present from bag.
10. Remove ferret from bag.
11. Open box to check present, remove ferret from box, replace present.
12. Lay out paper to enable cutting to size.
13. Try and smooth out paper, realize ferret is underneath and remove ferret.
14. Cut the paper to size, keeping the cutting line straight.
15. Throw away first sheet as ferret chased the scissors, and tore the paper.
16. Cut second sheet of paper to size - by putting ferret in the bag the present came in.
17. Place present on paper.
18. Lift up edges of paper to seal in present. Wonder why edges don't reach. Realize ferret is between present and paper. Remove ferret.
19. Place object on paper, to hold in place while tearing transparent sticky tape.
20. Spend 20 minutes carefully trying to remove transparent sticky tape from ferret with pair of nail scissors.
21. Seal paper with sticky tape, making corners as neat as possible.
22. Look for roll of ribbon. Chase ferret down hall in order to retrieve ribbon.
23. Try to wrap present with ribbon in a two-directional turn.
24. Re-roll ribbon and remove paper, which is now torn due to ferret's enthusiastic ribbon chase.
25. Repeat steps 13-20 until you reach last sheet of paper.
26. Decide to skip steps 13-17 in order to save time and reduce risk of losing last sheet of paper.
27. Retrieve old cardboard box that is the right size for sheet of paper.
28. Put present in box, and tie down with string.
29. Remove sting, open box and remove ferret.
30. Put all packing materials in bag with present and head for locked room.
31. Once inside lockable room, lock door and start to relay out paper and materials.
32. Remove ferret from box, unlock door, put ferret outside door, close and relock.
33. Repeat previous step as often as is necessary (until you can hear ferret from outside door)
34. Lay out last sheet of paper. (This will be difficult in the small area of the toilet, but do your best)
35. Discover ferret has already torn paper.
36. Unlock door go out and hunt through various cupboards, looking for sheet of last year's paper.
37. Remember that you haven't got any left because ferret helped with this last year as well.
38. Return to lockable room, lock door, and sit on toilet and try to make torn sheet of paper look presentable.
39. Seal box, wrap with paper and repair by very carefully sealing with sticky tape. Tie up with ribbon and decorate with bows to hide worst areas. Label. Sit back and admire your handiwork, congratulate yourself on completing a difficult job.
40. Unlock door, and go to kitchen to make drink and feed ferret.
41. Spend 15 minutes looking for ferret until coming to obvious conclusion.
42. Unwrap present, untie box and remove ferret.
43. Go to store and buy a gift bag.

~~Author Unknown

But now you know why the paper is always wrinkled and the gift is always late!

Happy Christmas!

Nap Time for Bandit