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CritterNews What's New with CritterNews!
We've all heard of therapy dogs, but have you ever heard of a therapy ferret? Ferret rescuer Nanette Thurber takes her certified therapy ferrets - rescues all!- to visit sick, convalescent, and elderly people in Wisconsin. Not every ferret is suited for this work, but Nanette has found that even ferrets from neglected or abused backgrounds often have the loving nature that makes them a great therapy animal. Do you have a fat rat, or other pet? If you can't feel your pet's ribs unless you press hard enough to cause him or her to squeak, then your pet is overweight. Find out how to give your small pet the "rib test," and how to keep your pet at their ideal weight, in "Is Your Pet Fat?" by PH Bunrab!
The week of December 8 is PetHobbyist.com's famous "Chat Week," and we're looking for ideas for special guests in that week's Critter Chats! If you know of a rescuer, educator, hobbyist, breeder, or other expert who has something to share about small mammals, please send your ideas to PH Kiwi. Speaking of Critter Chats, we have three hosted open Critter Chats every week. Come hang out with your critter-loving chat hosts and other small pet owners and hobbyists on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9-10 PM Eastern in CritterChat! No registration is required and there is nothing to download. IRC users can access us on the irc.webmaster.com server at #critterchat.
Be sure to visit two new resources at PetHobbyist.com: Pet Loss Support, where we have nightly hosted support chats for those who have lost a pet as well as a complete set of message boards and links to other resources, and Animal Issues, a site for the exploration of the human-animal bond, animal rights debate, animals in the news, rescue needs and transport, and more!
I have been involved with a local humane society for a number of years and in a number of ways. One of the most rewarding has been as a part of their pet therapy program.
An average visit lasted between 30 and 45 minutes, depending on the group, which changes at the center from day to day. Some groups wanted information about ferrets, while others just wanted to hold or pet “the little animals." I generally talked about the ferrets I brought with me while the people interacted with them. I talked about the difference in size (Dianne was female, Phoenix was male), recommended veterinary care, common illnesses (Dianne had adrenal surgery, Phoenix had insulinoma), dietary requirements, life span, etc. People participate in the adult daycare for a variety of reasons, but most are either elderly or physically disabled. While some have been reluctant to handle the ferrets, most are curious about them and are happy to pet or hold a ferret. Two of my ferrets, Dianne and Phoenix, received certification as therapy animals. This meant that they were gentle animals with a great deal of patience and the willingness to be passed from person to person, picked up, held on laps, stroked by unsteady hands, and to be generally “loved on." Each person interested in holding a ferret was given a tube of ferretvite to help keep the ferret from exploring or ear cleaning. A woman at one session gleefully announced “my grandchildren will never believe I held a ferret!” Luckily, I had my camera and provided “proof." One therapy session with the ferrets even resulted in two new ferrets moving into my home. I had been talking to one of the participants about his ferrets, which I mistakenly believed referred to ferrets he had at an earlier point in his life, prior to the onset of his illness. The next morning, a woman called me at home, and asked if I was the person who took ferrets to the VNA. When I answered yes, she asked if it was true that I rescue ferrets. I again answered yes, and she then asked, “Will you rescue mine?” She then explained that her husband had been at the previous day’s therapy session, and the ferrets he had talked about where current pets, along with a dog and several cats. She broke into tears when she explained that she loved the ferrets very much, but that caring for her husband, their daughter, the ferrets, the other animals, and working, was “just too much." I picked up Baron and Gizmo that evening. Grizzly Bear (nee Gizmo) eventually joined Dianne and Phoenix as a certified therapy ferret. He was able to make connections with visually impaired people, as he had been blinded in one eye by a pellet gun. Although Dianne, Phoenix and Grizzly Bear have all gone to the rainbow bridge, other ferrets have stepped in to continue the educational efforts. It is important to point out that none of the ferrets in my home have been specially breed or trained as a therapy or educational animal. In fact every last ferret living in my home came in as a rescue - some abused or neglected, but most simply “thrown away” by people after the novelty wore off. The fact that ferrets coming out of situations like these are gentle and loving enough to be therapy animals should help convince the skeptics that ferrets are far from the vicious animals detractors try to paint them. While I am strongly in favor of ferret owners becoming involved with therapy programs, as well as other public education or awareness activities, I would like to point out that not all ferrets have the correct personality for such things. Just as some dogs and cats are too nervous or aggressive, some ferrets are either too playful or too prone to nipping to meet the general public. Remember, many people misunderstand the weasel wardance, and one nip can turn a person against ferrets, as well as endangering the ferret, so make sure you know your fuzzy well before you take him out to be adored. Copyright 2002 by Nanette Thurber. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Is Your Pet Fat? Do you have a fat rat? Or a fat cat? How do you tell whether your pet is, shall we say, pudgy? In general, for most pet mammals, the "rib test" is a fairly easy and reliable method to tell. You can try this on yourself, first, just to get the idea: Run your fingers very lightly over your ribs. Then run them over again, pressing down moderately. When you run your fingers very lightly, you probably don't feel your ribs much. But when you press moderately, you can feel each rib bone.
Of course, this doesn't work for every pet. Attempting to give a hedgehog the rib test is just silly. Some breeds of dogs are supposed to have very prominent ribs. Chinchillas are very difficult to hold firmly. (It's rare to find an overweight chinchilla, anyway.) But in general, this method works for everything from horses to hamsters. If you think your pet is overweight, then what? If you can, confirm it with a vet visit. A vet can advise you on the best way to help your pet lose weight. When you buy pet food, go ahead and read the serving information on the package - is that what you're feeding your pet, or are you filling the food bowl up every time? This can give you an idea of where to start cutting back slowly. If your pet is an omnivorous rodent, buy foods without whole seeds in them, just pellets, and give hay and veggies as a treat rather than yogurt drops and fruit. If your pet is a herbivorous rodent or a rabbit, cut back on pellet food, and give more timothy hay. If your pet is a carnivore, you'll have to taper down the size of the feedings gradually. Look for low-fat foods. Ask your vet about vitamin and mineral supplements, which may be needed if you're giving your pet less food overall. Diet is only one part of the cure for fat rats and cats, however - play is the other part. When your pet begs for more food, offer it more play time instead. Instead of buying high-calorie treats such as yogurt drops, buy toys. Give your caged pet more floor time, and your house pets more things to jump on, run through, and tug at. Allow your pet to investigate a room new to it, under close supervision, of course! Give your rabbit ear scritchies every time you go by his or her cage or den; give your guinea pig a chin scritch. Talk to your pets. This way, they will come to associate your presence with toys and play, not just with the bringing of food.
An overweight pet will not live as long, on average, as a pet that is the proper weight. Give your pet the rib test regularly, and use it as an opportunity for scritchies and play time as well, and you will have a healthier, longer-lived pet.
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Welcome to the first issue of CritterNews since moving to our new home at 
It began when I saw a posting looking for cats to become involved with a pet therapy program that the humane society was trying to expand from “dogs only." Because of the success I have had with ferrets in other shelter-sponsored events, and because the therapy coordinator had seen the ferrets in action, I arranged to take a pair of ferrets to an adult daycare center run by the Visiting Nurse Association. I cleared the ferrets with the recreational therapist in advance, to make sure she was comfortable with the idea (she turned out to be a ferret lover). From the moment they arrived at the center, the ferrets were in their glory and made regular return trips, as my hectic schedule allowed.
The same test works for your pets - hold them so that you are reaching under with your fingers to feel the ribs. If you can feel the ribs without pressing, the pet is probably underweight, although there are some pets that are supposed to be that way. If you can feel the ribs when you press moderately, your pet is within the normal weight range. And if you can't feel the ribs unless you press hard enough to cause your pet to squeak, bark, or nip at you, then your pet is overweight.