For The Love Of Animals: Pet Ferrets; For The Love Of Animals: Pet Rats

"Who's chewing what?" asks Judith Trotter during an interview in For the Love of Animals: Pet Rats, which may seem like a rather odd (and somewhat disturbing) question, but is most likely a fairly common utterance in a household with ten pet rats. Created by Guerin and Janine Goldsmith, the For the Love of Animals series goes beyond your basic cat and dog tapes to counsel viewers on a few of the more outré pet selections ...like ferrets and rats. On-camera host Janine Goldsmith interviews pet experts with their pets and covers a wide variety of topics potential owners will need to be familiar with, such as food, shelter, reproduction, behavior, and health care. Pet Ferrets interviews Carol Keith, a member of the Loudoun Area Ferret Fanciers Club, who explodes some of the more common myths about ferrets (which, contrary to popular belief, rarely bite), and instructs viewers in how to potty train a ferret, "ferret-proof" one's house, and why some toys are good for ferrets and others bad. Veterinarian Jim Gaines also talks about the importance of distemper shots for ferrets and other health concerns. In Pet Rats, self-proclaimed "ratwoman," Judith Trotter, talks about her interest in rats, and introduces viewers to several members of her "extended" family: Sonny, Squiggy, Sable, Serendipity, Sooty, Sharky, and others. The basic problem with rats as pets is really two-fold: numero-uno, they're great chewers by instinct (meaning, one supposes, that they'll roto-rooter your sofa given half the chance), and, numero-two-o, female rats go into estrus every four days (pregnancies generally last about 3 weeks, and a typical litter might contain between 10-20 baby rats). But, overall, Trotter maintains, rats have been given a bum rap. And, I'll have to admit that the critters did look kinda cute. Although the production values in the series are very low-budget, the video and audio are clear, and the information is excellent. Highly recommended. The other titles in the series presently available are: Veterinary Acupuncture, Reptiles, Farm Animals, Caged Birds, Tropical Fish, Health Care of Dogs and Health Care of Cats. (Available from: GCG Productions, 8463 Yellow Leaf Court, Springfield, VA 22153-2522.)