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Vickie McKimmey prefers moscatos, red zinfandels, black sables and black roan mitts.
If you're a wine aficionado and those last two don't sound familiar, it's probably because you're not also a ferret aficionado, like McKimmey.
Black sables and black roan mitts are two of several types of ferrets that can be entered to compete in Dooktoberfest, a ferret festival McKimmey co-created with Sally Heber. The two Thurmont residents are known in the ferret community as the "Wild Weezil Women on Wine" because of their two passions, fermented grapes and ferrets.
"We had to give ourselves a name if we were going to sponsor a show," Heber said. "So we used the things we like best."
The name Dooktoberfest is a play on Oktoberfest, "dook" being a word for the unique sound ferrets make, McKimmey said. She and Heber will host the third-annual event, sponsored by the American Ferret Association, on Saturday at the Motel 6 on West Patrick Street in Frederick. About 220 ferrets will compete in the show.
Ferrets and their owners come from as far as the West Coast to participate in the event, which operates much like a cat show, said McKimmey, who has eight of her own ferrets entered to compete. It's not like a dog show, "you don't put a harness on them and traipse them around," she said.
Ferrets compete in four main categories, distinguished by the animal's age and whether or not it is spayed or neutered. There are also specialty classes, or "beauty pageant" categories, which are based on the coat colors and patterns of the ferrets, McKimmey said.
Included are her aforementioned favorites, but other fur patterns have their own categories, too. There are even categories for "passport required" ferrets with "at least 25 percent foreign bloodline" and "super seniors," or ferrets that are 4 to 6 ½ years old, according to a pamphlet for the event.
Typically, ferrets don't live past 10 years of age.
Dooktoberfest is held in the fall because ferrets look their best this time of year, when their thicker coats are coming in and they're bulking up for the winter, Heber said. But another perk of the season is seeing owners and ferrets in matching Halloween costumes for the festival's costume contest. Last year she enjoyed watching a human pirate walk around the venue with a small, furry pirate in tow, she said.
While it's meant to be fun, the event also raises money for ferret-related causes. This year's proceeds will go to the Black Footed Ferret Recovery Fund; the Canine Distemper Titer Study; the Pamela Slack, DVM, Memorial Research Fund; or the Ferret Rescue Spay/Neuter Fund. Money is raised through sponsorship, donations, raffles and one of the most popular fundraisers of the day, the wine auction.
About 24 types of wine are chosen before the show by McKimmey and Heber, who then write up descriptions and put the bottles up for silent auction at the show. Wine is just a hobby for the ladies, while ferrets are a major part of their lives. Both women are breeders, own about 30 ferrets each and have a room entirely dedicated to the animals in their homes.
McKimmey is especially dedicated to the creatures, and is heavily involved with the American Ferret Association. She wrote a book for Animal Planet about ferrets, which serves as a general guide to their care and training. She helped write the AFA's guide that it now uses as the official standard for ferret shows, Heber said. She even helped Japan institute a national ferret association.
"In the mid '90s ferrets started to become popular in Japan," McKimmey said. She provided the country with some of the ferrets that began their breeding program and has been there seven times to judge competitions.
Although McKimmey is more involved with official ferret associations, both women seem to have the same fuzzy feelings toward the fuzzy creatures.
"They have the best qualities of a cat and a dog rolled into one," McKimmey said of the animals.
"They have the independence of a cat, but they're very affectionate and like to spend a lot of time with people" like a dog, Heber said.
E-mail Courtney Pomeroy at cpomeroy@gazette.net.
-Saturday, at Motel 6, 999 W. Patrick St., Frederick
-The hall will open at 8 a.m.
-Contact Vickie McKimmey at 301-898-1568 for more information.
-www.ferret.org
