Could we, please, have less fighting on whether the reasons ferrets are
given up is justifiable and more about the whys and wherefores of giving
up ferrets?  Yes, there are people who give up ferrets as casually as
they have gotten them, but there are also those who have carefully saved
for emergencies and taken good care of themselves and things only to have
something absolutely catastrophic and perhaps long-term horrors happen
unexpectedly.
 
NO ONE here knows what health concerns others have: there may be a
progressive disability which has entered their family's life by hurting a
member, or an unexpected severe accident, or who knows what.  Heck, just
think of thefar to many people who hear "allergies" and think "sniffles"
instead of life-threatening (and often deadly) breathing or blood pressure
reductions and the like even though those happen.  NO ONE here knows what
costs others have, either.  Sure, some fritter money away, but others are
supporting extended family with no one here the wiser.
 
Everyone has LIMITS, and sometimes life pushes us to them, so let's,
PLEASE, stop arguing about this since it's something which is specific to
each given situation and generalizing can't be done in either direction.
Instead, let's discuss the reasons WHY people give up their ferrets, which
are the common reasons, etc.
 
If these things can be learned then perhaps people can address education
targeted to those specifics and THAT might prevent some purchases which
shouldn't happen in the first place.  The purchases which don't make sense
include the casual ones by people who don't learn about ferrets (preferably
beforehand, but if not then afterward -- said as people who had ferrets
before we found any resources since it was some time ago and such materials
were hard to locate then), and who really don't care about them very much
(as shown by actions rather than words).  Other ones which don't make sense
involve people who simply want the ferret with a short-term desire and
perhaps unrealistic expectations, or those which are purchases which would
not be made (and therefore ferrets which wouldn't wind up in shelters) if
the person could find decent information sources beforehand.  Many people
are good about considering alternatives that are better suited to their
needs IF they can get enough info up-front.  Perhaps some ferrets are
given up due to MISinformation -- like people who just assume they will
be dangerous for children when they are like any other pet in terms of
precautions needed.  Knowing the most common reasons for surrenders will
allow information to be better targeted and in that way might help ferrets
and shelters by reducing surrenders.
 
Let's trash the judgements and get down to compiling reasons and noting
most common ones.  Let's turn this into something constructive.  Okay?
[Posted in FML issue 3070]