Selling unneutered ferrets, especially females in unacceptable.Its not
just the population/breeding problems.
 
Female ferrets who go unneutered go into estrus (heat) and may not come
out - this results in estrogen toxicity and they DIE.  According to the
Hillyer book up to 1/2 may not come out of estrus on their own if they are
not bred or aritifically stimulated to ovulate (needs to be done by a
vet).  Further in Hillyer it states that one one study 8 of 20 non bred
estrus females remained in estrus and subsequenly died.
 
This is life or death - you cannot in good conscience sell or adopt out
unneutered females!
 
1) Humane societies and animal control shelters, dog and cat rescue groups
have all found quite definatively that you cannot trust people to spay
after they take the animal home - contracts don't work, even spay/neuter
coupons that are part of a hefty adoption fee don't work.  Believe me
they've tried everything.  Almost all now spay neuter before the animal
goes home.  Often even if it means a 5 week old kitten.
 
If you can't learn from others experience than your either being stubborn,
lazy, stupid or all 3.
 
Harsh maybe but that doesn't mean its not true.
 
Mary
P.S.  I find it hard to believe that people actually have whole hobs in
season running around their house as companion animals.  Beyond the stink
what's the point?
 
"Animals are not brethren, they are not underlings; they are other
nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time,"
   Henry Beston
[Posted in FML issue 3597]