I read the posts yesterday regarding will I get another ferret and I was
amazed to hear that a number of folks that will only get their next
ferrets from reputable breeders that don't sterilize ferrets at such a
young age.
 
While I agree that young sterilization is not good for ferrets.  I also
realize that there will always be lots of throw away ferrets that need
love regardless of their time of sterilization.  So if folks who know
better from the FML and don't want to deal with illness, go out and buy
ferrets from breeders, who will take in all the little throw aways?
 
I have had cats all of my life and dogs a big portion of my life.  I love
some special breeds of both cats and dogs.  As much as I love the certain
look or personality traits of a breed, I will only get a cat or dog if
it's a rescue of some sort.
 
Here is an example, I love Siamese cats, to me they are coolest looking
cats and have the "greatest" personalities of any cat in my opinion.  No
matter how bad I want one, my next cat will be a rescue of some sort.
 
It may be a stray that I run into like my Cleo and my Spunky,
 
it may be a feral kitten abandoned by it's mother because it had too many
birth defects, like my Butchy,
 
it may be one the vet calls me about because the owner left it at vets to
be euthanized because they didn't want it any more, like my Mitzi,
 
it may be like the last one I got where a so called friend was going to
take here cat to the Humane Society because she was worried he would
knock over one of her collectable dolls, like my Taz.
 
As much as I want a Siamese cat, unless it's a stray like my last one,
Sammy a kitten dropped off in my Mom's neighborhood, I won't get another
one, because there will always be a throw away that needs me more.
 
I feel confident that some day I will have another Siamese cat because
they become throw aways too and just as easy as my Butchy.
 
Now I admit my two boys, Frankie and Poncho came from the pet store, but
at the time I did not know about ferret shelters.  I had looked in the
paper to get one that way, called the local Humane Societies and Animal
Control offices to see if I could find a "throw away", to no avail.
 
So, when I was in a Petco looking at ferrets, the only ones I considered
were my Frankie who was 8 months old and never purchased because he has a
deformed foot.
 
A year later it was my Poncho who was 6 months old, returned by his first
owner because he bit and boy did he.  What a wild boy, any way that's a
whole other story.
 
Sure there were kits in the cages too, cute as little buttons, tiny and
sweet, but as cute as they were, I forced my self to resist because I
knew someone would come and get them and the boys really needed someone.
How could I turn them down?
 
So what's the moral of the story.....
 
There will always be those impulse buyers who buy the pet store ferrets
and we should not be one of them.
 
However, there will also be those breeder buyers too and just as many of
those ferrets end up in shelters, so we should not be one of them either.
 
If everyone on this list refused to buy another pet store or breeder
ferret and only adopted or fostered those ferrets rescued by shelters,
strays they find, give aways by irresponsible people we know, calls by
our vet, etc. - we could help immensely with the problem of throw aways.
Believe me the shelters would still have plenty left over to keep them
open.
 
Kim the Oregon one
 
Kim Reyes
Residential Specialist
John L. Scott Real Estate
Direct:  (503) 380-4195
Toll Free 1-877-490-2595
http://www.kimreyes.com
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[Posted in FML issue 3774]