Tim Fowler posted:
>Anon stated that it was more healthy for the hobs to be neutered.  I
>suggest she meant more conviniant.  The healthyest state for all ferrets,
>and i know this will upset all you ferret keepers who cannot believe
>that nature got it right when she made ferrets whole and complete with
>hormones, is to be left alone with all the bits nature gave them.
 
Guess what, Tim?  MANY ferret owners don't know whether their ferret is
male or female.  They don't know that a female ferret in heat WILL DIE if
not bred or otherwise brought out of heat.  They aren't willing to deal
with stinky hobs marking their territory.  And they certainly wouldn't
know what to do if one of their ferrets got pregnant as a result of having
all of their "bits".  As a former shelter operator, I can tell you horror
stories from now until the end of time about the care (or lack thereof)
that many people give their ferrets.  And as a (I hope) responsible ferret
owner, I do not want to have to spend money on getting my female ferrets
hormone shots that wouldn't be necessary if they were spayed.
 
In short, ferrets aren't living in Nature anymore, so it's not responsible
to expect that all of their habits and lifestyle would be unchanged.  And
I would like to see evidence that spaying or neutering shortens a ferret's
lifespan.
 
Sara
[Posted in FML issue 3723]