On another note, Fara also sent me some interesting statistics regarding our
furry friends
 
[Fara?  Aha!]
 
to wit:
 
    "as for demographic data, FURO has kept same for a number pf years and,
while a more current survey is welcome, we can tell you that:
 
Ferrets are kept in 1 out of every 67 households in areas where ferret
ownership is long established and had appeared to reach "saturation"
levels; The average ferret owner owns:
 
    -6.2 ferrets
    -3.5 cats
    -2.9 dogs
    -0.25 horses.
 
50% of all ferrets under the age of 4.5 die by being crushed in the
mechanisms of reclining chairs.  50% of all ferrets older than 5 will
contract some form of cancer from which most ultimately die.  The most
common cancers in order of occurrence (reported to my office) are
insulinoma, ovarian cancer in jills/ lymphosarcoma in the general
population, skin cancers such as mast-cell tumors, and cancers
affecting, if not having originated with, the liver.
 
... Best of luck with your survey"
 
 
... from a letter by Fara Shimbo of FURO dated 2-16-93
 
[I find the pet count averages a little hard to believe.]
 
[Posted in FML issue 0423]