> On Wed, 10 Aug 1994, Ferret Mailing List wrote:
> > 1. Each ferret imported or bred for placement, transfer or sale
> > shall be implanted with a microchip and shall be registered with the
> WHAT???!!!!!
> These guys are more insane than my ferret!
> [Not totally. There is quite a bit of talk about making the identification
> microchips mandatory for cats and dogs too. Makes it easy to prove
ownership.]
Well, the chipping is bad, but the real problems with the chipping
regulations are threefold, as we see it:
1). required within ten days of birth - A `micro'chip is approximately
the size of a grain of rice. Now, to be honest, I have never seen a
9-day-old ferret, but if I am correct, newborn ferrets are rather SMALL.
Injecting an animal that small with a chip that size (not to mention the
needle!) could very likely kill it - if they made that 12 weeks, I'd feel
a LOT better.
[Didn't see an age in the posting. 10 days is rather extreme.]
2). while chipping HAS been discussed for other animals, at this point
ONLY ferrets would be required to be chipped (Cats aren't even required
to be licensed!) - if this applies to dogs and cats as well, we'd go
along with it.
3). Expense & compatibility There are currently 7 different microchip
manufacturers in existance, and none of their chips are compatible with the
other company's readers, which are EXPEN$IVE! we have no way to be sure all
pet stores, animal hospitals, Humane societies, animal control agencies,
and veterinarians use the same chips. (and the chips themselves cost $35
on top of the OTHER fees they're trying to stick us with.)
So we have legitimate reasons to be against chipping, indeed.
Ermine!
Matt Ouimette
Utah Ferret Association
P.S. - does ANYONE know about the program on ferrets that was shown on
cable recently? I REALLY would like to get my hands on a copy!
[Posted in FML issue 0916]
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