madeline in AK <[log in to unmask]> wrote
>when was or has a national plea or education drive been done for
>ferrets? number of homeless ferrets is so out of control as we all
>know. seems the breeding and pet store selling and breeding needs
>to stop until all the homeless ones are cared for! Like all the
cats that are in shelters.....way too many!<<

As a small time breeder, I have to stick up for the other small time
breeders on this.

First of all, a reputable breeder will always require a purchaser of
a ferret to sign a contract, and one of the clauses will state that
if the buyer cannot keep the ferret for any reason, the ferret will
be returned to the breeder. Private breeders are aware of shelter
situation, and try not to increase the burden on shelters. A
responsible breeder will always take back a ferret they have produced.
Most shelter operators will tell you that it is rare for a privately
bred ferret to end up in their shelter. The exception to this might be
in an area where there is a non-responsible private breeder.

Most private breeders also make themselves familiar with their local
ferret shelters, and do what they can to help support those shelters.

Second, at least for me, the people who buy privately bred ferrets fall
into 1 of 3 categories. The first is other breeders, who want the
ferret to use in their breeding program. The only place they can get
this is from another private breeder. The second is people who have had
a shelter or pet store ferret, and want to get a ferret that they hope
will be healthier and longer lived. These people are not going to adopt
from a shelter. They are going to search until they find a private
breeder. The third category is people who like to keep multiple
ferrets, and go back and forth between adopting a ferret and purchasing
one from a breeder.

Also, most people who are private breeders screen potential buyers very
carefully. They do not sell to impulse buyers, which are the buyers
most likely to turn a ferret into a shelter. Many private breeders
prefer not to sell to first time ferret owners, because privately bred
ferrets are different from pet store ferrets. They usually have
stronger personalities, and also are usually more intelligent, meaning
they get into more trouble. Reputable private breeders never wholesale
their kits to a pet store. They want to know who has the kit, and be
able to keep in touch with the owner. Reputable breeders will skip a
breeding season if they have ferrets from the previous season that have
not been placed in homes. They do not just breed and breed without a
thought to where the kits they are producing will end up.

I will agree that many shelters are overcrowded, and this is truly a
shame. But, the real culprits are the pet stores, and as long as people
continue to buy ferrets from pet stores, they will continue to sell
them. Pet stores do not have a signed contract with their buyers. Once
a kit is sold, they don't really want to ever hear about it again. They
have their money, and that is all they want. They do not try to screen
potential buyers, so that people who really are not able to provide for
the ferret will not buy one. And, they do nothing in the way of
ownership education for potential ferret buyers.

Many pet stores have stopped selling kittens and puppies, and so people
who want one go to a private breeder. It would be a far better world
for ferrets, I believe, if people also had to go through a private
breeder to get a ferret.

Danee DeVore
ADV - If your ferret hasn't been tested, you don't know!
For more information visit:
http://www.ferretadv.com
ADV - Find out how you can help:
http://help4adv.terrabox.com/

[Posted in FML 6770]