>There have been several reports in the FML of a "breeder in Canada
>(Manitoba)" shipping 6 week old ferrets a day after being spayed into US
>pet stores.  With non-dissolving stitches.  Without any warning to
>prospective owners.  And some of these ferrets have had problems.
>Serious problems.
>
>On the other hand, my sister-in-laws (very long-time ferret owners), have
>also seen ferrets "fresh" from this breeder in Canadian stores: three mos.
>old, intact, and "some of the best quality, healthiest, well behaved, active,
>friendly kits I've ever seen".  I should also point out that "convenience
>kits" (spayed before first sale) are rare in Canada.  I've certainly
>seen 6 week old kits in stores here, but NEVER spayed.
 
Just thought I'd put in my two cents worth. Here in my home town of Regina,
Saskatchewan (that's in Canada, for you foreigners out there :) I've only seen
unaltered kits. Unfortunately the pet stores here seldom have ferrets in, and
I recently heard from one that in future he'll only bring them in on special
request, paid in advance, because he had several people reserve ferrets that
he planned to get in, only to back out at the last minute. So when I was in
Edmonton (Alberta) last October, I checked out several of the local pet stores,
because I had been looking for a couple of months for a playmate for my then
single ferret Buddy. Anyway, all the ferrets I saw in Edmonton were spayed/
neutered and descented, and were 6-8 weeks old. I fell in love with one little
sable female, and broke down and bought her, even though she was a convenience
kit. Also, she had non-dissolvable stitches, though when I got her back to
Regina the pet store manager called to say she shouldn't have been sold until
they were removed, and said they'd pay my vet bill to have it done. Anyway,
although convenience kits as a rule may be rare in Canada, it appears they are
common in Edmonton, or at least they were when I was there. Perhaps they are
common throughout Alberta, though this is just speculation. Of course, I have
no idea whether to attribute this to the breeder or the pet stores or some
other agency. By the way Chris, about the following:
 
[The specific one you ran into sounds very much like the pet store/chain
requested a vet come in and do it, with a second visit to remove the
stitches.  A dubious practise at best to spay that early, but the pet store
did show some responsibility.]
 
>On the other hand, my sister-in-laws (very long-time ferret owners), have
>also seen ferrets "fresh" from this breeder in Canadian stores: three mos.
>old, intact, and "some of the best quality, healthiest, well behaved, active,
>friendly kits I've ever seen".
 
What stores/cities were these in? With Buddy seldom playing with Cassidy, and
Cassidy being so playful, I've considered buying a third ferret to keep Cassidy
happy. I'm not in a big rush, but if you could recommend some places, and I
happen to be in those areas some time, I'll check them out.
 
[Unfortunately for your travel time, they were in Burlington, Ontario ;-)
(at the extreme west end of Lake Ontario for those who don't know
where that is.)]
 
John, Buddy, and Cassidy
 
[Posted in FML issue 0454]