Since the subject has been brought up (reg. the ferret that was left to die
because her owners would not have her spayed),  I have a story to share.
This is not a recent one, but it very much hurt me.  To give you a brief
history, someone I new and trusted decided that he wanted a ferret as a pet.
I had first started to breed my ferrets, and since I "knew" my kit would get
a good home, I gave him one.  In fact, several of my ferret kits went to
him.  I was overjoyed.  I got to watch my babies grow up in a home where I
sincerely believed they were loved.
 
Eventually, this person started to breed his ferrets.  With other breeders
on call if there were any problems, no one thought twice about it.  He
seemed very responsible.  I even bred one of my hobs with his jill (which
also happened to be from my stock but unrelated to the hob).  A jill from
the first of their litters was given to a relative of his.
 
Well, he finally decided ferrets were not for him.  He was responsible
enough to return most of the ferrets to the breeders and shelters whom he
acquired them from.  All ferrets that he obtained from me were returned to
me.  Among them, were the ones that my hob fathered.  They were over 6 mo.
old so they were fixed and adopted out.  Others that were not placed were
given to his relative's family to find homes for.  While in the process of
finding homes for these ferrets, the family decided to give up some of their
own ferrets.  One of these ferrets came from my line. (I now had both
parents in my possession.)  I had no idea that they were giving her up until
the new owners calle me.  I had no problem with them finding this jill a
good home although I could not understand how these people could give her up
after having her for 2 years.
 
Well, they sold her whole to a couple who recently lost a ferret to aplastic
anemia.  How I found this out was that these people called me wanting to
breed her with one of my males.  They told me where they got her from and
that their first ferret died of aplastic anemia because they did not know
that females can die from this if they were left in heat.   After a lengthy
conversation, I realized that when they bought this jill, they still did not
know much about ferrets and wanted to "try" breeding her.  I tried to
convince them that they should give more thought about breeding.   I also
told them that even if I were comfortable having one of my hobs breed with
her, my males were related to her and I would not inbreed.  They were
informed that I had a vasectomized hob that could take her out of heat
giving them time to learn about their ferret and breeding if they were so
determined.  They decided to try other breeders.
 
About 2 weeks later, I heard from them again.  They learned that an intact
male was just given up to my shelter and wanted to buy him for their jill.
I explained that the shelter policy was to neuter or spay whole ferrets that
came to the shelter before they were adopted out.  Even if that was not the
policy, there was no background on this ferret and it was unknown if he was
at all related to her or had medical problems.  The couple got an additude.
I asked how the jill was doing.  I was told that she was "not doing well".
Again, I asked them if they wanted to put her with my vasectomized male.
Again, they refused.  That is the last I heard of them.
 
I still wonder how this little ferret is doing and if she is still alive.
It pains me to see people treat their animals so, especially when they saw
first hand what aplastic anemia does.  As a breeder and a shelter, I try to
find the best possible homes for my animals.  I care for them.  All these
people cared about is that for "some selfish reason" I as well as other
breeders did not want them to breed their jill.  To them, we were the cause
of her illness.
 
Ellen and furballs
[Posted in FML issue 1157]