We'll be at the NY Big Apple Ferret Fiesta.
 
BUYING FERRETS AT THIS SHOW:
We'll bring several shelter ferrets but this show has a policy that goes
against selling kits.  We would love to bring kits but the show sponsor has
decided that all ferrets 'sold' will either be already altered or will be
taken by her and immediately given to a vet and altered on Monday.  We
strongly disapprove of altering ferrets before they are 6 or 7 months old
and our kits are younger than that.  Late litters this year since we were
busy in February with our human cinnamon hob - Derek.  We cld not allow our
kits to be taken away from us to be altered and then turned over to their
new owners.  Seems too cruel to us.  We also don't like the implications for
people who might have traveled to get to the show, they'd have to do a
return trip to get their kits DURING the week at a vet that was not chosen
by the ferret's owner.  We are permitted only to sell our kits out of our
hotel room as long as the show sponsor doesn't know about it.  Unfortunately
most breeders rely on shows to sell kits.  It is a relationship that has
been going on for many years.  It is a convient place to get a lot of ferret
breeders together with a lot of people who like ferrets.
 
MEETING FMLERS:
Well we would really like to meet anyone from the list who comes to the
show.  I'll be judging the 'first timers' classes.  These will be for
people who've never entered their ferrets in a show before and have a judge
evaulate the 'showiness' of their ferret.  The Championship rings are not
setup to learn very much about what the judge is doing so it is a strange
and even ritualistic event that is not explained to the novice.  In this
class I will take the time to explain more about what it is I'm doing, what
I'm looking for and why.  Anybody who wants to know more about ferret shows
and showing ferrets this is your chance.  I'm expecting to be really busy
doing this but I will find the time to talk to anyone who wants to talk to
me.  My wife and three kids will be their but Derek doesn't yet have much
to say about ferrets.  The rest will be happy to talk to you as well.
 
bill killian
zen and the art of ferrets
[Posted in FML issue 1374]