Just a few things
 
RE: Ferret publications.  As far as I am concerned, any publication which
places the beasties in a positive light is a good one.  I read all the time,
mostly scientific journals (Mammology, Ethology, Archaeology, Paleontology,
Ecology....and more!) and so have come to yearn for simplistic easy-to-read
writing.  I have yet to read ANY non-reviewed paper, article, newspaper
clipping, or book without some mistake or other problem.  (For that matter,
even reviewed papers are full of errors) As these valuable ferret
information sources mature, so will their content.  Give them time, and
enjoy the love expressed for the best pet in the world.
 
RE: Dr.  D'Aquin-Burglass.  I am sorry you were personally attacked,
although I did laugh at BIGs comment.  Maybe people have such love for their
pets that they react with their hearts rather than considering the words
offered.  Maybe I'm arrogant, but my research is consistant with your
observations, and I'm a very conservative (if outspoken) researcher.  My
graduate friends call me "Mr.  Prove It." True, many animals will gorge on
some foods, and sometimes the result can be disasterous.  In Africa, I
watched and photographed BOBoons, er, eh, I mean BABoons, get plastered on
fermented fruit; one wandered off and was promptly killed and eaten by a
lioness (Talk about serious sobriety checks).  These incidents illustrate
atypical behavior, just as it is atypical behavior for ferrets to kill
infants.  If these behaviors were typical, lions would line up under fruit
trees, and ferrets would be searching for cribs.  In discussing true ferret
behavior, you have to acknowledge such incidents occassionally occur, just
as you have to admit some animals will gorge themselves on harmful foods,
but they are not normal.  Chocolate bars don't grow on trees, although my
wife wishes they did, and how many meadows are fill with piles of sweet
grains?  (Of course, atypical behaviors WERE normal for the World's
Stupidest Dog, but then my dad fed him Skippy can dog food all his life.
You know, the pasty stuff we called "canned poop.")
 
The point is, most animals do a very good job nutrition-wise if offered a
selection of different foods.  They will eat what they need, and will seek
foods to maintain a proper balance (Ever hear of dirt eating?  You may not
understand nor realize what minerals you are lacking, but you attempt to eat
the "perfect" dirt to supply them.) Also, many animals that gorge do so for
reasons other than nutrition, including a boring-never- changing diet,
mental or physical boredom, stress, mental instability (My excuse), and
undiagnosed disease processes.
 
RE: W.  Killian: I have more than 250 references tieing bone development and
structure to nutrition.  The correlation is so statistically significant
that I know of NO modern researcher that calls it into doubt.  For the last
year, I have been comparing bone from domesticates to non- domesticates in
an effort to show early domestication lowered nutritional levels, causing
measurable differences in bone structure (Based on differences in bone
histology rather than external morphology).  Did in people, why not animals?
I am also looking at animal bones from two Native American sites, a North
American site prior to human arrival, and a Middle Eastern Site.  What I
have found is, bone development follows nutritional competence and physical
health.  In other words, healthy beasties that eat right will have the best
developed and strongest bones.  Also, the health of bone reflects the
general health of the vertebrate in question.
 
I have raised five kits, four from one breeder.  All were given a wide
selection of foods, including meats and cooked-until-soft bone.  In the last
three years, (excluding Stella's recent urinary infection), not one ferret
has had so much as a cold.  Stella getting sick when I went into the
hospital is the first illness I've faced in my beasties.  It caught me off
guard, and delayed my response in helping my sweetie.  When Stella was
X-rayed, the vet noticed her bones were 40-50% more dense than any other
ferret he had treated, which includes the ferrets belonging to the breeder I
bought four of my five kits from.  And she comes from petite breeding stock.
I compared weights to size and volumes of my ferts to those of the breeders,
and mine were consistantly heavier, reflecting compositional differences in
muscle and bone mass to fat.  This is not a scientific study (I might
attempt one after my PhD) and there are lots of variables to take into
account, but my ferrets are heavier, with denser bone, than those of the
same size and volume being fed cat food only.
 
As for cancer, I wouldn't go out on a limb to guess; there are simply too
many variables. I support a controlled and precise study, however, and
would be every interested in the results. (Refer to earlier posts)
 
RE: Rudy.  I'm not going to call you arrogant, insult you, or imply your
posts are dogmatic and incorrect to prove any point I have to offer.  I can
back my claims up with solid scientific evidence, and can argue good and bad
points on any reference I cite.  I can e-mail them to you (They are on
Endnote 2.1 [mac]) if you want to spend several months digesting them
(couldn't resist the pun BIG).  I suggest you read them and make up your own
mind rather than arbitrarily dismissing them.
 
What I am NOT going to do is argue meaningless points nor will I publicly
flame people.  I will, however, defend myself WHEN pubically flamed.  You
offered no evidence, your evolutionary argument is obtuse, unclear,
unsupported, and tautological in form, and your emotional involvement has
tainted the issue.  Instead of responding to the points I raised, you
restated unsupported opinion, labeled me as arrogant and implied other terms
of....endearment.  I admit I am impassioned and possess the self-confidence
that can only be gained through seasoning (read age) and a moderate
understanding of a subject intimately lived with for extended periods of
time.  I admit I have an overwealming zeal to improve the lives of all
biological organisms (except maybe Fish and Game Bozos).  I also make fun of
myself frequently, only comment on what I know (see anything from me about
breeding, coat colors/names, medical diagnosis, or CS?), and encourage
people to check things out for themselves.  If addressing issues of
importance to the best of my ability defines arrogance, then I not only
admit it, but embrace it.  I don't think I take myself too seriously; but I
do think I take the issues concerning my ferrets very much so.
 
RE: FML Readership and BIG: I am truely sorry for my involvement for what
has clearly become too serious and personal.  I will no longer respond to
this issue in public, but will freely answer any e-mails privately.  In the
last few days, unknown people using anonymous addresses have been swamping
my e-mailbox with hundreds of nasty posts, claiming I kill and dissect
animals for fun and have no business being on the FML.  (I think it's only
one or two people, and referencing posts where I admitted teaching
comparative and human anatomy labs) Fu*king Scientest Skum (SIC) comes to
mind as a mild example.  No matter; they won't disuade me from sharing what
I can.  But I give you my word, I will not knowingly share false
information, nor will I use the FML for my own profit, academically or
otherwise.  (How many writers would offer up an outline for public
criticism?  Wow, I guess I AM arrogant...)
 
RE: nicknames.  I have the list ready to post, but will wait a few days for
any last minute lingerers.  Its great.  It is on Word 6, but I can translate
and ship for specific WPs for those who want a separate copy.  I can only
send SPECIAL CERTIFICATES to those who e-mail their snail-mail addresses, so
if you want one, coff it up!  I will mail them all out at one time to save
time, so you have about a week, or you're SOL.
 
Dogmatic Bob (FSS) and the Showme Nine.
 
"The problem with visionaries is that they don't give the people what they
want. They have to go and upset the apple cart every time by giving them
what they need." SJG 1984
[Posted in FML issue 1399]