>From:  Jennifer Lapierre <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re:Juvenile Lymphosarcoma
>One woman who runs a shelter in New Hampshire told me they have a 50/50
>shot of getting it by age 4.  Ferrets in/from England do not have a high
>rate of cancer.  Perhaps it's b/c they are not so inbred, or because
>they are not neutered so early.  Neutering a ferret really young like
>they do here prevents them from growing to full size (an un-neutered
>ferret is HUGE!), and prevents their immune system from fully
>developing.  Makes me think twice about buying another ferret that's been
>neutered/spayed at 5 weeks old.
 
Well gotta inject a couple comments.  The 50/50 sounds way way too high.
Early altering does affect the size of the ferret and is "suspected" of
affecting other aspects of health but that is not known with a high degree
of confidence.  There is NO evidence that English ferrets are less "in-bred"
than over here in the US.  Most breeders in England that I am aware of do
not keep the careful records that American breeders have started keeping.  I
carefully did not use absolutes since I know sloppy US and careful UK
breeders.  There is no evidence that English ferrets brought to the US have
a lower cancer risk than American ferrets.  Careful records were not kept
several years ago the last time a quantity of English ferrets were brought
over and the most recent batch hasn't been here long enough to know.
 
Now to understand that this is certainly not sour grapes, we are the only
breeder I am aware of in the US to have a litter of kits from a pair of
English immigrants.  It would be wonderful if I had a reason to claim my
ferrets are better than other breeders' just because they are English but
that would not be honest.
 
Now we do not recommend early altering of kits but we don't go beyond the
easily noted body form maturation.  Early altering definitely seems to
inhibit full growth but it dramatically affects the muscle mass as well.
Late altered ferrets have less muscle than whole ferrets but much more than
early altered animals.
 
English ferrets on the whole seem to be less bred for the house than
American.  This is possibly a source of the problems.  As Sukie Crandall
noted a couple days ago people have bred for juvenile characteristics in
pets.  The English on whole have kept more of the hunting characteristics
which are more adult traits.  Maybe we need to rethink what we want a ferret
to be.  The English ferrets I know put the American ferrets I know to shame
in energy and acrobatic abilities.  Thats right your American ferrets are
slow wimps.  Scary huh?
 
>From:  Eric Kauz / Donna Rosinski <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Any group get-togethers in NYC?
>I'm wondering if any ferret enthusiasts get together in the New York City
>area?
 
Talk about just missed... The annual big ferret show was last weekend.  I
think LOS NY hangs out here.  There is Big Apple Ferrets a 1-800-FER-RET2
and a couple groups whose names elude me.  Rellay embarrasing since I just
talked to all of them.  Kat Kuckens is part of one of them as I remember.
Nice lady.  A couple of our kits from last year went to another member.
 
>From:  "Gwen M. Daley" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: 8-in-1
>I recently picked up a bag of 8-in-1 at our local Walmart, and fed it to
>my little ones (we had been using Marshall Farms food).
 
In our opinion you are going from a better food to one not as good.  From
the descriptions of the Wal-Mart 8in1 it is more like their old food which
we do not recommend.
 
>From:  "Kris Aaron-Benedum (and S. & S.)" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: why do they do what they do?
>dogs and cats can *usually* find their way home should they wander off.
>So, why can't a fert?
 
Seems that Bob had part of the answer with the descenting discussion.  If
the ferrets can't smell their musk maybe they lost their homing device?
Haven't seen if non-descented ferrets are better home-finders than descented
ones though.
 
>Seriously, why do they "do what they do?
 
Because they are smarter?  Perhaps since they are not a pack animal they
have no desire to please as much as dogs.  Since I have never figured out
cats I got no idea on them.  Diane likes cats but she isn't writing this.
 
>From:  Bryan Gaidanowicz <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Laws?
 
In South Carolina ferrets are legal but you can neither buy nor sell them.
Cute trick huh?  As I understand it no permits are needed.  The legalization
effort a few years ago was led and done almost entirely by a 12 year old
girl (or maybe 11).
 
bill and diane killian
zen and the art of ferrets
http:/ww.zenferret.com/
mailto:[log in to unmask]
[Posted in FML issue 1697]