>Since I have been breeding domesticated ferrets since 1988 and have never
>produced a long furred ferret, I was just asking what makes an Angora.  No
>one will answer me directly as to what two "types" of mustelids are
>producing them.  Is the Angora ferret a freak like the Munchkin cat?  Why
>is the breeding so secretive? ...
 
they're actually a "freak" like the persian cat, if you think about it.
 
i'm not a ferret breeder and have no intention of being one, but as a
(former) cat breeder i do have an excellent grasp of genetics and the
principle of mutation.
 
the way that these breeds come to exist is simple; mutations in the genes
happen all the time.  some of them affect colours of the fur, creating
albinos, silvers, cinnnamons, and are the reason why not all ferrets are
sable.  sometimes they are unhealthy mutations, such as the manx cat
mutation and cause health problems (never breed two manx cats, the babies
will have severe spinal problems and will likely die).  sometimes they are
not, as in Japanese bobtail cats (a similar appearance can result from a
different mutation).  in the case of angora ferrets a mutation produced a
long coat in some kits, much like the long coat of an angora cat, or an
angora rabbit.  since it looked cool, people bred from these longhaired
ferrets and by using selective breeding developed the angora ferret.  there
was no "wild" animal, just as angora cats are not crossed with wild animals
to produce the long coat.  it was a spontaneous mutation which was developed
into a breed.
 
siani  (who is amazed that a breeder would come up with the ridiculous idea
that a new breed must be the result of crossbreeding with a wild animal...)
[Posted in FML issue 2054]