Dear Rebecca Cory, and to others who may care to look in depth to the
reasons why Marshall Farm's ferrets seem to be unusually prone to cancer and
reduced longevity:
 
Is it possible that one of the great ferret organizations could form a group
of dedicated volunteer ferreters to organize a friendly investigation into
the mass production of ferrets, their breeding practices, their assembly
line methodology of neutering, spaying, and descenting 4 to 6 week kits at
the site of Marshall Farms Ferret Factory in upper New York State?
 
My current understanding is that 70 percent of MF ferts will develop lethal
cancers within the first 4 years of life.  This factoid was presented in a
paper at the American Veterinarian Symposium held, as best I can remember,
in Miami Florida, several years ago.  Currently, I am trying to run down
this paper in the Veterinary Medical Journals as well as faxing the
originator of the information locally from a vet who attended the conference
and to whom the factiod has been attributed.
 
Dear Rebecca Cory: if you would, could you please tell us the name and
address of your ferret vet who spoke affirmatively about MF ferrets.  I
should like to get in touch with him and learn his sources of data.
 
My information has it that half of the ferrets bred at MF are dedicated pet
trade animals.  The other half, that 50 percentile, is dedicated to animal
testing labs, universities and such.  Previous complaints to MF by friends
of this person, who complained to MF of the their practices, was responded
by the affirmation that all MF ferrets would henceforth go to the animal
testing labs, and that no more pet ferrets would be allocated to the pet
store market, if, in fact, further complaints were received.
 
Here in Seattle, at the prestigous University of Washington, I have learned
that ferrets are "used" for at least two functions: 1) Nurses in training
learn how to insert tracheal tubes into the throats of ferrets, since the
structure of the ferret's throat is similar to that of a human infant.  The
dispostion of these "used" ferrets is confidential information and was not
divulged to me.  2) The excised hearts of living ferrets are sustained
"living" for the purposes of studying the effects of various "experimental
drugs" on living ferret heart tissue.
 
Is it too long a stretch to conclude that the ferrets that survive the
nurses attention could possibly have their living hearts cut out for the
drug tests?
 
The time is overdue, it seems to me, for the confusion and bickering about
MF ferrets to be concluded by the formation of an investigatory group, under
the auspices of the American Ferret Association and/or other well recognized
formal ferret associations, perhaps in concert with each other, for the
investigatory group to determine the facts relevant to the treatment of
ferrets, first in New York State and then nationwide.
 
I, for one, do volunteer my time and talent to become an active member of
such an investigatory body that would hold the sanction of the
association(s).  How about you, dear reader?
 
From the land of "Frettchenvergnuegen" this challenge is issued by the
undersigned.
 
                        Aller Anfang ist schwer !
[Posted in FML issue 2101]