I have always said that MF have great temperments as a general rule of
thumb.  I do not approve of many things that Marshalls does, but their
ferrets temperments are not one of them.  I was not really referring to MF
kits in general, but all kits.  I have many MF ferrets (including currently
4 of my 8 personal ferrets, all adopted).
 
What I was referring to was baby ferrets.  The 6-10 week old buggers.  They
stink.  They bite.  They whine.  They poop all over.  In fact they are
massive poop machines that seem to put out more than they take in.  Those
are facts undeniable to all kits, regardless of the breeder.  I think any
breeder on this list would agreee.  (and NO I don't breed, before that
rumor starts) Kits are like grandkids, fun to play with, but glad to see
them leave (or grow up).  In addition, MF kits seem to have an unusually
high rate of ECE associated with them over the past 18 months.
 
Sorry if anyone feels I am an uncaring snob.  I would beg to differ.  I
spend thousands of dollars a year running a shelter, taking care of ferrets
who have been abandoned, turned in or found roaming.  I also run an
extremely affordable boarding service.  Why are my boarding fees lower than
anyone elses?  Because I care about ferrets enough to want to make sure
that they are well taken care of, by someone who will recognize if they get
sick before it is too late, by someone who will make sure they are played
with, even if they are nippy, by someone who will give them plenty of free
time out of the cage, by someone who will make sure they get their meds at
the right time in the right dose.  If you still think I am a snob, so be
it.  But the hundreds of ferret people a year that I take calls from all
hours of the day and night and refer to vets, work out payment arrangements
with vets for them, etc., as well as teaching them to force feed their sick
ferret, talking to them about pan training, biting problems and a multitude
of other issues, as well as personally saving at least 5 ferrets from being
put down to test for rabies in the past 18 months, and getting an attorney
to take the case of the guy being taken to court for owning ferrets in an
FFZ in Northern NJ free of charge, I don't think these people think I am a
ferret snob.
 
My problem with the guy I was complaining about was that he bought a ferret
from a pet store and then was too cheap to spend the money on a vet to get
it vaccinated.  If money was an issue, he could have adopted a fully
vaccinated ferret from a shelter.  Regretfully I can not break the law and
vaccinate his ferret, even if it means putting it at risk.  If I get
arrested, there will be a LOT of ferrets which will suffer for it, a chance
I am not willing to take.
 
Next time you decide to flame someone, why not read a little more carefully.
I never said that only MF ferrets were as described, nor did I say that the
MF adults are.  I was referring to kits in general.  And I'll still take
your call at 1:00am when you ferret is vomiting and you don't know what to
do, or make a dozen long distance calls across the country to find help
when your ferret is confiscated for nipping someone.  I do it because I
care about ferrets.
 
-Anne
[Posted in FML issue 2462]