>From:    "Melissa A. Durfee" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: breeding
 
Although I do not like ranches, we should be fair to them.
 
>The big breeding farms rely on impulse purchases at pet stores for
>their income; I would guess that these purchases represent the majority
>of surrenders at shelters.
 
Your second clause seems correct but your first is unfair.  The vast
majority of ferrets bought at pet stores are retained by their owners.
They would not necessarily be impulse buys.  My first two ferrets came from
pet stores and in no way could be considered impluse buys.  The first -
Furball - was bought after three or four years of waiting until I was
ready.  A three year impulse buy seems unlikely... <grin> The second -
Fuzzface - came after months of visiting the same pet store and waiting
until I thought it was the right time to get a second ferret.  At that time
I had no idea that ferret breeders at the hobbyist level even existed.  A
large number of readers here on the FML get their ferrets from pet stores.
 
But yes there is a good chance that many if not the majority of shelter
turn-ins were originally impulse purchases.
 
And we do fully support the entire rest of your post.
 
>From:    Anonymous Poster <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Zen's response to castration
>Neutering is cutting the tube between the testees and the penis and
>castrating is either chopping the testees off or the penis (not sure
>exactly).
 
No.
 
Neutering is the removal of primary sexual distinction.  The "real" or
primary difference between males and females is in regards to reproduction
while the other differences are normally called secondary sexual
characteristics.  Neutering would thus be the removal of the primary
reproductive organs - castration in males and spay in females.
 
Vasectomization is the tube cutting surgery that leaves a ferret sterile
as far as reproduction but still retaining the testicles (though some vets
remove one).  This leaves the ferret able to bring a jill out of estrus
without possible real pregnancy.
 
>This is at least what the book says (Your first Ferret by Adelle Porch)
 
This is the second time I've seen this book associated with definitely
incorrect material regarding ferret reproduction in a very short span.
 
I was chastised before for having a negative opinion about this book but
this is getting redundant...
 
-bill
 
--
bill and diane killian
zen and the art of ferrets
http://www.zenferret.com/
mailto:[log in to unmask]
[Posted in FML issue 2525]