>From:    Becki Kain <[log in to unmask]>
>I have a non-scientific poll question.  Most of my ferrets have died
>somewhere between 7 and 8 years old, 2 of which were MF and 2 of which were
>from a breeder and left to mature before getting fixed.  Am I just cursed
 
That's the most common age of death we've seen, too, for ferrets from any
breeder we've used -- large or small, though we've had a few who went older
or younger.  (We typically call it "late in the 6th year to early in the
eighth year".)  Have now and then heard of unusual individuals who went
longer -- sometimes a breeder has a great genetic strain, or sometimes
there's just an individual like that.  Urban mentioned once seeing this
time frame in Sweden if I recall right, and someone else mentioned seeing
it in Holland.  How about other locations?  Have heard of a number of
ferrets THOUGHT to be older who were adoptees and really were NOT older
than this or just a bit older once serious traces were done.  Have also
heard of the stray individual (from a range of sources, large and small)
who went to 9, 10, or sometimes older.
 
Frankly, we'd LOVE to get a kit or two the next time we have room for one
more (not now) from someone whose ferrets tend toward longer lives, but
tracing down the rumors only led to one who doesn't have ferrets anymore
but was often seeing 10 years, and one who assured that she TYPICALLY gets
10 to 12 but we have not heard a word from her since then and some other
things happened later to call her word into question.
 
BREEEDERS, WHAT ARE YOU SEEING WITH YOUR STRAINS?
[Posted in FML issue 2609]