Ilena said:
>"What I found interesting about the ad (MF ad for lab animals) was that it
>touted the small size of their ferrets (as opposed to someone elses ferrets)
>as a bonus, because you could house more animals in less space.  So then, it
>sounds like they breeed for small size."
 
What I think they mean is that ferrets are smaller than more traditional lab
animals like cats and dogs.  Many early studies of the nervous system were
done with cats.  I think many labs are using ferrets instead of cats in part
because they are smaller.  Also, the public has a hot trigger button about
using cats and dogs for research so the less well known ferret is a happy
choice for them for that reason too.  I doubt that MF does much intentional
breeding for characteristics other than ability to handle the animal,
although they may tend to breed for standard color for the lab and variety
for the pet market.  It would be hard for them to breed for or against
longevity and health since they most likely don't have many ferrets that are
older than 3 years.  If they did happen upon a genetic abnormality for a
particular disorder, you can be sure they would breed for that in a separate
line and advertise it as an animal model for X disease.  That line would not
be one that they would "waste" on the pet trade.
 
Ferrets might be good models for cancer studies but first it would be
neccessary to show that the cancer incidence is genetic, and second, ferrets
would come in a very poor second choice to some strains of mice that are
cancer prone.  Personally, I'm betting on some form of retrovirus or such as
the source of alot of the ferret diseases.  Any feeling out there about
disease in multi-ferret households vrs more solitary ferrets?  I've got a
single male ferret (Myc) who has never had a sick day in his 6+ years life
(even after surviving for a week outside in Feb in NJ).  Previously I had
two ferrets that died within a year of one another of lymphosarcoma at ~age
9 years.  None of my animals are/were early alters or MF.  My ferret doesn't
get a chance to socialize with other ferrets (and at this point in his life
I don't think he would much like it).  The only time he might contact
something from another ferret is the occasional pet store cuddlee spore that
I might bring home on my clothes.
 
BTW I agree with Zen.  It would be bad business practice to give away
100-1000 healthy ferrets a month in direct competition with your normal
sales.  No business manager would permit such folly.  So in order to solve
the retired breeder problem, the solution must take into account the MF
point of view.  Personally, I'm surprised they are willing to give ferrets
to vet schools.  That cuts into their lab sales and their pet sales in one
shot!  I don't have a solution other than to stop pet store trade in ferrets
all together.  You would still have the problem of breeders for labs, but
then at that point I suppose MF would be happy to sell those animals direct
as pets.
[Posted in FML issue 2002]