to:    Laura L'Heureux Kupkee <>
Subject: pet store vs. breeder lifespans
 
>>Oo, ouch, Pam, your treading on dangerous soil there!  (I'm not picking on
you today, honest!).<<
 
that's okay, there are two Pams and I think you might have us confused!
 
Well, my database for lifespans is based on the 1000+ ferrets that have run
through my shelter and the 40 I have personally owned over 10 years.
 
I put ferrets into three categories:
1.  Pet shop ferrets - mostly Marshall Farms and Path Valley convience kits,
altered at 4-6 weeks of age.  Closed colony breeding only.
 
2.  Backyard breeder ferrets - sold usually whole, but with little or no
educating of the public before buying, and bloodlines are mixed but usually
somehow related.  altered at 6 months if not too ignorant or sold to another
breeder.
 
3.  Responsible breeders - ferrets are sold at 8+ weeks of age after a normal
weaning, altered at 6 months (requested by breeder unless sold specifically
to another breeder), no mixed bloodlines - totally unrelated pedigree.
 
Factors to be considered (as stated before) are diet and maintenance.
 
Cat 1 has the shortest lifespan on average.  The oldest pet shop ferret I
have ever had died of "old age" at 6 years.
 
Cat 2 ferrets will live longer, provided the owner was educated on diet and
neutering.  these ferrets usually die early due to neglect or live a longer
lifespan if properly cared for - 6-9 years.
 
Cat 3 ferrets usually do the best, due to no genetic timebombs lurking in
their closets.  But if the diet is off or the owner neglects the animal,
things will not go well.  Average life span is 7-9 years.
 
Early spay/neuter is not really a factor in all this.  It is the genitic
pool.  Pet shop ferrets coming from closed colonies are specifically limited,
backyard breeders tend to limit their pools too - this has been shown to be
the cause of adrenal tumors (not early spay/neuter - and I do have the study
to show this plus some inside info I'm not allowed to release, yet.)
 
Now, so all you wonderful ferret owners who have pet shop ferrets don't panic
- MF introduced English ferrets into their lines about 2-3 years ago and the
result will take another few years to see if it helped, but the size of the
ferrets have improved (not all ferrets from MF have the new bloodline in them
YET).  Path Valley sufferred a die out a few years ago, and I'm sure they
have new bloodlines in their facility as well.  But we will have to wait a
few more years to see if any of this has helped raise the age limits.
Canadian ferret owners are waiting too here in the US to see if the Manitoba
ferrets are longer living beasts.
 
Now, mind you, the 1000+ have not all died here, but I do take in several
ferrets each season that either pass away here or the owner calls to let me
know they have passed away.  I just had to have a 7.5 year old ferret put
down yesterday - owner gave it up only a month and a half ago.  She had no
markings and I have no idea where the owner originaly puchased her.
 
Plus I have a database on all of my own ferrets.  My oldest was a breeder
jill who died at 9 years.  The oldest MF ferret I have ever owned died at 6.
 That is why I say 6-9 as my average lifespan answer.  But it is just an
average.  I have had ferrets die at two years of age due to megaesauphagus,
lympho, and a household accident.
 
No, I don't usually make bold statements unless I have some facts to back my
theories up.  Dr. Leo Lieberman, DVM, is a big advocate of early spay/neuter
and he has requested several times all of my ferret information.  I'm all for
early spay/neuter of dogs and cats.
 
STAR* would be happy to send you copies of the studies and summeries we have.
Just e-mai me your address with a note about how much you really want!!!!
 
Pam and her Pet Pals
[Posted in FML issue 1163]