Well, quite honestly, if some one is going to "punish" a ferret because
they don't come due to "deafness" that person will be prone to do it for
other reasons also, which have absolutely nothing to do with deafness,
like litter digging, food dish digging etc, and just plain old cage
trashing. Plain and simple, that person should own a Gold Fish then.
Ferrets, like dogs, cats and even kids for that matter, can be hit or
miss with teaching them tricks, commands or cleaning their rooms! Some
will learn fast, while others have the "You are not going to tell me what
to do" attitude. Owner education BEFORE they purchase that pet is the
key. (or have kids!).
I know our pet store in Reading (Reading Petco) states that the ferret
is deaf, and sells them. They check each ferret who comes in for hearing
loss. (To the best of their abilities). They are honest about the
ferret's hearing loss and give you tips on how to care for them. Yes,
they will try to get that ferret to go to a home, who has experience
with ferrets, but they don't just give them away free. If I see a
ferret there who I suspect is deaf, I don't look for an opportunity to
"get a free ferret", I purchase the ferret. I also know another big
store in Lancaster does the same thing, states the deafness upfront.
I would rather see them "Sell Them" or send them back to Path Valley
or Marshalls, then to just randomly give them away. And just because
a ferret is deaf, it is not "Defective". Are humans who can not hear,
"Defective". You were definitely right when you said you are not
being PC.
I guess the only thing we can agree on is education and good breeding
practice. But even with both, deafness is out there in all species of
animals and should NOT be considered a defect. Yes, it is not a trait
you want to "Breed for", but even the most carefully implemented breeding
practices, deafness still can show up. It is a very workable obstacle
you must over come. Just like adrenal and insulonmia issues. I
certainly would rather have a deaf ferret who lives to be 9 years old and
is healthy, then a hearing-able ferret who develops full blown adrenal at
8 months old. ( I have one of those also). Deaf ferrets happen, and
they should not be considered DEFECTIVE and certainly should not be given
away "FREE" due to their handicap. They are here on earth, whether we
like Path Valley or Marshall's breeding practices. Education first.
Marguerite
TinyPrints On The Heart.....
TinyPrints Shih Tzu, TinyPrints Ferretry and Rescue
http://www.tinyprintsontheheart.com
Ebay Sales to Benefit TinyPrints Ferret Rescue Medical Fund
http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZalohaferrets
TinyPrints Ferret Rescue PetFinder Web Page
http://www.tinyprintsontheheart.petfinder.org
TinyPrints Ferret Rescue Store
http://www.tinyprintsontheheart.com/onlinestore.htm
[Posted in FML issue 4884]
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