Chris - About finding those two ferrets a home..  You would be
surprised.  A lot of people would drive 5 or 6 hours to go and pick up
a pair of homeless ferrets.  Especially since Carlos is speaking of
people in the NJ area (which has a lot of "ferret active" people.)
 
Carlos - Tell your friends to get in touch with the Garden State
Ferret Club at 490 Flock Road, Mercerville, NJ  08619.  I am sure that
they will be able to help find a home for the two sables.
 
Diane - About the UFO.  It is the United Ferret Organization run
by Michael G. Alfonso (aliases Bruce White - the name he uses for the
Ferret World Catalog, and Deane White - the name he uses for the UFO.)
I have been told that the UFO's registration program's primary purpose
is to get people to turn in the cards so that he can get their names
and addresses for his Ferretworld mailing list.  It should also be
said that the UFO DOES not breed ferrets.  I am surprised by some of
your descriptions.  The UFO is primarily affiliated with the Path
Valley Ferret Farm.  Mr. White (Alfonso) is good friends with the
Morton's who own Path Valley.  Path Valley (does not to my knowledge)
tattoo their ferrets.  Marshall Farms (the largest ferret breeder in
the world) is known for giving their ferrets a double tattoo, is this
what yours has?
 
Their is a controversy surrounding the early spaying and neutering of
ferrets.  Three of my five ferrets are "farm ferrets" (two from Path
Valley and one from Marshall Farms) and my other two are both whole
and unneutered.  The primary (and only reason that I will believe)
that the ferret farms neuter and descent at such an early age is to
"package" the ferret for easy sale in pet stores while it is still
"young and cute" (not that all ferret aren't cute!)  It is widely
believed that the early neutering prevents the ferrets from reaching
their full growth potential.  Also early descenting can lead to rectal
prolapse and rectal infections later in life.  Finally, it is also
believed that ferrets that are neutered at such an early age may only
live half as long as a ferret that is unneutered, or was neutered at
maturity (after 6 months or so.)  Note that these are not completely
substantiated facts and that I have heard different vet's support both
sides of the issue.
 
[Our vet doesn't like doing them until 10 months]
 
(Final note:  In case you are curious as to my "bias" against Bruce
White...  At a hearing here in Massachusetts to begin the process of
legalizing ferrets, Mr. White spoke against legalizing ferrets as a
pet, in spite of the fact that he is the only private citizen with a
permit to keep ferrets - and he has a slew of them as pets, I have
been to his house - and that he is the owner of Ferretworld - a
ferret-product mail order catalog, and the founder of the United
Ferret Organization, an organization whose purpose is to "help protect
the rights of ferrets and owners at the local, state, and national
level.  It is working to end all discriminatory practices and laws
affecting the rights of ferret owners.  Your membership is a vital
asset in this endeavor!" - this quote right out of the UFO membership
brochure entitled "Earn Your Stripes - Join the United Ferret
Organization.")
 
Also, the vet that I mentioned in Issue 150 is Dr. Wagner.
Unfortunately the IFA meetings Agenda does not list what the name of
his office is, but as soon as I find out what it is I will post it.
 
Beau
                                                                          
[Posted in FML 0151]