Mr. Lipinski, Please stop attacking any breeder of ferrets that isn't you.
Ferret breeders that show ferrets do not do more in breeding than ferret
breeders that do not show them.  You have stated that you do not show
ferrets and that you have only been to one show ever.  It is quite annoying
to be insulted by someone who states ignorance of the subject.  ALL
breedings are either in-breedings or cross outs.  Cross breeding actually
normally refers to breeding outside species or breed.  Show ferrets are not
bred outside of species.  The European polecat is the only other species
known to cross with ferrets.  "Sissy" and "real" are particularly bad terms
to use.  Your ferrets are no more real than any other ferrets in the world.
They also are no less real.  Ferrets are basically ferrets.  It is getting
quite old to hear bad mouthing of those of us involved in the AFA, LIFE, LOS
and all other ferret groups that aren't you.  Those of us who breed have in
general very few problems with the cancers and all you refer to.  But it is
also true that we also have in general few problems with the ranch/pet
store/convinience ferrets.  You bring up environment.  We have long stated
our belief that environment is critical to understanding those problems too
common in ferrets.  But these same problems DO occur in all ferrets.  We
just need to figure out what makes it seem that some classes of ferrets have
higher incidences than other classes.
 
To explain why you don't see "well ferrets" reported in proportion to
healthy ferrets... Why WOULD you hear about them?  Most folks who write are
writing to ask for help or advice.  Since we see more questions on biting or
litter box problems it would be safe to assume far more ferrets are
incorrigable litter box missers than cancerous.  This exact same question
shows up on every mail list eventually.  Folks that have a particular car
make for example usually write to a mail list when they have a problem.
Newcomers to mail lists get the impression that that make is problematic
when actually the very fact it has a mail list devoted to it probably means
that it is a popular make and to be popular normally it has to be a "good"
not problematic car.  There are a couple thousand subscibers to this list.
If there were some thirty posts about ill ferrets that would represent only
s bit over 1% of the ferret owning households that subscribe.  Since quite a
few if not most of us have well over 1 ferret that means it would be well
under 1%.  Since its more like 3 or 4 posts than its only some 0.1%.
Admittedly this is a daily occurance but quite a few ill ferrets get mention
far far more than once.  It really doesn't sound like an epidemic to us.  <
bill speaking>Oh I'm a professional mathmatician/software engineer so this
math and statisitics stuff comes naturally to me.  Sorry...
 
And Latin-English dictionaries are available at bookstores and libraries.
There are also several web sites that do language translation.  We'd imagine
most of us on a ferret mail list are not interested in hearing about
translations of .sigs unless it was specifically about ferrets.
 
bill and diane killian
zen and the art of ferrets
mailto:[log in to unmask]  mailto:[log in to unmask]
http://www.zenferret.com/
[Posted in FML issue 2138]