Just a cautious prompot from a concerned shelter MOM.  Cost sometimes is
prohibitive, but please BE AWARE some pet stores or individuals may be
offering very reasonably priced ferrets....  if you are thinking about these
or any others please take note...  DO THEY SEEM TO NIP more thanm usual for
a kit????  an experienced ferret owner would be a good resource for this
info....  AND WHY DO I SAY CAUTION...  there are more and more instances of
fitch being sold in the US pet stores these days--- due to the shortage-
increased demand in off season for breeding--
 
some store dissatisfied with lack of ferret stock are going to canadian and
other mills who breed fitch and bringing them in at a cosdt savings factor
to them THE RETAILER...  so what?????
 
The fitch is bred exclusively for fur trade--- they have not been handled
for 3000 years...  current investigations into bite cases ARE revealing that
the animals involved were fitch, not ferrets at least in several instances I
have researched and studied...
 
I am aware that there are several pet stores who not able to get stock soon
enough from the mills have gone outside and obtained these fitch--- they
themselves were not happy -- we can only pray these retailers do not
continue this practice...
 
PLEASE ----- BUYERS BEWARE  protect the good name of the domestic ferret and
make sure you know what you are getting
 
Thanks for you time
[Posted in FML issue 1469]