I would just like to say I don't think there is any significant difference
in how long a European ferret will live compared to an American one.  The
typical age they reach seems to be around 7-10 years, provided the ferrets
stay healthy.
 
However, it seems to me, some US ferrets, or perhaps certain strains of US
ferrets, have some kind of disposition to a number of diseases.  I don't
believe we have seen this kind of disease tendency in our Swedish ferrets,
not yet anyway.  Of course, this is only from my personal experience.
 
I have read several posts about feeding mice LIVE to ferrets.  To those of
you who do that.......PLEASE DONT!
 
Although I'm sure the ferrets enjoy the hunt, please think about the
mouse's terrible suffering when it finds itself trapped, with nowhere to
hide, and a bunch of predators chasing after it.  Really, there is no need
for such cruelty!  I feed my ferrets mice, but only after I've painlessly
killed the mice first.  If you love your ferrets that much, I'm sure you
can show at least some concern for the mice too.
 
Marie
[Posted in FML issue 3322]