Matt,
 
        Thanks for correcting me on the proposed Utah law.  The reason I said
what I did was because it seemed to me (though perhaps I missed an issue)
that somebody asked whether the Utah rumour was true, and nobody answered.
I'm sorry it's true, though proposing that all ferrets be i.d.'d is better
than making them illegal.  What is it supposed to accomplish?  And why only
for ferrets?  Why see how it works in ferrets first instead of dogs or cats?
Because there are fewer?  I still don't understand.  Incidentally, by `the
government' I kind of meant national, not Utah specifically.  Gerry kinda
sounded like the whole think was some sort of an evil `big brother is
watching you' sort of scenario.  (Though I understand your concern Gerry!)
 
Amy in MA,
 
        I'm sure you've inspired hundreds of posts, but I'll say it anyway --
if you're angle on ferrets is to compare them as pets to in the wild, you may
want to change your topic.  That scenario doesn't exist!  The only wild
ferret is the Black-footed Ferret (Mustela nigripes) -- one of the most
endangered mammals in North America.  There are no pets of this species --
they are endangered and are being bred in captivity in the hopes of being
released back into the wild.
 
        The domestic ferret is a completely different species (Mustela
putorius furo) and has been domesticated for thousands of years.  Unlike
cats, there are no feral (wild) colonies -- they just don't do well outside
of captivity.  Most, if not all, die if they get lost from their homes,
because they don't know where to go to stay warm/cool and dry, or where to
look for food.
 
        I happen to be doing a paper on the Black-footed Ferret myself, and I
might just compare it to the domestic ferret (it's for an exotic animal
hubandry class).  If I can help, drop me a line personally.
 
Laura
 
Laura L'Heureux Kupkee
U. of Illinois Vet Med Class of `96
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[Posted in FML issue 1000]