Hi there,
Just a quick response to Pam Greene's observations on ferrets in the UK
being mainly used for hunting, after reading one of James McKay's books on
the subject.  This is indeed the case, I do know of a few pet ferret owners,
but most are kept as working animals for the hunting of rabbits.  However, I
guess that many lead double lives, as ours do, being great pets (as you all
know) and also hunting.  Infact, I think that treating a hunting ferret as a
pet is a great help as she will come back to you when called and also won't
bite!!!
 
Ours really enjoy hunting and vibrate madly and bottle-brush their tails
when the detector collars are brought out (these are used to find the ferret
should she get lost underground).  I do not put them directly into the
rabbit holes but put them nearby, they then select which hole to go down, as
they can smell which ones are occupied.
 
Anyway, if you are interested in the use of ferrets in hunting I have
written a web page that may be found at
 
http://www.warwick.ac.uk/~phrrv/ferret.html
 
If anyone cannot access it I can email them a copy.
 
On the subject of James McKay, he has done a great deal in the UK to promote
ferret welfare, both for hunting and as pets and he often runs a huge stall
at country shows explaining the needs of ferrets and how friendly they are.
Ferrets in the UK have had a very bad press in recent years and he has done
alot to counter this.  A useful point to UK owners (of pet and working
ferts) is that he has compiled a list of ferret friendly vets as most UK
vets have never seen a ferret!!  If anyone needs a copy of this list I can
give them the address.
 
Graham (snowball and snowflake say dook dook)
 
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[Posted in FML issue 1446]