I rarely say anything about my opinions or those of others, but you, you
deserve every word of anger you have stirred me to type.  I gave it a few
days to tone things down a bit.  Here is what I came up with.
 
How dare you come to a list, of thousands of people who come together for
the benefit of ferrets and their people, and DARE tell them what to say
and how to say it!?  You are not the moderator of this group and the
purpose of this list is NOT just for ferret medical information.  It is
a place for all things ferrety.  Sadly it often includes comments from
people who are insensitive to the feelings of others, such as you.
 
I am fortunate to have a human child.  A brilliant, gifted, ten year old
son.  But, being a human child, he lies, cheats, sneaks, uses people,
complains, and is cruel sometimes, even though he has been taught better.
I love him anyway.  He is my only child and probably always will be.
 
I long to have more children.  It probably won't happen, my significant
other is sterile and I don't see our relationship ending.  So, where do
I apply all my motherly feelings?  I have more love than one child can
absorb.  My furchildren bear the brunt of my affection.  I love my
ferrets EVERY BIT as much as my true son.  GASP!  HORRORS!  They give me
unconditional love, they never lie, or say or do something to hurt me on
purpose.  They do not know better than to steal and sneak.  Humans do.
The animals here often seem to come first, because they are helpless.
They cannot open their cages to play, feed and water themselves.  If I'm
cleaning cages and my son wants a snack, he can open the potato chips and
get a lemonade himself.  he has fingers, on hands with opposable thumbs.
He knows how to do these things.  Sometimes dinner is late because I am
feeding and watering the 60+ ferrets I am blessed to care for, or walking
our dogs or the rescue dogs.  Big deal.  But if there is a fire, my son
will be sent outside first, his arms full of ferrets if possible.  When
we get tornado warnings, he is sent to the basement with his arms full of
ferrets from upstairs, I get the rest myself.  I know what I have do to.
I know that humans should come first in such situations.  But I will not
agonize any less should a fuzzie in my care be lost in a catastrophe,
than if it were my son Todd.  My home is filled with fur children, not
all of my own.  I live in the country on nearly four acres, with an
enormous house and the ferrets have their own room.  I love furry
critters so much, that I take in other peoples unwanted ones, dogs, cats,
and ferrets.  I strive to make up for those who think of them as objects
and do not even give them the basic respect of another life form with
rights of their own.  a human becomes bitter when oppressed, abused,
neglected.  I've had ferrets who were subjected to all of those, biting
the hands that hurt them.  They came to my home, climbed into my lap,
kissed my face and went to sleep in my arms.  They know.  They know and
feel more than you think.  They deserve a place of their own in the
heavens, and they all have their own place at the base of the rainbow
bridge.  Heaven for them is love, security, and no need to hunt or be
hunted.  I believe, and many others as well, that we will all be reunited
when we pass away.  We will meet our beloved furchildren at the Bridge.
Believe what you want, it's your right.  You have every right to state
your opinion, but we have a right to express ourselves on this list too,
and since we are in America, and the right to say what we want.  You
don't have to agree, but you do have to accept.  Even if you think it's
wrong.
 
I feed mice to some of my ferrets.  I have ferrets who like them.  Living
by 600+acres of soybeans and corn, we have more than our fair share of
these critters.  My cats hunt them.  That's why I have two.  But
sometimes I catch them, and when I do, I feed them to the chickens if I'm
upstairs, if downstairs, they go to Guinness.  I am kind, I stun them
first so they do not feel their deaths.  Guinness is a second generation
hunter.  His daddy likes them too.  It is natural for them.  I eat cows
chickens and pigs.  I had a snake (forgive me, Arlene, my dear friend who
hates to hear this as she has pet rats too) who I fed rats to.  The
parents were my pets, their children fed my snake.  It was something one
must face to properly care for a snake.  It had to eat.  I fed it it's
natural prey.  Weezer and Mo' (parent rats) were loved by me very much
and spoiled all their lives.  But must we apologize to cricket keepers
in China for feeding those insects to our bearded dragons too?  no.  Do
we apologize to the Hindu's for eating their sacred animal, cattle?  No.
The world is a place of wondrous variety.  I like it that way.  And to
quote a great American patriot (Patrick Henry I believe) "I may not agree
with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"
or something to that effect anyway.  It's been a long time since history
class <G>
 
So you've had your say, and everyone else will pipe in here too, I know
I'm not the first.  but majority vote will show that your expression will
not change how this list is operated.  Go to the FHL if you want only
medical information.  But if you wish to expand your thinking and broaden
your world, stay here and join our community of ferret "fanatics."  We
are passionate about our babies, hairy ones, too.
 
Kim Wolf
Mystyx Samoyeds, Ferrets and Rescue
www.mystyxcritters.com
www.mystyxrescue.petfinder.org
[Posted in FML issue 3907]