Sheena and other mink interested people,
 
I'm a little bit behind on the FML, but the key work here is domestic vs
domesticated.  the ranch mink are considered domestic in the sense that they
were raised in a confined environment inside this contenent.  they have not
been domesticated (genetically enginered to be of service to man).  Horses,
cows, sheep, goats, dogs, cats, ferrets - have all been domesticated.
 
True, ranch mink have been bred to improve coats and colors, but they are
not a service animal.  They will not take orders or perform commands.  If
our ferrets would listen to us more, they might be easier to show to
"officials" that they are truly domesticated.  Selective hearing can be
awful!
 
On a side note - they make lousy pets - I had two here (all mink have the
white chin patch).  They bond to one person, have the ability to get
everywhere a ferret and a cat can climb, and have no grace or respect for
personal items of value.  And to to genetics, you CAN NOT cross breed a
ferrret with a mink, a ferret with a black-footed ferret, or a mink with a
weasel.  Now you CAN breed a Siberian Polecat with a ferret or a BFF,
because the Siberian Ferret is an ancestor of both.  Siberian ferrets
crossed the once existing Alaskan land bridge to the Americas to develop
into BFF.  Siberian ferrets are relatives of Chinese Polecats and European
Polecats, the closest relative of our domestic pet ferret.
 
Pam Grant
[Posted in FML issue 1388]