To whom it may concern,
 
I for one am getting a bit naffed off with some of the so called advice and
comments coming from an area of the US.
 
For starters us Englanders do not muzzle or cope our working ferrets, a well
fed ferret might 'kill-down' but it won't usually eat the kill.  The use of
an electronic ferret locator will give an experienced user an idea of what
is happening underground.  If a ferret stays in one spot for a while a bit
of spade work will generally produce a rabbit and a ferret or even several
rabbits backed-up into a stop.  A working ferret that is muzzled could end
up seriously injured if it is unable to defend itself.  That's enough about
the hunting side.
 
My ferrets also do PR work where they meet the great British public - Spooky
my large albino jill is one of my best PR ferrets, she has been cuddled by
the Lord Mayor of the City of York, has appear on TV and more importantly
been cuddled kissed and returned kisses to children and babies.  Heaps of
proud parents have taken photographs of Spooky with their children, Spooky's
head has been right next to the childs face - Kurt, one of my hunters (he
has killed rabbits) is another ferret I would trust with any child, Bumper
is another right softy.  However, I do have ferrets that I wouldn't trust
with anyone.  Sindy and T.D.  just do not get taken out of their cages at PR
shows.
 
Sindy is a bad biter, perhaps when she's been neutered she may calm down but
until then she gets a flick on the nose, or offered a knuckle to chomp on,
she gets rather confused when a knuckle is pushed further into her mouth - I
hastened to add not far enough to hurt or choke her.  I think the idea of a
figure of 8 harness is deplorable, I don't like that kind of harness in the
first place, I much prefer the H type.  A friend of mine who runs another
ferret welfare rescued a ferret that had been fitted with a figure of 8
type, the ferret had grown but the harness hadn't be altered - the ferret
had to have surgery to remove the harness which had cut into the skin and
flesh!
 
Running a rescue I don't breed ferrets but have all the hobs neutered ASAP,
the jills can be kept in check with the use of a vasectomised hob, however,
as soon as I get enough cash the jills will also be neutered.  I don't like
the idea of hobs having to live solitary lives when they are 'in season'.
 
My ferrets are fed a diet of dry cat food, day old chicks, rabbit (whole
carcase) when I can get it, the occasional egg and maybe, as a special
treat, a drop of watered down milk.  Out of 49 ferrets I have lost 1 to
lymphosarcoma.  Cameron has an enlarged spleen, he's about 8 y.o.  and Bill,
probably about 6 or 7 y.o.  has some sort of a problem with either his liver
or kidneys but both of them still enjoy life.  I don't know the history of
any of my ferrets as they are all rescues.
 
I do attend a couple of shows a year - our shows in the UK are rather more
free and easy than in the US - we don't have exact colour standards; just
albino, polecat, sandy and coloured - the coloured class being anything that
isn't covered by the other 3 classes.  The other classes being kit, veteran
(6 y.o and over) and personality/disabled.  I show my ferrets for the fun of
it, if they get placed I'm over the moon but if they don't that's ok as
well!
 
I have had the pleasure of judging at a show, the only advice I was given
about how to judge was "At the end of the day it's the ferret that you'd
most like to take home!" I must have got it right because when it came to
pick the best albino the hob I'd placed first beat the jill.
 
I'm not sure what the difference is between a sissy and a real ferret - in
my book a ferret is a ferret is a ferret.  A ferret is a free spirit, I
haven't bothered teaching mine tricks, I don't get too worried about them no
using litter trays, I've solved that problem, no carpets.  It's far easier
to clean up and then mop after the ferrets have gone to bed.  I don't get
stressed out, the ferrets don't get stressed out.
 
Actually one theory put forward about Sindy really wanting to bite Ron is
that he's diabetic, she's also chomped another diabetic that has held her.
Could there be something about the smell of the skin of a diabetic person?
 
[log in to unmask]
http://www.btinternet.com/~sheila/ferrets.htm (updated 28th Nov)
Bolton Ferret Welfare & Newsletter Editor of the
National Ferret Welfare Society of the UK
The opinions expressed by me are not necessarily those of the NFWS
[Posted in FML issue 2139]