You know, I haven't been on the FML for very long.  I live in an area that
has no private breeders advertising their ferrets for sale.  If you want a
ferret and don't know about purchasing online, or are afraid of having the
ferret shipped to you, buying from a Pet Shop (usually a Hagen ferret where
I live) is really the only option.  We have 6 ferts now and I love them all
dearly.  We bought kits and adopted abandonned ferts, even sick ones.  We
do our best in an area that really has little support for ferret-owners
here.  We bought Hagen ferrets and I have to say it was the only way we
were to get a ferret here (being unaware of breeders elsewhere - I didn't
even have the internet then!)
 
A while back a lister posted an enquiry about Canadian Ferrets and asked
if anyone else had any and were they more prone to be aggresive as kits,
biters.  I have six and have noted that they were fairly aggressive at
first, and did nip a lot.  We did, with love and NO SCRUFFING, train them
to be more gentle and all of them are sweet as can be now.  But, I
understood where the lister may have encountered some more aggressive
kits/ferts from Canada and that she just needed some advice, or just an ear
to listen to her.  I replied on the FML and metionned that in MY
EXPERIENCE, my Canadian ferrets were more aggressive when they first came
into our home.  I did not say ALL Canadian ferrets, nor did I belittle any
Canadian breeders of ferrets, other than mentionning that Hagen had been
the breeder of the ferts that I purchased/adopted, so I could only really
remark on their personalities that I had experienced first-hand.  I
jokingly mentionned, in terms anyone with a glimmer of a sense of humour
would recognize, that perhaps it was the cold climate in Canada that caused
the aggressive nipping.  Knowing full-well that most of Canada has the same
climate as the Northern US States...
 
I received a nasty flame from an aggressive Canadian breeder of ferrets
that suggested I read a book on Canada before making comments about the
climate.  That I was giving Canadian breeders a bad name and their ferrets
a bad rep.  Which I replied to with the same kind understanding as was
shown to me by this fine example of a (THIS) Canadian ferret breeder!
 
I mentionned that I was a Canadian, first of all.  That I was speaking only
for that which I had knowledge of and that it was only my opinion, which
even though others may choose to disagree with it, I'm still entitled to!
I mentioned that the climes in Quebec might vary greatly from those she
experienced in BC.  But mostly, I just commented on how little compassion,
and how strong an urge to flame, was shown to me by this breeder.  I am
not one to mince words and if I'd chosen to comment negatively about ALL
Canadian breeders, I'd have done so, without any qualms!
 
My point is that it seems really sad to me that this wonderful list is
being torn apart by people who should learn to count to 10 before they
flame, and preferably to 100 most times!  That perhaps some listers should
not take everything so seriously and as a personal insult.  That Bob should
be entitled to his opinion, as should I, and that we should be allowed to
express them on this list if we feel it serves a community purpose.  I may
not agree with all of the sentiments posted to this list, but I do not
flame the individual ON or OFF the list!  We are supposed to be here to
help and support each other, to share information about the care and
medical issues of our most beloved fuzzbutts!  We should perhaps wave the
olive branch and begin afresh with a compassionate acceptance that we don't
all have to have the same opinion to get along, and...we should all feel
able to post to this list without fear of flaming of ANY SORT!  Flaming is
hardly a mature way to handle a difference of opinion.
 
We live in a society that believes in freedom of speech.  We are from
countries that fought for the very freedoms that enable us to freely
discuss our varied opinions.  We need this forum to discuss important
ferret-related issues, let's not destroy a good thing, please.
 
Carrie and the furgang
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[Posted in FML issue 2790]