Hi all,
 
Ferrets here in the UK are indeed very cheap, and frequently free.  Many
owners still breed from their jills every year, although the practice of
keeping a vasectomised hob to bring the jills out of season is getting more
widespread.  Sadly, many owners, simply let their ferts die rather than
visit the vet.  In the past there were many very cruel practices, such as
extracting the teeth (or rather snapping them with pliers) or sewing up the
lips, mostly aimed at preventing the ferret killing a rabbit underground.
Unfortunately, there are still occurrances of this type of illegal
behaviour, though thankfully they are few and far apart.
 
Despite these horrific practices, there have always been those who cared for
their charges, I still find it strange when talking to elderly ex-keepers or
hunters (or poachers) who are otherwise as hard as nails, how much affection
they have for ferrets.  There are always stories of "old Sam" the wonder
ferret, who could clear a bury of rabbits, never layed up (killed
underground and then stayed for the feast) and then travelled home in the
owners pocket whilst he cycled through the snow!  But for every wonder
ferret there was probably a catalogue of cruelty elsewhere.
 
Luckily times have changed, apart from a few die hards, most hunters have
realised that a ferret does not need to be aggressive to work well, and that
a tame animal that comes when it is called is a pleasure to own and work.
 
There is no reason why a working ferret and a pet ferret should not be the
same animal.  We frequently work our ferrets, and have them in the house,
curled on our laps, as pets.  I feel that treating them like this results
better hunters, as they play very much more actively than those kept in
small cages and are therefore fitter.  They also have much less tendancy to
lay-up.  But then I would say that, wouldn't I, as ALL my ferrets are
"Wonder Ferrets" :-)
 
Graham
http://www.warwick.ac.uk/~phrrv/ferret.html
"the hunting ferret"
[Posted in FML issue 1640]