>Note however, that in the earliest version of the King James Bible, it is
>strictly forbidden to eat a ferret.  God says that's a "no-no."  For human
>beings that is.  The badger, coyote, lynx, cougar, fox, wolf, raptor birds
>of prey, and even a bear will kill and eat a ferret when they can catch
>one, so I guess they must be "tasty" to these animals.
 
I know a lot of people are going to freak out about this--as usual.  But I
don't see why it shouldn't be discussed.  No, I don't think ferrets should
be killed and eaten.  Just thought I should say that up front.  Of course,
I don't particularly think any animals should be killed and eaten, but
that's another issue entirely.
 
Okay, so I'm not entirely neutral on this subject--I don't eat any meat
at all.  But if I did, it would be as likely to be squirrel as cow. :-)
Seriously, though--I highly doubt a ferret would taste like a squirrel;
squirrels are basically herbivores, and ferrets are carnivores with a bit
of a scavenger side--like coyotes, or wolverines, or badgers.  Humans don't
usually eat meat-eaters; they don't taste as good... or something like
that.  I believe that their meat is also not as nutritious, although I
don't remember why.
 
As for this whole Marshall Farms/breeding animals argument--I essentially
agree with Bill Killian.  I'd like to be able to view the conditions there,
but since I don't have that option, I prefer to keep an open mind.
 
As someone who has raised a litter or two of kittens and is planning on
breeding some to sell, I don't see why on earth I shouldn't make a profit
for doing so.  If it were possible to earn a living breeding and raising
quality pets--animals that are well socialized, come from good genetic
stock, and are likely to be healthy--we would have more breeders doing so.
The problem isn't the breeders--small OR large--that are doing their best
to produce good companion animals.  The problem is mostly that backyard
breeders--"puppy mills"--can turn out more animals, faster, and with much,
much less work.  It takes WORK to carefully socialize a baby animal--
ferret, cat, dog, or human.  It takes a lot of work to give each one
affection and attention so that they'll be affectionate later in life.
For most of us (including me!) it's a labor of love.
 
My real question is this: if I, say, breed my Siamese and produce a litter
of kittens every year, raise them to be excellent companion pets who thrive
in a variety of situations, and do my best to make sure they're emotionally
as well as physically healthy--why on earth would it be wrong for me to
make a profit doing so?
 
Jen and the Crazy Business
[Posted in FML issue 2716]