Ferrets do NOT get human rhinoviruses (the virus which causes true
"colds").  That is well established by study and you should not take my
word for it.  Look for past posts by the veterinary pathologist, Dr.
Bruce Williams and in texts.
 
"Colds" is a term humans often also generalize apply to sinus infections
(which are bacterial) and to mild cases of influenza.  The first is VERY
common and the second also occurs.  Ferrets do NOT get the rhinoviruses,
but they DO get some types of sinus infection and influenza.  Since each
is very different type of disease with different implications and
treatments, and since sinus infections and influenza can be worse than
rhinovirus colds it is important to understand and acknowledge the
differences among these infections.
 
If you show cold-like symptoms, please, DO realize that it could instead
be a sinus infection or influenza and do reduce interactions, wash hands
a LOT, do not let them kiss your face, etc.  BTW, if you are getting a
lot of "colds" do get checked in case you actually have persistent sinus
infections and perhaps sinus polyps.
 
Heat can: I didn't notice any provision for possible overheating since
heat rises.  Have you checked with a fire marshall to find out how to
make sure some variant of this is fire-safe enough?  Don't want you
having problems which might be able to be avoided.  It may be that just
punching enough holes in the top and having a well designed holder --
all kept far from anything flammable like bedding or litter or litter
dust would suffice, but I am far from an expert on such matters.  Fire
is just too serious a problem to take chances.
 
The angora ferrets you see do not include the malformed ones which are
not sold, but according to people I trust there is an uncomfortable rate
of skull and nasal malformations in the variant and the consequences of
such malformations.  There is more on this in past posts in the
Ferret-Genetics list and elsewhere.
 
Yes, I realize that genetically these are "variants".  I use terms like
"defects" and "malformations" when the consequences to health, longevity
and/or quality of life can be greatly negative for the individual -- and
what is not negative or is negative for the individual can be sometimes
surprising to outsiders unless people ask the individuals.  Medically and
practically I think that is an acceptable use, just as I consider
dwarfism without negative health results just a variant just as so many
very other variations among humans are from hair coloration to nose size,
but when there is a form of dwarfism which also causes terrible cartilage
trouble and horrible pain I consider that specific variation to also be
a malformation BECAUSE it forces great suffering upon the individual.
For ferrets -- as for humans -- some skull variations cause painful or
limiting medical concerns, and nasal openings which are too small
increase infection risk and pose other problems, so I don't think that
the angora variant makes any more sense to breed than the neural crest
variations which can cause mandibular malformations, intestinal woes,
perhaps reduced litter size and some young deaths if cardiac neural crest
disorders also happen in ferrets, possibly reduced life spans, deafness,
etc.  So, something can be a variant and not have medical results: no
reduction of lifespan, no pain, etc, BUT it is also possible that some
variants do have bad health results and when breeding for a given variant
repeatedly winds up causing a portion of the resulting kits to have
health problems then it does not make sense to breed that variant because
doing so forces some ferrets to suffer needlessly.  This is why keeping
records is so important for responsible breeding and why culling through
sterilization is so important when serious problems are found.
 
If it seems that I am touchy on this topic then remember that Steve and
I have a history of having adopted such impaired individuals.  Once you
know what it is like to be reduced to tears repeatedly trying anything
possible to give such ferrets a chance at a decent life and as much of it
as they can survive then you know well what the forgotten ones who don't
make it to the sales floor go through.  One of them, Scooter, died in my
arms earlier this year after he asked to be held, with a sigh and a rush
of blood when his malformed stomach literally gave out and shredded
itself.  (He made it as long as he did, even though he died too young,
because of 4 previous stomach surgeries and 2 to one hand, but his
stomach simply wasn't any longer repairable.)
 
There IS suffering which is needless and avoidable for some ferrets and
too much of it involves selecting for appearances despite knowing about
a number of kits result with health problems.  That is a world away from
two human folks in love having kids.  In the case of the ferrets it is
matter of a human deciding to select which ferret breeds with whom for an
appearance despite the harm it too often does to the resulting ferrets,
and that isn't a loving action.
[Posted in FML issue 4330]