Hi Linda,
 
I think the important difference between declawing and neutering (I'll
leave descenting out of this for the moment) is that neutering is done
for the health and perhaps the comfort of the animal.
 
In the case of female ferrets, they will become ill and almost always
die (of infection or aplastic anemia) if they are neither bred nor
spayed.  Since we can't breed all female ferrets (breeding ferrets is a
difficult thing to do, BTW) without causing an overpopulation problem,
so that leaves spaying as the healthier option.  I'm pretty sure that
the spaying operation is less risky than a lifetime of giving birth,
too.  (Just like contraception in humans is safer than giving birth.)
 
In the case of male ferrets, they try pretty aggressively to breed during
the spring if they're not neutered.  In Grendel's case, he tried to mate
with a stuffed animal, which seemed pretty frustrating for him.  He was
also too stinky, and scent-marked everything, so we couldn't keep him in
our bedroom without neutering him.  I think he is much happier being
closer to us than he would have been had we banished him to a separate
room instead of neutering him.  It's also a bit dangerous (to the ferrets)
if you keep more than one unaltered male, because at least during the
spring, they would fight to the death if they somehow got together.
 
I can't think of any good health reasons why you would declaw a ferret.
Also, like descenting, I think declawing a ferret deprives it of one of its
few little defenses, should it accidentally get out.  Declawing seems like
something you would do if you didn't know how to reduce a ferret's digging
at something, and there are lots of alternative ways to solve digging
problems.  (Carpet runner, chicken wire, smooth "baby gates", etc.)
 
Of my five ferrets (two "convenience kits" from a pet store), all are
neutered and all but one are descented.  I would not descent a ferret
again unless medically necessary (it was for Boomer, but not for Grendel),
just like I wouldn't buy a convenience kit (neutered and descented around
5 weeks old) again.  I do think the very early neuter and descent might be
easier on the animal than the later operations, but the vets on the list
would know more about that.
 
Are you actually deciding whether to neuter, descent, or declaw an animal?
I don't hear much about ferrets being declawed beyond the discussion on
this list.  (I'm not saying it doesn't happen, just that I haven't ever
met a declawed ferret.)
 
Happy Ferreting!
Dennis
[Posted in FML issue 1366]