> On Wed, 10 Aug 1994, Ferret Mailing List wrote:
 
> >         1. Each ferret imported or bred for placement, transfer or sale
> > shall be implanted with a microchip and shall be registered with the
 
> WHAT???!!!!!
 
> These guys are more insane than my ferret!
 
> [Not totally.  There is quite a bit of talk about making the identification
> microchips mandatory for cats and dogs too.  Makes it easy to prove
 ownership.]
 
Well, the chipping is bad, but the real problems with the chipping
regulations are threefold, as we see it:
 
1).   required within ten days of birth - A `micro'chip is approximately
the size of a grain of rice. Now, to be honest, I have never seen a
9-day-old ferret, but if I am correct, newborn ferrets are rather SMALL.
Injecting an animal that small with a chip that size (not to mention the
needle!) could very likely kill it - if they made that 12 weeks, I'd feel
a LOT better.
 
[Didn't see an age in the posting.  10 days is rather extreme.]
 
2). while chipping HAS been discussed for other animals, at this point
ONLY ferrets would be required to be chipped (Cats aren't even required
to be licensed!) - if this applies to dogs and cats as well, we'd go
along with it.
 
3). Expense & compatibility  There are currently 7 different microchip
manufacturers in existance, and none of their chips are compatible with the
other company's readers, which are EXPEN$IVE! we have no way to be sure all
pet stores, animal hospitals, Humane societies, animal control agencies,
and veterinarians use the same chips. (and the chips themselves cost $35
on top of the OTHER fees they're trying to stick us with.)
 
So we have legitimate reasons to be against chipping, indeed.
 
Ermine!
 
Matt Ouimette
Utah Ferret Association
 
P.S. - does ANYONE know about the program on ferrets that was shown on
cable recently?  I REALLY would like to get my hands on a copy!
 
[Posted in FML issue 0916]