People, if you are going to have ferrets as pets take some time to learn
about the long, and fascinating history they call their own.  First of
all, ferrets had such a wide variety of uses before they were called
pets, that I can't go into them all or I would use up my word limit!
 
Ferrets are a fur bearing animal and have long been exploited for their
fur.  Ferret fur is called "FITCH"  Fitch fur was popular because it was
more affordable than mink.  Ferrets are in the weasel family and related
to the mink, martian, sable, otter, fisher, ermine and wolverine.  All
these animals are prized for their valuable pelts.  Because ferrets are
domestic, during the early part of the last century they were commonly
raise on fur farms along with other domestic fur bearing animals.  This
includes domestic mink, fox, chinchilla, and rabbit.  Wild animals were
too difficult to breed large numbers in captivity and therefore only
domestic fur bearers were raised on fur farms.
 
During the latter part of the 20th century fur dropped in popularity due
to the anti-fur campaign, of which I was a part of.  No, I didn't throw
red paint, but I used to put little informational cards in the pockets of
fur coats.  They stated how many animals are killed to make an average
coat and what method they are killed by.  It would politely asked the
buyer to rethink their purchase to stop the suffering.  Because of the
decline in fur prices and fashion, a lot of fur farms went out of
business.  But some just downsized, and concentrated on the money making
mink.  It cost just as much money to bring a mink pelt to prime as it
does a ferret.  They eat the same food and take up the same cage space.
Luckily for our ferret, their pelt is worth LESS then a mink pelt and for
this reason, mink ranches don't usually bother with raising additional
ferrets for fur anymore.  I still wonder how old the pelt was on e-bay.
 
Perhaps some fur farms still raise ferrets to add color and variety to
the number of pelts they, as a farm, produce every year.  Falling under
the word "Domestic" will not stop fur from being sold on e-bay.
 
Unfortunately, it seems there will always be a demand for fur.  Fur
is big business overseas and a lot is exported from the US to other
countries.  Fur is coming back in style again due to the increased
popularity of fake fur.  Some rich women insist on wearing real thing;
and with fake fur in style, they can no longer be subjected to public
ridicule.  It is now very difficult to tell the difference between fake
and real fur; but I will tell you how.  Besides the standard labeling,
real fur is PRISMATIC.  What does that mean, you ask?  Go get your ferret
and with your back to the sun hold your ferret in the natural sunlight
and look really closely at the brightest, shiniest hairs, you see that
iridescent rainbow like sheen on each of the individual long glossy
guard hairs.  As your ferret moves it's almost like a hi-lighted sparkle
across the fur.  Each hair has microscopic scales that become a prism
(prismatic) as the light is reflected back to your eye.  This unique
property is next to impossible to duplicate in fake fur.  Real fur is
also very heavy compared to fake.  OK, I am now talking about a pelt;
(not the warm fuzzy in your hand) real fur will always feel cool to
your hand as you first go to touch it.  Sort of a dead giveaway (pun
intended).
 
We can only hope that as ferrets grow in popularity as pets, the demand
for their fur will end.  But keep in mind, that never helped the rabbit
or chinchilla.  Maybe in the future, domestic fox and mink will become
popular pets too.  I would like to see farms raising them for pets
instead of pelts.  For now, we can keep on doing what Eleanor is doing
by protesting it every time we see it.
 
I remember once seeing a full length Fitch coat when I was a child at a
fur salon in San Francisco.  I knew that Fitch really meant ferrets and
it must have taken approx. 60 - 80 pelts to make it.  I didn't have
ferrets back then.  I had never even seen a live one, only photos and
illustrations, but I knew about ferrets and really wanted one.  It was
pretty much unheard of ferrets being kept as pets back then.  I remember
touching the sleeve of that coat and hoping against hope that one day I
could have and hold the living, breathing owner of such a beautiful pelt.
Yes, fur is beautiful, but only when it is worn by the original owner.
 
Pam
Bandit and Baby - Who are looking very fashionable in their own, home
grown, fur coats.
[Posted in FML issue 4641]