>From:    Eddie Palacios <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: HELP....
>My wife is pregnant and We do not wish to give away or sell our ferrets.
 
Then don't.  The only possible health hazard is in the litter box.  Simple
answer - Eddie cleans litter boxes not Janie.  Problem solved.  Do the same
with the cat's litter box.  It is more known to be a hazard than the ferrets'
incidentally.
 
We had ferrets (dogs and cats) while diane was pregnant with our son
derek.  No problems from the ferrets (or dogs and cats).  Derek went to his
first ferret show at the age of two weeks.  We've had much more trouble with
the dogs around our son as they are less understanding of his small size and
have occaisionally accidentally bumped into him.  He loves the ferrets - see
pictures at our web site and our ftp site for "proof".
ftp://ftp.zenferret.com/pub/ for web browsers to get the ftp pictures.
 
From:    Edward Lipinski <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: DEATH FROM AIDS IN FERRETS?
 
>expressed in plain old simple American english
 
It might be easier to follow your posts if you used this language yourself.
 
But we guess you expected a vet or doctor to assert that a ferret could not
pass along HIV.  Well its never happened.  Its believed to not be able to
happen but it isn't surprising that no doctor or vet was willing to state
unequivocably something that has never been tested.  Its against the
scientific mind to state absolutes where there aren't any.
 
As to what we would have done.  Full disclosure.  If someone didn't want the
ferret - fine.  If they did - likewise fine.  We always disclose what we can
about a ferrets past including why it was turned in to our shelter but
without names of previous owners.
 
>From:    Catherine Shaffer <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Obscure Ferret Reference
>Also, Sukie Crandall suggested that ferrets of fur fitch stock might be more
>likely to bite.  Is there a way to tell if a ferret is fur fitch?  Has
>anyone ever seen a verified fur fitch?  Are there still fitch farms in
>existence in the US?
 
The only difference between pet ferrets and fur ferrets is why they were
bred.  A pet ferrets is (or is supposed to be) bred primarily for the
quality of its personality.  A ferret bred for fur is well bred for the
quality of its fur not its personality.
 
We've never seen a ferret that was bred for its fur.  We've heard that they
are still used to supply hair to be used in paint brushes but thats never
been verified.  We know of no ferret fur farms in the US.  But we also are
not sure there are none.
 
>On biters: a few ferrets may never be suitable pets for families with
>children or the kind of animal you'd want to let strangers handle.
 
We have some ferrets we trust with our baby and we have some we don't.  We
don't recommend the non-American ferrets we've seen for small children as
they tend to be more likely to bite.  Not vicious but just not as sweet as
say Marshall Farms ferrets.
 
>From:    Shari Diane <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Overly aggressive ferts in MI years ago
>Know anything about this Doug McKay breeder in Michigan mentioned by Sean
>Sharpe on Jan. 20?
 
Yes.  He is a kindly trusting old man who breeds very nice ferrets in
Marengo, Ohio.  His son runs a mink farm on the same premisis.  His daughter
is involved as well.  He supplied breeding stock to most of the breeders we
know at some point.  He's most noted for his work in creating what he calls
his Demi Gigas lines (D.G.  was a particlurly nice sable point some years
ago - we have several descendants) Doug supported the GLFA while it was
working to legalize ferrets in Michighan and supplied many of the ferrets to
most of the breeders now in that state.
 
bill and diane killian
zen and the art of ferrets
http://www.zenferret.com/
mailto:[log in to unmask]
[Posted in FML issue 1827]