Betty wrote a very good combined post, and mentioned:
 
>5. Breeders:  It is rare that a breeder would take one of its adoptees
>back but it does happen.  The animal is sold for the second time and
>depending on what condition the animal comes back to them as, and its age,
>etc., is dependent on what price is finally compromised on.  Being the
>main source or a supplementary source of income makes really no
>difference. Living creatures are involved here.  On a business based on
>supply and demand I personally can't see justification for it, although
>some of you would think me hypocritical for recently purchasing 2 kits
>from pet store. Whatever my justifications for going this route, they
>would and could be misconstrued to fit any argument.  (I saw a recent
>posting on a jill who died during surgery to remove the dead kits inside
>of her.  One of the responses was something to the effect of knowing what
>the risks were involved in breeding jills.  But if one is in the business
>of breeding ferrets I guess it's just considered a temporary set back.)
 
I'll go over this part of the post in pieces, since you mention several
things here.  First: every small breeder that I know of will take back
ferrets that cannot stay with their new homes for whatever reason.  I
personally send out my kits with information, including my email address,
phone number and address so that people can contact me when and if
required.  I know of many other breeders who do the same.  If someone wants
to return a kit for some reason, I am more than willing to take back the
ferret, whether it be three weeks or three years later.  I can't answer for
large breeders on this score, but the smaller breeders I know of all have
the same policy.  I have received back two ferrets in the time I've been
breeding.  One from a family who loved their ferret but could no longer
care for her, and another who was bought by a couple - the husband had
previously owned ferrets before, the wife had agreed to bringing one home,
but found she couldn't live with a ferret in the house.  I did not sell
either of these ferrets again, for both, I kept them until a new home was
found, and they were given to their new owners.  What the policy is for
other breeders, I don't know, but this is my personal policy.
 
As far as income, whether primary or supplementary... uh... excuse me, but
getting any "income" from breeding is a joke.  Unless it's someone like
Path Valley or Marshall Farms, there IS no profit to be made in breeding.
The only 'profit' made in breeding is the personal emotional and
psychological profit - of watching the jills as they care for their kits,
the kits as they grow, and each individual temperament gradually appearing
as those kits grow older.  There is never any single kit the same as
another one, every one is just a little different, and that is a learning
experience in itself.
 
About the jill who died... She was mine.  She was not a "breeding ferret"
in the way you're mentioning in this post.  Slinky was loved as an
individual.  Until her death I had a huge breeding circle of three (3)
jills.  Now, I have two.  Will Slinky's death stop me from breeding?  No,
it won't.  What happened to her was not 'common', and her death would
merely be compounded if I stopped doing what little breeding I do.  I
pride myself on having healthy, happy kits and adults.  I have never had
a complaint about my kits, except as a "your ferret got into...." type of
complaint (which is more along the lines of the owner feeling exasperated
by the ferret getting into something they weren't supposed to, as all
ferret owners have experienced at some stage) Yes, there are risks of
complications in breeding, there are also risks of complications in keeping
ferrets.  However, I am aware that I am blessed with no worries of adrenal,
lymphosarcoma, insulinoma, or cardiomyopathy.  If this is genetic, (which I
personally believe these are not, but it may be a factor) then is breeding
from these animals wrong?
 
You had a very good post, I'll admit, I agree with most of it, but not all
breeders are big breeders.  Not all shelters are big shelters, nor will
they be deliberately piling up the numbers to gain sympathy and funds.  For
those breeders (such as Marshall Farms, Triple F, Path Valley, Hagen and
more) that make profit from their breeding, then the loss of one jill
probably won't hit as hard as my own personal loss of Slinky.
 
Personally, I found this post somewhat hurtful and also maddening.  Most
of the breeders I know of would likely agree with me.  We wouldn't breed
ferrets if we didn't love them, and we definitely do not treat them as
"objects" or merely a form of currency, as you seem to infer here.
 
Maybe I'm reacting somewhat quickly because in reality, what I read from
your post with your mention of my ferrets' death is that you feel that I
treat my ferrets in this manner, and that her death meant nothing to me
except as a loss of income.  It's kinda hard to respond reasonably while
your heart is in your throat, and mine still is there, so if I've offended
you I apologise here and now.  However, I mean what I'm saying here.  I
love my ferrets, they're as much a part of my family as any of the human
members, in fact more than some!  Do not automatically assume that just
because someone breeds ferrets that they do not care for them as your would
care for your own.
 
Hopefully, this response will help you, and others, understand that unlike
"opinion" breeders do love their animals, especially smaller breeders.  We
wouldn't be doing it otherwise, since we lose money, sleep, time, and are
also caused frustration, worry and sometimes pain.  I'll sign off here,
since I know if I say more, poor BIG will be forced to reject this post.
 
Sam
[Posted in FML issue 2517]