Oo, ouch, Pam, your treading on dangerous soil there!  (I'm not picking on you
today, honest!).  While I agree that the origin of each ferret should be
included in this proposed collection of data, and I *know* you said `in [your]
experience', I don't think it's fair to state that pet store ferrets have such
a short lifespan compared to breeder ferrets.  How many different pet stores?
How many different breeders?  How many different areas of the country?  How
many other confounding factors might there be?  What's your sample?  20, 30,
50, 100?  If it's getting up to 50-100 and you can show me some written data,
I might start to believe you, but I have *long* believed that this stuff about
MF et al.  ferrets getting sick and dying younger has been a bunch of bunk.  I
could be *totally* wrong.  And if so I'll gladly admit it.  But I'd like
something concrete first.  I've said it before and I'll say it again: studies
have shown *no* adverse effects of early spay/neuter on dogs and cats, and
there is *no* prove whatsoever that the same is not true for ferrets.  Again
though, they are not small cats or dogs and maybe there *is* a problem with
early spay/neuter.  But no fair writing an opinion as if it's fact.  If you
can back it up with some pretty hefty numbers of ferrets from a pretty varied
pool, well, cool, you may make a believer of me.  But if not, let's not jump
to conclusions.  Just MHO, as usual :) .
 
Laura
[Posted in FML issue 1155]