Mustang Charlie wrote:
>I am familiar with ferret kits from Path Valley  etc.....
 
I can only speak from the experience I have with Path Valley.  I have two
gorgeous ferrets that were obtained when they were kits that are Path
Valley.  One is a beautiful Marked White that I am considering entering in
the Florida Ferret show.  The second is a good looking Sable Siamese.  They
are both and have always been good boys.  They never nipped more then my MF
kids.  BUT I have to agree the MF has beautiful and well socialized kits
and my reason for suggesting that people urge stores to sell (if they are
selling and will be continuing to sell) ferrets from a pets only breeder..
to make a point to MF that their ferrets deserve better then what they are
handed by MF.
 
I fully agree with MC that we are not going to stop pet stores for selling
animals and that was why my main point was NOT to boycott MF ferrets but to
boycott MF pet food and supplies.  That way MF could be made aware of what
ferret owners find so hard to accept about the ferrets that remain as
breeders or the ferrets that are sold to labs.  They could feel the loss
of revenue from sales of their food, and supplies and no one would have to
feel that IF they wanted the MF kit in the store that they were selling
out.  I would never bypass a kit no matter where it came from if I felt it
needed a home NOW, or if I wanted it... It is time not to feel that if you
get a pet store kit that you have to apologize.  I also have ferrets from
shelters.
 
Bill Killian wrote:
>Then we have to say you are wrong..........
 
First off I didn't say anything about research on ferrets for ferrets.
 
Second I will again say that most medical research on ferrets is for
convenience products.  No matter how much nutra sweet you pump into a
ferret it does not prove a thing..  (thus my comment on providing a check)
The labs that MF solicits in their ads for the perfect lab animals are not
labs to improve the lives of ferrets.
 
I am sure you know "only good" lab people.  How many of the multitudes of
lab workers are you friends or at least that you have inside information
about their motives.
 
Are the medical schools that use ferrets to teach intabation also doing the
ferrets a service?  Seems that a ferret isn't willing being intabated over
and over just because it is a great service to the ferret community.
 
One question Zen.... are you willing to sell your kits to a lab to further
the research for ferret diseases?  And how about to a lab to study the
effects of God knows what chemical at huge concentrations?
 
Candy I couldn't agree with you more.
 
Maureen
[Posted in FML issue 2960]