I am way behind, but have a few comments.
 
Allergies - I do one other thing in addition to the HEPA vaccuum bags and
HEPA filters in the house.  Having a canister vac, I point the exhuast of the
vac toward the HEPA filter for a 2nd chance at catching dust.  This involves
dragging around two things when you vaccuum, but I find it works.
 
Breeder's Ethics - Bill, I sorry to say that I am not surprised about what
you have seen and heard.  I have heard similar, just look at the post after
yours.  Baby has diareaha and bad case of fleas.  I don't see how a breeder
could miss either.
 
Would like to suggust to potential owners, to look closely at both the babies
you are thinking of adopting AND THE ADULTS in the house.  In my opinion (BIG
start editing here if you want), a big red flag should go up in your mind if
you see problems or if the breeder won't let you see the adults.  Handle an
adult, look at the temperment of the parents, look for fleas, look in the
litter boxes, look at the food being used, ask questions, get references.
Afterall, you are going to pay your good money for a baby you hope to keep
for a number of years.
 
The bottom line is that people adopting babies decide who will be a breeder.
Get your babies from the good breeders and not the bad.   As hard as it may
be, walk away from a bad breeder and the babies.  By buying their babies, you
allow them to keep breeding.  Keep in mind that YOU DESERVE AND SHOULD DEMAND
a healthy, well-manered baby. Everyone on the FML is well educated about
ferrets, you know what should and shouldn't be going on in a breeder's house
even if you aren't one.  (Of course this poses the problem of what else do
you do when you find what you think is a bad breeder.)
 
The baby may cost more from a good breeder (I am told often that mine do).
Ask why.  Look at what the breeder offers.  In my opinion (again) there
should be some money back time frame, appropriate distemper shots should be
included, some agreement about spay/nueter should be included, and some
health guarentee should be included.  You should find that this offsets the
higher prices.
 
Age of kit when adopted - This may be a bombshell but I am going to throw it
anyway while we are on the subject.  I have seen a numer of cases on the FML
when someone has gotten a baby from a breeder at 4 weeks or so.  I would like
to suggest that you leave the baby with his/her mom until she desides that it
is time to stop nursing.  (A person who gets a baby from a pet does not have
this option that is available with a breeder.)  Most of my moms nurse until
the babies are 6-7.5 weeks old (it seems, the larger the litter the earlier
the wean).   I have the feeling that some of the size difference we see with
the pet store ferrets that is attributed to the early spay/neuter may be
caused by not letting the baby nurse long enough.  The gods designed mom's
milk to be the best thing for a growing baby (human or ferret).  It contains
anti-bodies and guarenteed proper nutrition for the baby. Why would you give
the baby something else instead?  Now don't get me wrong, I do supplement the
babies with mush when they start getting into mom's food bowl, but they still
nurse while they eat mush.  I point out that I have no scientific evidence of
this theory and could be way off base.  Then again, don't I see why some
breeders don't let kits go until they are 10, 11, 12, 14, or 16 weeks old
like some I know.  FYI - We let kits go when they are 8 weeks old so 1) we
know they are done nursing and 2) we can include the first distemper shot.
 
I guess it boils down to each breeder has reasons (or should have reasons)
for what they do.  Ask about them.  Make sure that you agree with or at least
accept the breeder's policies.
 
I know Mitch has more comments on this subject, so there will be another
post.
 
-Kathleen Cheeseman
1/2 of Dancing Bottom Ferrets
Woodbridge, VA
[Posted in FML issue 1282]