Jennifer D. Ellis wrote:
>>(...)I have SERIOUS problems with the idea of "improving the breed" by
>>breeding only animals that "conform to the standard."
 
Amy Flemming from Flemming Farms, replied on 23 June:
>While I agree on with what you are saying, I still think a stantard needs
>to be maintained to a point.  (...) I will still continue to look for
>conformation flaws in ferrets that will obstruct the health of the animal.
 
Great post & philosophy Amy!  If most ferret breeders behave like you, the
ferrets will not suffer the fate of several breeds of cats or dogs, where
some physical traits have been exagerated to the point that they cause
health problems (i.e. eyes that produces tears non stop, mother hip so
narrow or baby head so big that ceaserian is a must, nose so flat the pet
does not tolerate hot weather etc...).
 
I wish that written standards of major ferret show organizations will
always favour the ferret well being over what we find "cute".  Since there
are currently no different breeds, lets not create some by attempting to
breed so called "whippet" (tiny ferret) or "bulldog" (with a large head &
short nose I think) ferrets.
 
I really like to cuddle out long silky coated plump ferret but I would not
try to create a line of plump ferrets since it is unhealthy.  I have three
females from the same litter and they have really different body and coat
types: Presto is the only plump one.  I saw a rescued ferret that has a
tiny head, a short body and a large behind and found her really cute, but
her body shape is not common and surely not desirable for ferrets.
 
I love dark eyed white (DEW) and badger ferrets, but shouldn't we attempt
to eliminate the Waardensberg gene from the ferret breeding stock?  I am
convinced that deaf ferrets run a higher risk (than an hearing ferret) to
be abused by impatient inexperienced owners.  Our Boum Boum is a deaf DEW,
we love him but are sometimes annoyed by our unsucessful attempts at
training him not to scratch the plastic rug at the entrance for 10 minutes
or more (being deaf, nothing distracts him and is extremely focused
compared to our other ferrets).
 
Lorraine Tremblay with our well loved but sometimes unhealthy ferrets: Boum
Boum (deaf; will need to get two benign tumors out), Mukluk (fearful of
strangers; play bite is too rough), Pepe La Pew (operated for adrenal
disease, huge abscess and benign skin tumor; broken fang), Piccolo
(operated for adrenal disease; broken fang), Presto (too plump; fearful of
strangers & panicks easily: bite me at her last two vet visits), Qannik
(adrenal disease; takes drug for insulinoma; just grew a wart or benign
tumor), Sanka (operated for adrenal disease; broken fang) & Snoreau (so
far, so good... although he gets tooth tartar more easily than our other
ferrets)
[Posted in FML issue 2721]