Melissa wrote:
 
>So, the point of the post..  would it be 'right' to purchase this
>sable and try to see that he's being taken care of, or not?  I know
>that the common advice is to adopt from a shelter, and that I'll have
>to make my own decision in the end, but getting general opinions might
>help me make a decision I can be happy with.
 
The sad truth is that buying a ferret from a bad pet store only encourages
the store to get more ferrets in.  We made that mistake when we were new
owners, and yes, we took ferrets out of a bad situation.  That didn't
stop the store from getting more in, 20 at a time no less.  We can't save
them all.
 
If people refuse to give any money to bad pet stores, they are forced to
change not to go out of business.  No, that doesn't help the poor babies
there now.
 
*If* there is obvious abuse or neglect, and in most states a total lack
of food and malnourishment would qualify, a call to animal control and/or
the humane society is probably a better approach to the situation you
describe.  That *may* force the store to change.
 
It's absolutely heartbreaking the way ferrets are kept in some pet stores.
OTOH, I know of a few where the owners and staff are ferret-knowledgeable
and do an outstanding job.  For every good one, though, there seem to be
three or four bad ones.
 
All the best,
Caity and the notorious nine
[Posted in FML issue 3818]