I am certainly glad to see that others noticed these posts.  Everyday on
the FML there are posts for ferrets needing homes, some urgent.  Shelters
that are over capacity, the abuse and dumping that irresponsible pet owners
do and posts from people desperately seeking ferret knowledgeable vets in
their area.  Compared to dog and cat research, ferret research is still
in the dark ages.  It has only just begun.  We still do not have a
cause/cure/prevention for many of the things that have long plagued
ferrets:
 
adrenal disease, insulinoma, cardio.  cancer.  We do not have a vaccine for
ECE.  We do not even have a safe distemper vaccine yet and now we have ADV.
It seems like every few years we are adding another disease and we still
don't have cures for many of the old ones.  We still have vets that know
very little about ferrets.  Vets that treat ferrets are scarce and are
often expensive because they are the only one in the area that does so, and
that does not necessarily make them an expert.  Then there are excellent
ferret vets, that are impossible for many people to get to.  You are left
either with owners who cannot afford to treat their pets, or owners who can
and have nowhere to turn.  Are vets in Tennessee and the surrounding areas
ready for this influx of ferrets?  Is this fair to the pet or the owner??
Is what we really need more kits in mass quantities?  The math has been
done.  Where are all these ferrets going to go??  None of the big ferret
farms are going to go out of business real soon.  Nor are any of the
already established breeders .  This website says ferrets will be shipped.
Have these ferrets been ADV tested?  If not Dr. Williams prediction of 10
yrs may happen sooner.  Being competitive and breeding large numbers of
ferrets, quality or not does not constitute doing something for the ferret.
 
Responsible breeders should keep track of every kit they sell to see if
any problems occur in the lines.  Appropriate action can then be taken to
insure that the problems are not continued.  How can anyone possibly keep
track of that many?  What about neuter contracts?  How do you track that
many to make sure the females are not dying of aplastic anemia?  How do you
advertise ferrets as being long lived when this is the first year breeding
them?  You are taking the word of the previous breeder.  Did they track
every kit and know this for sure?  Responsible breeders should not breed
any more than they can comfortably take back and keep themselves.  If every
breeder did at least that, shelters might not be so full.  If trophies and
first place ribbons are a selling point.......well we all know beauty IS
only skin deep.....and not for long.
[Posted in FML issue 3207]