>From:    Karyn Otta <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: My kids are MF
>I was merely commenting on an experience I had with a pet store and, for
>those who haven't heard, MF has been known to produce ferrets with a
>higher potential for disease.
 
Unfortunately that is not really accurate.  Some people claim this but there
is certainly no real evidence.  NO one yet has volunteered to run a study to
show what is causing these diseases or how we can prevent them.  We tend to
believe environmental causes including stress force problems such as adrenal
cancers.  Dayna has a theory that full wide spectrum light has something to
do with adrenal problems and her preliminary evidence is very intriguing.
If her results can be reproduced under controlled and scrutinized conditions
perhaps we can finally put this issue to rest.
 
Our opinion is if you want to bash MF please do so with something you can
actually pin on them but those topics on MF turn to animal rights issues
since its about sales for research and the fate of retired breeders.
 
Just to clarify.  We as a shelter and as a breeder compete with petstores as
a source for ferrets.  We think its important to remember any competitive
relationship when evaluating information.
 
>but I have learned from FMLers that if possible, adoption from a shelter
>or a private high quality breeder is a better way to go.
 
Most ferrets in shelters are pet store ferrets and most of those come from
Marshall so going to a shelter is not a way to avoid Marshall Farms ferrets.
We highly recommend going to either a shelter or to a private breeder.  But
since we both runa a shelter and are considered by some a quality private
breeder its sort of biased for us to say that.  More on that quality in a
seperate post.
 
bill and diane killian
zen and the art of ferrets
http://www.zenferret.com/
mailto:[log in to unmask]
[Posted in FML issue 2058]