Sorry to be so late in answering this but I've been unable to send it until
now.
 
On March 29 Bill Killian wrote:
>There is a picture on Urabn's page from Autumn of 1995
>http://www.kuai.se/%7Egriffon/ferrets/img.stif/1995/sl9525.jpg
>Are you saying this must be one of the oldest angoras in Sweden?
 
Yes, I guess it is.  That is not such an impossibility, is it?
 
>> (excerpt from my earlier message) This is not entirely true.  There
>>*are* differences between for example the Swedish bred ferret and the
>>American bred ferret.  Not only in size but also in temperament, their
>>disposition to diseases like cancer and life-span (end of excerpt).
>No studies have shown this because no comparitive studies have been done on
>either side that I know about.
 
I haven't seen any studies either but I've spoken to people both in the US
and here in Sweden. Like you I speak from my own experiences and from what
I have learned from talking to others. You don't have to believe what I say
but maybe with our combined knowledge we can find out what's right and
what's not.
 
>What would you say the difference in size is?  Which are larger?  Our 7
>pound American hobs or our 7 pound Swedish hobs?
 
No size difference there, I agree.  I've just gotten the impression that
American ferrets are smaller than the European ones since I know several
people from the US having been surprised at the large size of the Swedish
ferrets.  Maybe they've only seen MF ferrets in the US and they've been
smaller, I can not say.
 
>We have very very little problem with cancers.  Several breeders we know
>have noticed the same things.  Might be environment.  Might be genetic.
 
I am so glad to hear that!  I think that there are a lot of differences
between the private bred American ferrets and the MF ferrets for example
(we've had the same problems here in Sweden with a ferret farmer).  I think
it's mostly genetic.  Maybe the differences I stated applies more to MF
ferrets and Swedish ferrets than your private bred ferrets and Swedish
ferrets.
 
>If they don't die from the same cancers as Americans what do Swedish ferrets
>die from?  This is a serious question.
 
Most Swedish ferrets don't die from anything else than old age.  If they
don't show any signs of illness before death we usually do not do any
autopsies because they don't show any specific cause of death either.  They
just get too old.
 
/Maria
[Posted in FML issue 1890]