I really expected more of a response to the question/answer posed by one
member regarding breeding for things like "mini-ferrets".  The answer I
remember seeing was that for one particular person, "mini's", angoras,
whatever, were fine by them.  The problem I have with this is that in my
limited knowledge of breeding, it seems that when breeding to change one
'breed' to something else, there usually is some kind of trade off.
 
Examples of what I mean would include the fact that Doberman's are prone
to heart problems, Dalmations (and Albino ferts) are prone to deafness,
Himalayans and Persians are frequently prone to URI's/breathing
difficulties as well as profuse ocular discharge and staining (as are most
brachycephalic breeds of all species).  I guess what I am getting at is
that although some people may not see anything wrong with breeding to
produce "mini" ferrets or "giant" ferrets or whatever, in the back of my
mind I am always questioning what kind of health trade off will occur
because of this new "breed" of ferret.  Will it be even more prone to
illness than U.S.  ferrets already are?  Will new, and as of yet,
undiscovered illnesses pop up?
 
I can't claim to know anything at all about genetics, nor do I have any
evidence to suggest that the people trying to breed these newer types of
ferrets are doing anything wrong at all.  I am a novice when it comes to
such things.  The only reason this issue even comes to mind for me is
because I have seen numerous animals in my work that are suffering from
illnesses and/or deformaties from improper breeding.  I have seen a number
of non-ferret animals that by all rights should have been euthanized on
spot because their mutations were unacceptable (ie, cleft palate, white
coloration, etc).  When mutations in other animals exceed what is
considered normal for that particular breed, the standard reaction from
the breeder is to kill the animal in order to #1 protect their reputation
as a breeder and #2 to avoid perpetuating such "disasters" in the future.
Keep in mind that I said the #1 reason was to protect their reputation....
most of the bigger breeder types are in business to make money and no one
is going to buy from a breeder that perpetuates lines that result in
deformations.  A white boxer in some circles would be enough to mark you
for life.
 
I'm not targeting anyone specifically here, and I'm speaking only in the
general sense and I have to once again state that the majority of my
dealings with breeders have involved cats and dogs.  Still, I just have to
wonder if anyone in the ferret community has thought about these types of
issues.  What will we say when people are breeding for a specific 'breed'
of ferret and have one of these misfits?  As of right now, I know (or at
least hope) that these ferrets are being sterilized and cared for as any
other pet, but in the big business of cats and dogs, I KNOW that is not
always the case.  Do we really want ferret breeders to end up following
these types of practices?  Do we really want Marshall Farms or Path Valley
to try to compete in these areas?
 
The other consideration is that in the U.S. right now, we have our hands
full with ECE, Adrenal neoplasia, Insulinoma, and even possibly Aleutians
in some areas.  We also have a high rate of Lymphoma, and a fair number of
other types of cancerous tumors, such as Mast Cells.  We finally have the
answer as to what is causing ECE, but still no test and definitely no
vaccine.  There still are no studies that prove why adrenal and insulinoma
are so common here.  No one knows for sure why there are so many cases of
Juvenile Lymphoma, lymphoma and the like.  It could be due to diet,
husbandry, and/or breeding.  No one really knows for sure what the
underlying cause is for all of these problems.
 
So, for me anyway, until we learn more about what is causing all of these
problems, I say we should tread very carefully when it comes to breeding.
I am all for bringing new bloodlines into the mix and I have nothing
against breeders who are doing this.  But, for those out there that are
trying to come up with new and exotic breeds of ferrets, I have to wonder
why?  Do you really think there are ferts out there wishing they were 'itty
bitty wee things'?  Do you really think a fert cares much if it is a DEW, a
Blaze, or a Sable?  Do you think any of your ferts are running around
wishing they had an angora type coat?  Whose best interest is at heart
here?  Breeding for things like 'mini's" definitely isn't going to have any
real benefit to ferrets as a whole as far as I can see.  The most it is
liable to do is create a new fad, and fads only benefit the ones pocketing
the money from the sales.
 
Thanks anyway, but no "mini's" for me.
 
Just my opinion,
Stacia and the 9 fuzzbutts
[Posted in FML issue 2931]