Hi everyone, I have absolutely NO intent to "flame" any individual on this list. If you take offense, it is because truth sometimes hurts. Not long ago I commented that someone "assumed" that the majority of MF ferrets were sold to labs rather than as pets when even PETA doesn't claim more than 10%. I asked why. Have received no real answers as yet. One person said they had a right to their opinion and I agreed that they did as long as they didn't state it as "fact" without documentation. That person explained that they "knew" it as they had "heard" it from many they trusted. VERY scientific. LOL!!! In yesterday's FML again the "correct" position has been assumed. I sincerely don't mean to offend the person who wrote, "...I have always believed that the early alterations of ferrets at ferret mills has shortened the life span of the animals.". But, again, I have to ask WHY??? What scientific information has ever been published to verify this "belief"? Please do not point me to the biased reports of organizations with anti-business or animal "rights" agendas. Show me some unbiased SCIENTIFIC facts. Mary VanDahm (F.A.I.R.) did a study regarding lighting, early alter, etc. and found NO correlation to adrenal problems. At least that was the last information I saw published. Correct me if I'm in error. Mary is a truly dedicated and loving "ferret" person who is also open minded enough to try to find "facts" to support her conclusions. She has had more experience with "old" and "sick" ferrets than most of us. I encourage you to support her efforts in providing a loving home for ferrets that are either too old or too sick to be adopted out. Again, I'm not trying to create a flame. I simply believe we have to be careful in stating "beliefs" based on personal opinion as fact. When I was young I "believed" that Santa Claus brought me toys. Nowadays, I'm the one dressed up as Santa. Don't need padding or a white wig !!! Well, maybe the wig and false whiskers. LOL I grew up on a farm where we bred and raised animals as a livelihood. Frankly, the barn was in better repair than the house was. That is because the animals represented a large investment of money. Their health was very important to us. We made every effort to feed the healthiest foods and provide the best medical care when needed. Why? Because if these animals weren't healthy we took a financial loss. We also tried very hard to "improve" the breed with selective breeding. If we had one Holstein cow who was nearly all white, we tried to breed her to a nearly all black bull with the intent of having a calf with the "proper" mixture of coat color. This made the calf more valuable to a buyer. It is GOOD BUSINESS to raise healthy animals. We understood the interactivity of "nature". We always allowed a Bullsnake to live in our corncrib. Why? Because the snake ate rodents such as rats. It's nature at work. Interestingly, the lifespan of a rat in the natural environment of a farm is MUCH shorter than the lifespan of rats that are kept as pets. That is why they procreate so frequently and abundantly. As simple farmers without "college" degrees we knew these truths. It was called common sense. What Bob Church has been writing isn't "new". It is common knowledge to those of us who have been around animals for any length of time. It is only "new" to people who have either limited or no knowledge of animal husbandry - commonly known as farming. It has been an accepted principal for many years that animals in captivity live longer than those in the wild. Ask any zoologist. Or farmer. It is only when "man" interferes with nature that we upset the balance. I sincerely hope I haven't offended anyone. I just think we all need to question some of these "facts" which are really nothing more than personal opinion. I believe everyone is entitled to their opinion, however, if both sides aren't presented, new people on the list accept "beliefs" as truth and "assume" facts that have no basis in reality. This does not benefit ferrets or the ferret community. Logical and factual argument will always overcome emotional "belief" and "assumption" when we are attempting to educate the general public including lawmakers about our beloved furrfaces. Thanks again, BIG, for providing this open forum. John Gordon in Pekin, IL loving his "unnaturally" long lived ferrets thanks in large part to a wonderful veterinary named Chuck Burmeister who practices in Peoria, IL. [Posted in FML issue 2975]