Anon, I'm sorry you were appalled at our recommendations re spaying in Australia. You firstly need to understand that this is a very different country when it comes to ferrets. We do not get babies already neutered from a pet shop. In fact ferrets are seldom available from pet shops, and youngsters come mainly from the breeder at 12 weeks of age and are entire. Secondly, our Ferret Society is relatively small (about 300 members and their families), very close-knit and sharing of knowledge and experiences, so with regular newsletters, meetings, immunization days, races, shows and Picnic in the Park days, the most current information is readily available to the members all the time. The same as in any community, however, we have the horrid people who will never treat their ferrets with any care no matter what information is available. *sigh* But we are not the Ferret Gestapo and can only inform and advise. Spaying a female when she is 6 months old is major surgery and not to be taken lightly. Unlike a "ferret mill" in US where they are neutered en mass and a certain number of fatalities is to be expected, what does it matter because nobody really loves them yet. When it is your much loved ferret facing the scalpel the risk is considered much more seriously. Having a jill brought out of season by a vas.hob was always considered the safer method, and, if timed correctly, is not an unpleasant experience for her. We have always had long-lived and happy, healthy ferrets over the decades of using this method and it was the advent of several cases of ovarian growths that caused us to reconsider. I hope this goes towards allaying your anxieties about the responsibility of our Society and hope you understand that whilst I can speak on behalf of our club, it would be unfair to judge the whole of Australia for these views. Love & Dooks Shirley WAFFS [Posted in FML issue 3107]