So I believe deaf people should not have children? Heck no. But consider this... If the adults were aware the problem which caused their deafness was genetic and their children would also be born deaf and pass it on to their children.... wouldn't a responsible adult take that into consideration when deciding to have children? I DO have human friends who have chosen not to have natural children due to a genetic illness or problem in their family and I respect them for their choice. Also being a bit of a Devils Advocate myself, I propose this question. How would if affect this line of thought if babies who were born deaf had a significantly higher ratio of being neglected, abused and abandoned? Tookie, you asked about the *throw away* comment. I can explain that... like every other shelter on this list... deaf ferrets are high on the throw-away list. Not that WE consider them such, but because that's what happens to them. They are dumped off at shelters, pounds, vet clinics or dumped on the side of the road for reasons like "They won't mind", or "they bite".... In EVERY SINGLE case of a deaf ferret I have received into my shelter, the former owner had no clue it was deaf. [Posted in FML issue 3114]