I have given this alot of thought. When I first got ferrets in 1992, they were a rare and unique pet. They weren't very easy to find, and only a few petstores sold them. The books available at the time weren't very good, and the internet wasn't really used by the average person yet, but a really diligent owner researched as much as possible and learned by trial and error. Ferret clubs and rescues were few and far between. Most people had a very negative opinion of ferrets. But, when a ferret needed a home, there was usually someone ready to take him. (Whether or not that was a good home is another issue unfortunately). Then as the years passed, ferrets became more popular. Less people would sneer at them and more people would say, "Oh, I know someone who has a ferret", or "I have ferrets. They're great." Well, I am happy about this. There are clubs and rescues all over the country, and all but 2 states have legalized them. Ferrets have been seen in movies, on TV, in magazines and in the news. Most people with half a brain now know that they don't eat little children, they don't spread rabies, and they aren't rodents. However, the problem I see now is that what was once a unique and special pet has become a dime-a-dozen throwaway pet. And this isn't MY opinion of ferrets. I still worship them like I always have, and I get upset when others don't. It's just that this is what they seem to have become because they are so plentiful now. Shelters are overloaded, and I see lots of ads in the paper with people looking to get rid of ferrets. I hear stories of abuse and neglect. I go in some petstores and get so angry when I see the conditions in them. Why? Because the ferret mills are pumping out the ferrets so quickly? Because they are too inexpensive and therefore easy to get? Quality has been replaced with Quantity. Now any Tom, Dick and Harry can get them. When New York State dropped the requirement to have a permit to own ferrets back in 1997, I saw the problem get much worse. Now, with pending legalization in NYC and eventually California, there are going to be that many more petstores with ferrets for sale, and this will mean, more homeless ferrets in the long run,because I find that a large percentage of people who buy new ferrets get rid of them, due to lack of education by the petstore who wants to make a quick buck at the expense of a living thing. I'm not kidding. I have seen this. Now, before anyone gets mad at me for saying this, I am not saying that the petstores there shouldn't sell ferrets. I AM saying that maybe they can start a precedent for the betterment of ALL ferrets. I don't want to see ferrets become something that only the rich can afford, because I see many people who are far less than wealthy who take wonderful care of their ferrets. I read a post that said people should have to pass a test before they can obtain a ferret, and this is more along the lines of what I am thinking. I think that a permit should be required to own a ferret and that an application or something should be filled out with basic information. Then it should be reviewed and then a person can get a ferret. How would this ever be implemented and enforced? Well, it would start with a breeder who supplies to the stores having a conscience and deciding to make a change for the better. It could be started in the newly legalized areas (when they DO become legal, of course). Then maybe other areas can follow? Maybe a petstore has to be licensed to carry ferrets too, so that even if they manage to get ferrets from backyard breeders, they still have to follow permit rules when selling them? Am I fantasizing? Maybe. But, while the small quality breeders/rescues care where their babies go, there is no way for the large breeders to keep track of where their ferrets end up, and bringing back a permit may make some people think twice when purchasing a ferret, and in the long run, help ensure that the ferrets go into better homes right from the start. Just a thought. Any ideas? No, I'm not a cop, lecturer or smart_ss, and I don't play one on TV either. [Posted in FML issue 3424]