Having bred ferrets in the past I would like to say that 7 weeks old is a good age for a healthy kit who is going to an enlightened pet store. OK now, for those of you who are 8 week advocates...please let me explain. Kits are weaned and ready to go at 6 weeks. As a private breeder I would sell my kits at 6 weeks old, to their new owners, who would come to pick them up at my house. Kits grow so rapidly it is astounding! Many are quite wild and feisty and all have sharp teeth even before their eyes open. All need handling and human interaction. While I think 6 weeks is too young to go shipping a ferret clear across the country to a pet store; I think waiting till the kit is 8 weeks, is to loose two very valuable weeks from 6-8 of critical handling, socialization, and human interaction time. Missing out on handling during this critical point of development might affect the personality of the kit for the rest of it's life. It can make the difference between a good ferret and a problem/biter ferret. Two weeks might not sound like a lot, but it is in the life of a kit. Large breeders like Marshall, who breeds kits in the thousands, does not have the man power to handle and socialize each kit; let alone determine which kit needs it more than the others. It is better for them to go to a pet store than remain in a breeding stock cage for another week, growing without any handling. I also think once in the pet store, it is best to have them in an open top area (whether it be a large case aquarium or play pen type) where people can reach in and hold them or at least pet them every day. This daily handling and human interaction is very important to ferret kit socialization. OK, to all of you who are now screaming, "what about germs?" A hand sanitizer can be provided, but all healthy kits that are vaccinated can and should be handled daily. It sound like Jules knows this and is doing her best to provide the proper handling and daily human interaction necessary for 7 week old kits. She already knows the personality of each kit. Passing laws and waiting for a kit to be 8 weeks till it is shipped, will not make any difference in a badly run pet store, or in a pet store where the kits are never held or touched until someone takes them home. At least at 7 weeks they still have a chance of being bought immediately and taken out of a bad pet store situation. If any of you frequent a "hands off" store always ask to hold each and every kit there, if they will let you. Spend as much time as you can handling and petting each one. They need it! Yes, I am aware that most pet stores are no good. Hey, believe me, I'm no PRO pet store here, but I do enjoy Jules on the job tales. If she wasn't working there someone else would be. They might not know anything about ferrets and not care who buys them. If every pet store had a Jules working in it, then there would be a lot less impulsive purchasing of ferret kits because they are so cute. Sometimes the big bad pet store is the only way to get a ferret. It was certainly the only way for me to get the two I have now. Pet stores should always be a last resort. I think that a shelter ferret should be considered first. Baby ferrets should be bought by private breeders who raise one litter at a time, however; sometimes it might be impossible to find a reputable breeder. I know from past experience that breeding ferrets is one of the most difficult things I had ever done in my life. It was a lot more heart break than I had ever anticipated. Not all mating even resulted in a litter and not all litters resulted in live births. Of all the young born alive, sometimes one or two would still not make it. The emotional cost was huge. I will never breed ferrets again! Pam [Posted in FML issue 4661]