Well, quite honestly, if some one is going to "punish" a ferret because they don't come due to "deafness" that person will be prone to do it for other reasons also, which have absolutely nothing to do with deafness, like litter digging, food dish digging etc, and just plain old cage trashing. Plain and simple, that person should own a Gold Fish then. Ferrets, like dogs, cats and even kids for that matter, can be hit or miss with teaching them tricks, commands or cleaning their rooms! Some will learn fast, while others have the "You are not going to tell me what to do" attitude. Owner education BEFORE they purchase that pet is the key. (or have kids!). I know our pet store in Reading (Reading Petco) states that the ferret is deaf, and sells them. They check each ferret who comes in for hearing loss. (To the best of their abilities). They are honest about the ferret's hearing loss and give you tips on how to care for them. Yes, they will try to get that ferret to go to a home, who has experience with ferrets, but they don't just give them away free. If I see a ferret there who I suspect is deaf, I don't look for an opportunity to "get a free ferret", I purchase the ferret. I also know another big store in Lancaster does the same thing, states the deafness upfront. I would rather see them "Sell Them" or send them back to Path Valley or Marshalls, then to just randomly give them away. And just because a ferret is deaf, it is not "Defective". Are humans who can not hear, "Defective". You were definitely right when you said you are not being PC. I guess the only thing we can agree on is education and good breeding practice. But even with both, deafness is out there in all species of animals and should NOT be considered a defect. Yes, it is not a trait you want to "Breed for", but even the most carefully implemented breeding practices, deafness still can show up. It is a very workable obstacle you must over come. Just like adrenal and insulonmia issues. I certainly would rather have a deaf ferret who lives to be 9 years old and is healthy, then a hearing-able ferret who develops full blown adrenal at 8 months old. ( I have one of those also). Deaf ferrets happen, and they should not be considered DEFECTIVE and certainly should not be given away "FREE" due to their handicap. They are here on earth, whether we like Path Valley or Marshall's breeding practices. Education first. Marguerite TinyPrints On The Heart..... TinyPrints Shih Tzu, TinyPrints Ferretry and Rescue http://www.tinyprintsontheheart.com Ebay Sales to Benefit TinyPrints Ferret Rescue Medical Fund http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZalohaferrets TinyPrints Ferret Rescue PetFinder Web Page http://www.tinyprintsontheheart.petfinder.org TinyPrints Ferret Rescue Store http://www.tinyprintsontheheart.com/onlinestore.htm [Posted in FML issue 4884]