I've been following the posts on adoptable versus unadoptable ferrets. As you've seen there are a variety of opinions on whether or not shelters should classify ferrets as unadoptable but I think we also need to look at this from the perspective of the people that adopt ferrets. I'll use our own shelter as an example. As of yesterday the Alberta Ferret Society was caring for 55 ferrets. The AFS does not consider any ferret to be unadoptable however if we look at these statistics a litter closer I think we get a more realistic view of how many of these ferrets are likely to find forever homes. The information that follows is based on my own experiences with the AFS and does not necessarily reflect what other shelters may experience. Category 1 - 26 of the 55 ferrets are four years of age or older. Category 2 - 13 of the 55 ferrets are over the age of two but under the age of four. Category 3 - 16 of the 55 ferrets are two years of age or younger Of the 16 ferrets in the third category I feel I can safely say that 100% of them will be adopted. These kids are in their prime. They look great, they dook, they dance and they will adjust to being moved much quicker than an older ferret would. Many of the family's that adopt these ferrets will be first time ferret owners. Of the 13 ferrets in the second category I estimate that 55-60% of them will be adopted. Those that do will be in the 2.5 to 3 year age range. Some will be adopted by people looking for companions for an existing ferret who lost its cage mate. Some will be adopted by first time ferret owners looking for a ferret that has already been litter box trained (chuckle)! Almost half of these 13 ferrets will never be adopted. Some already have health issues and even though they received surgery or are receiving medications most potential adopters will think twice about taking on this kind of responsibility even if surgery is considered curative. Of the 26 ferrets in the first category the sad reality is that less than 25% will ever be adopted. Most of these ferrets have health issues, some have multiple issues. Almost all have had surgery of some kind or another or are on monthly injections of Lupron or have Melatonin implants or are getting Prednisone or some other medication. Those that are lucky enough to find a permanent home will almost certainly be adopted by experienced ferret owners. In our case some will be adopted by their foster families which means we loose a potential future foster home. Unfortunately though, there are never enough experienced ferret owners willing to adopt and there is a never ending supply of older ferrets being surrendered. Someone on the FML suggested that shelters might agree to assume the medical costs for older ferrets getting adopted but the truth is that many shelters are barely getting by financially as it is. Veterinary care is expensive, even for those shelters that get great discounts, and for every older ferret that gets adopted one of two more will arrive in the shelter to replace it. Too many shelters already have to prioritize who gets treatment and who has to wait. I'm sure you can imagine who would suffer if you had to prioritize an adopted ferret versus a shelter ferret receiving veterinary care? The logistics of even trying to manage something like this are mind boggling and the cost of doing so would be off the scale. It really would be wonderful if every shelter ferret could be guaranteed a permanent home and every adopted ferret could come with a lifetime of free veterinary care but the sad truth, at least in my experience, is that there are more unwanted ferrets than there are people who will adopt them. Barb Hoult AFS President [Posted in FML issue 4988]