Hello FML, I'm pretty much at the point where I don't believe anything I read on the FML about any personal situation, but I think the fact that the list still has almost-monthly arguments about private breeders proves that the ferret community still has a long way to go with regards to education. Legislation, perhaps, but education, definitely. Back a few months ago a lady I know got a ferret in from a private breeder (not saying who as it doesn't matter for this discussion). I was interested in going the private-breeder route myself sometime in the future, so I wanted to see what sort of ferret she got. The result was a little disappointing. The ferret she picked was mostly off-white, with a mostly black tail and a meandering brown stripe running down his back, and he was remarkably small for a male. He was already neutered and descented at 8 weeks, and other than an assurance that no inbreeding has occurred, there was no pedigree information or disease history for his family. (The way I see it, a pedigree isn't some kind of border pass required only if I want to show the animal -- it's a roadmap of that animal's health prospects, and it's a requirement if I want to make an intelligent decision on any private-breeder animal.) I'm no expert in ferret genetics, but I (think I) know enough to be leery about the long-term health of ferrets with odd coloring like this. It's been demonstrated by studies and a lot of anecdotal evidence that really far-out coloring on a ferret is often a sign of congenital defects or predisposition to certain diseases. Couple that with the early neutering/descenting and the lack of pedigree information, and I can't help but wonder why the lady went through the extra time and expense to get a ferret from this breeder -- especially when the local pet shops have lots of wacky-color, early-neuter, no-history ferrets available. (She's happy with her purchase, by the way, partly because I've kept my concerns to myself. I don't feel like raining on her parade now, after all.) I mean, adoption's one thing. You see a ferret and you fall in love with it, and you're willing to shoulder all the costs involved with that ferret in the future. But if you're shelling out for a private breeder, the idea's to get an animal you'll be able to spend as much productive and enjoyable time with as possible, right? Not to get an animal who looks different from everyone else. But that does seem to be the motivation of many customers -- and some breeders seem happy to oblige them at the expense of their own stock's health. We as ferret owners have a responsibility to promote ferret welfare. I volunteer a fair bit of time locally toward ferret education and awareness, and I hope the USDA comments have a positive effect. However, I also think we have a responsibility to teach people what a proper ferret -is- in the first place, which in turn will help them make more intelligent private-breeding decisions. Otherwise, those against new USDA standards and other laws are going to use that "giving the consumer what they want" defense for years to come, and we'll have little to say in response. k [Posted in FML issue 5023]