Petco's policy on animals is to encourage customers to look into adoption before buying an animal. I have routinely suggested to customers to look on Petfinder for local shelters to see if there is an animal they would be interested in adopting. As an employee, I have witnessed snakes, ferrets, guinea pigs, mice, rats, birds including conures an caiques being adopted out either because they have been in the store too long (if an animal has been for sale for several months, the manager will discount then try to adopt out the animal). I have watched thousands upon thousands of dollars walk out the store because animals were adopted out rather than grow old in the store. I have also seen them spend thousands on surgeries and then adopt the animal out because the animal is no longer "perfect" and sellable. Petco is probably the most responsible chain pet store when it comes to taking care of the animals, but no one is perfect and it does depend sometimes on the manager. As a side note, company policy is for carefresh paper bedding, not wood chips, but the carefresh is not good either. Yes, if Petco stops selling ferrets, customers will go elsewhere to buy, but also when a customer asks if the store has ferrets, they can direct the customer to a local shelter to look at adopting, just like the do when someone comes in looking for a dog or cat and yes, ferret shelters can have adoption days, or just a day to come into the store to inform customers about their shelter...Petco does it for dog and cat shelters and other shelters are welcome also....just contact the manager. [EZ] [Posted in FML 6617]