Hello again. Re registering ferrets with FURO: Registration forms should be requested from the Registrar, FURO Inc. P.O. Box 11216, Boulder, CO 80301. Registrations are $4 per ferret for ferrets owned by FURO members, $5 per ferret otherwise. A clear photograph of each ferret being registered is REQUIRED with each registration. Due to the number of bad checks we've had recently, no registrations will be filed until checks clear the bank, so if you want something done right away, send a money order. Re: studies on whether infant neutered ferrets live longer or shorter than properly neutered ones: No, there are none. Considering how much MONEY is being made in the process, I doubt you will ever see one until somebody sues over it. The morris foundation here in Colorado will have no trouble getting funds for cancer studies. Rabies shedding period studies are FAR more expensive than cancer studies for several reasons: since rabies is such a serious and spreadable disease, the studies can (by federal law) only be done in a limited number of extremely secure facilities. Cancer research can be done, on the other hand, at any vet school. So could nutrition. Also, rabies studies require extremely special- ized equipment and specially trained technical personel; whereas all cancer studies require are a selection of graduate students, who come REAL cheap. The problem with getting ferret people to contribute money is that they were asked to contribute to the most expensive thing possible FIRST; thus there was no "instant gratification" to push people into giving more. Also, most of the die-hard ferret people spend our spare cash rescuing and fostering homeless ferrets. This is sort of a more immediate priority than research done by someone I've never met... [Posted in FML 0154]