> On Wed, 10 Aug 1994, Ferret Mailing List wrote: > > 1. Each ferret imported or bred for placement, transfer or sale > > shall be implanted with a microchip and shall be registered with the > WHAT???!!!!! > These guys are more insane than my ferret! > [Not totally. There is quite a bit of talk about making the identification > microchips mandatory for cats and dogs too. Makes it easy to prove ownership.] Well, the chipping is bad, but the real problems with the chipping regulations are threefold, as we see it: 1). required within ten days of birth - A `micro'chip is approximately the size of a grain of rice. Now, to be honest, I have never seen a 9-day-old ferret, but if I am correct, newborn ferrets are rather SMALL. Injecting an animal that small with a chip that size (not to mention the needle!) could very likely kill it - if they made that 12 weeks, I'd feel a LOT better. [Didn't see an age in the posting. 10 days is rather extreme.] 2). while chipping HAS been discussed for other animals, at this point ONLY ferrets would be required to be chipped (Cats aren't even required to be licensed!) - if this applies to dogs and cats as well, we'd go along with it. 3). Expense & compatibility There are currently 7 different microchip manufacturers in existance, and none of their chips are compatible with the other company's readers, which are EXPEN$IVE! we have no way to be sure all pet stores, animal hospitals, Humane societies, animal control agencies, and veterinarians use the same chips. (and the chips themselves cost $35 on top of the OTHER fees they're trying to stick us with.) So we have legitimate reasons to be against chipping, indeed. Ermine! Matt Ouimette Utah Ferret Association P.S. - does ANYONE know about the program on ferrets that was shown on cable recently? I REALLY would like to get my hands on a copy! [Posted in FML issue 0916]