Mish- I talked to Scott Marshall at Marshall Farms about this issue a few weeks ago. He told me that MF does not have a patent on the 2 blue dots, so it is quite possible that someone/anyone can do the same thing. The best way to know if the ferret you purchase is a MF ferret, is by the paper work! All MF ferrets sold in pet stores come with paper work and a guarantee that they've been neutered/descented, and when they were given their first vaccine. Now, of course, if a pet store wholesales to another pet store, I suppose that a paperwork trail could break down. It used to be the 2 blue dots were an excellent indication of a MFF, but apparently not so anymore. On the other hand, since most likely the majority of dotted ferrets are MFF, there's a good chance that a ferret with 2 dots is a MFF. It always amazes me when I go into a pet store (pretending to know nothing about ferrets - I like to see what pet store personnel will say!) and ask where the ferrets are from, and I'm told "I don't know." Debbie Riccio WNYFLFA Rochester, NY [Posted in FML issue 1265]