Regarding the NFA in California being to ferrets what the AKC is to dogs: As I understand it, one of the purposes of the AKC is to certify breeds and colors and "pedigrees," to the point that people think they need a pedigree in order to have a dog of quality, resulting in overbreeding and a host of degenerative diseases. I cannot support a similar situation with ferrets. In the case of dogs, the results have been nothing less than heartbreaking, and that's not a strong enough word for it. All ferrets are beautiful, no matter what their color. You mentioned having political strength, and I can support that, but I would propose that there are other ways to do it. Just my opinion. Linda [Posted in FML issue 1376]