Thank you Sheena and Pam for answering my ponderous message about the possiblity of letting Tarzan, Minnie and Claudette have kits next spring. I have learned a lot, and am also in touch with Legion of Superferrets Ferret Fancier's Fan Club in Seattle. I am researching the lineage of my fererets because LOS' leaders here have pointed out that inbreeding can be ruled out if one of the ferrets lineage exists. However, there are many other matters to consider. One leader told me that there are more than 100 ferrets in a shelter in Oregon!! :( I do not want to be part of creating any problems for ferrets. I guess I've been coming more from a perspective that assumes little chance of inbreeding among pets, such as cats. Before my birth family realized the overabundance of cats in our area, and promply spayed our female cat (this was years ago), as a gradeschooler I got to take care of my Siamese cat, Sukie, when she gave birth. She picked out her own husband from among the neighborhood cats, a cultured guy named Tie Tie, who shared dinner at the four-footed table nightly. The kitten birth was a special time (Suki followed me around and tried to have them in my bed, then moved them into my bed while I was at school), and I always kept notes in my diary about each kitten. There were a couple horrers (a deformed kitten, a sick kitten), but for the most part it was a source of joy for us. The kittens were given away (my mom didn't believe animals should be bought and sold) and I think the homes should have been screened much better! So this is where I'm coming from in thinking about breeding. Claudette has successfully had nine kits (Minnie is one) in her previous home and all three are beautiful ferrets. However, I'm considering the possibility much more seriously now, in terms of not considering it - does this make sense? I'm reading about what can go wrong and realizing that ferrets have more complications than cats in birthing. If there are so many ferrets needing homes, perhaps my energy would be better spent fostering ferrets, or helping out with the black-footed ferret program. I am seeing good reason for not breeding, especially if neither ferret has known lineage. I'm seeing very good reasons for fostering lost, sick and homeless ferrets, though. Any comments are welcome, no matter how "harsh", because the happiness and safety of ferrets is very, very important to me. I love the LOS logo, Legion of Superferrets where every ferret is Super! (Okay corny, but true!!). Adopting older ferrets had been very fulfilling to me, especially my Perchy and Schroeder Boat. I'll never forget what a great feeling it was to bring home Percy and Schroeder Boat from the university, where they'd been anesthetized and used to train medical students for two years. All day, until I picked them up from the floor for lab animals (which smelled horrible) where they awaited in wire mesh cages, each alone, I felt like I was waiting to meet my new adoptee children. I was!... They'd lived side by side but probably never met and played for two years. When I let them out in our big living room, with hardwood floors, they mucked and played for hours, hopping and free, so joyful I cried in happiness. Now they're so loving and spirited - even after two years of non-love from humans (must preface here to say the vet's assistant was very nice and the vet may be too, for all I know, though I couldn't take care of lab animals; it would hurt too much). Percy and Schroeder send their thanks to the FML for teaching their mom and dad so much about them. Wally, Gadzook, Tarzan, Claudette and Minnie say a big "Muck muck!" to all too. Good wishes to all, Lynn Mc. [Posted in FML issue 1420]