Only because I was asked for my opinion by name do I answer here on the FML (instead of privately)... I personally think the wearing of gloves and the constant wiping is overkill. the short amount of time a judge has a ferret is usually not long anough to spread any major diseases. wiping hands between ferrets helps to remove other ferret smells (whole males can get very testy when smelling another ferret). If anyone watched me judge the specialty rings, I rarely put a ferret down on the table, but then, I was judging for mitts or color, not conformation. Where ferrets are most likely to catch ECE, colds, distemper, etc. are in their own cages waiting to be judged. This is where ferrets are placed cage to cage with other ferrets just a wire's width away. Have you ever been to a cat show? Cages are covered on all sides except the front and are usually provided by the show hall for conformity and cleanliness, passerbys are told "DO NOT TOUCH - you might spread diseases!", and cats hardly leave their cages until time to show. Ferret shows on the other hand - cages are open on all sides, stacked, squeezed in - poop overflowing onto tables or other cages. Ferrets are passed around, people stick their fingers in, ferrets visit by touching noses, ferrets run the floors and halls on leashes, tube races, ETC. Believe me - after having ECE for over three years and managing to keep ferrets in my home ECE free in my dining room, I can tell you the judges are the LEAST of your worries. Now, I wish someone outside the US show circut would answer this question - I have seen several pictures of ferret shows overseas. All the cages are the same shape and size - are these cages rented or supplied by the showing organization or are cages required to be a certain size or model in order to come to a ferret show? IMHO - if you want more health security when you take your ferret to a show - use a cage that can be covered on the top and sides to protect your fuzzie from sneezes, poop overflow, and marauding fingers. Keep baby wipes or Novasan (sp?) and paper towels handy so people handling your fuzzies can wipe down before handling your kids. Keep other ferrets away and do not participate in fun events where your ferret will come in contact with another ferret or where another ferret has been and the area not sanitized. When waiting for your ferret to be seen by a judge, do not let the persons waiting with you allow their ferrets to climb you or visit your ferret, and do not handle other people's ferrets without taking time to wash between weasels. Now, I LOVE ferret shows because ferret people are not as stiff and stuffy as cat showers. But if you want to ensure your ferret brings back nothing more than a ribbon, then you might just have to rethink how you house your ferrets and handle them at shows. While on the subject of shows, I think I'll stay on the soapbox for another thing that bothers me.... I deeply feel that every ferret brought to a ferret show (whether being shown, for sale, or just brought along for the ride) needs to have AT LEAST TWO distemper shots before coming out in public. Kits at shows need to be 12 weeks of age, and this includes all the kits the breeders pack in their hotel rooms too. Distemper is a deadly disease. It kills. Even if the ferrets at the show hall are protected, they can still pick up and carry that virus back to the hotel room after the show. If I remember my reading correctly, distemper can live as long as four hours outside it's host and still infect. This means if a show ferret brought to a ferret show is carrying distemper, it can pass the virus to other protected ferrets, and if those protected ferrets leave the show hall and go to a car or hotel room with unprotected ferrets, those unprotected ferrets can catch the virus, it will infect them, and the signs of infection will not be evident for days. Breeders with kits should leave them at home if they have not had at least TWO shots of the series, simply because you can not be certain what you carry on your person, or the other ferrets, when leaving the show hall. Breed around show schedules or find ferret sitters to feed mush while you are gone. This is why I always keep my show ferrets outside or in another room for a few hours after coming home from a nearby fun fest or show or pet demo. To let the virus die (if there were one) before putting the ferret back into my "colony". Usually a car ride home from an away ferret show is sufficient. Since I have adoptees and kits at my house that are immunity poor, it is one way to keep the threat, though small, at bay. I have never had a distemper outbreak here, and I hope I never do. ECE is hard enough to deal with. Pam Grant [Posted in FML issue 1618]