Hi Everybody... >I want to Kill that Breeder! I am sorry to report the little machine that is issuing numbers so each person will know their place in the line for this pleasure has run out.. it only held 1000 tickets... refills have been ordered.. :] humour aside - tle has stated the cage conditions were not horrendous by known standards.. in fact they seemed better than a lot of these mills that have been reported about.. however - the shed with straw all winter.. with no health checks, and no supervision qualifies this guy for the 'early termination program' from where I am standing.. the comment about raking out the old straw and 'dead ferrets' in the Spring has me looking fondly at my 45 semi-auto... Where I have infinite patience and understanding [love and joy as well] for all critters.. I do not extend that concern and courtesy to humans... several people have volunteered the tide for this guy.. I'll cover the shed, straw, rake and Spring cleaning service for him... [to those who would take me to task for my 'bad attitude' on this subject.. I have been the victim of profound human cruelty, birth through 17 years of age, so I feel I am qualified to 'take a position' in regard to this individual.. to those who have not had such experience - please do not try to 'educate' me to your point of view, what ever it may be, you haven't the qualifications and won't be heard.. I wouldn't take sky diving from someone who had never been off the ground either!] a reply to the person who posted re rabies shedding studies.. Your comments about your favourable position re the rabies shedding studies because the cruel death of thousands of ferrets can be seen as quite acceptable in view of the gain to be made by finding a cure' for rabies through these studies, is EXACTLY why I posted a plea for people to educate themselves in the area of rabies shedding studies! The rabies shedding studies which involve the deliberate infection of masses of ferrets with the rabies virus [there are 8 strains that each will have it's own study] will determine when, in the course of the disease ferrets shed [have the virus present in their saliva] the disease, therefore becoming capable of infecting, through a bite, another creature [animal or human].. Period! No rabies treatment to save ferrets that contract rabies.. NO CURE! and each 'study' will have to repeated to prove the findings can be replicated. Since we already have a vaccine proven to prevent rabies in ferrets, and rabies shedding study results are already available from previous 'studies', what will these 'new' deaths accomplish? Will they force the quarantine of ferrets instead of the immediate termination and examination of their brains for signs of the virus? Will the senseless slaughter of our fully vaccinated beloved pets immediately stop?? NO ON ALL COUNTS!! What ferret advocates will have, is a bargaining chip, which may or may not be even recognised by the people who author and enforce the 'kill and test' policies all over the country that we are trying to get changed to a 'quarantine and observe' policy. These 'officials' have refused to accept the vaccine and the previous study results so their acceptance of the 'findings' derived from these 'studies' is only a Fervent Hope.. and nothing more! Your further statement that you would 'donate' your pet to a study if one ever became infected with the rabies virus is another indication education is sadly needed about these 'studies'! The research staff would not accept your pet! The strain of rabies virus, the exact time of infection, the precise physical condition of your pet at the time of infection, and dozens of other data items would not be known, so your suffering fuzzy would be rejected as a subject for inclusion in any of the 'studies'! Someone, somewhere, has just plain lied to you! It is just this type of misinformation that prompted my post in the first place. re ramps coverings in cages with wire ramps.. an alternative to carpet, which I think is the ideal covering [but presents raveling and cleaning problems for some people], is to fasten plastic 'canvas', the type used in home hobbies, to the surface of the ramps. It is easily cleaned and inexpensive to replace, comes in many colours, and is very durable. re the cage made by the Calif. resident that costs $250.00.. The observation that the cage is 'cheap' clearly shows you have never seen the cage nor researched it. That cage is anything but 'cheap' in it's materials and it's construction! I, on the other hand, have that cage.. and have added two more modules to the original three.. making it a five module high, caster based, appropriate for 12+ ferrets, and infinitely versatile ferret enclosure. The construction is so outstanding the addition of the extra two modules present no strain whatsoever to the structure of the cage nor it's base! Just try that with any other cage available anywhere today! It appears, at first, to be rather expensive... however, that reaction is immediately replaced by one of being very favourably impressed by its quality, versatility [each module can be isolated from any other module by simply 'dropping and fastening in place' the connecting 'trap doors' that are built into each modules access area], mobility, durability, ferret oriented design and detail, and ferret owner ease of care and cleaning. A comparison of this cages quality and features readily demonstrates it's superiority over other cages available. re ferret hazards.... Heavy, but still hazardous objects in your ferrets environment can be very securely fastened to the surface they rest on by placing several lumps of a putty type substance available in most hardware stores.. This 'putty' or 'clay' has many brand names.. just ask for the stuff people in Calif use to secure their possessions against damage from earthquakes.. [at least there this one 'good thing' that has come of those wretched earthquakes] this stuff will keep nearly anything secure even through a really bad shaker] t the lady whose little one was lost to that 'freak accident'.. I am so sorry you lost your precious and much loved little fuzzy.. there was no way for you to predict this dreadful accident was going to happen.. Thank you for putting yourself through the pain of telling your fuzzys story to the fml readers, you have given a warning to other ferret owners that will save other fuzzys pain, and possibly death, from a similar accident. re tle and her rescue of the breeders.. You are an inspiration to us all! It is a privilege to know you!! Thank you, BIG, for the endless service to give so generously to us all.. The enormous good you do for ferrets everywhere is beyond measure! Happy Ferreting... dayna and the Woozles : "Resident of... Marvelous Menagerie Of Mirthful Mayhem" dayna frazier 102046,3162 02-Oct-1996 03:08:24 PST [Posted in FML issue 1711]