Hi All and Happy New Year! I wanted to respond about the teeth cleanings - I use a product called Petrodex and it is malt flavored - my ferrets love the taste of the toothpaste and it is no trouble to brush their teeth twice weekly! It helps keep tarter buildup down and gum disease to a minimum (gosh, I sound like a dentist <g>) I would caution against using human toothpaste, since this is not designed to be swallowed! As a shelter, I feel I have to respond to the questions about adoption fees - please bear in mind this is in my particular situation, I am not speaking for anyone else. I think that we are deluding ourselves if we think that charging an adoption fee will prevent someone from not treating a ferret well- we have become such a disposable society - just go to your local S.P.C.A and look at all of the purebred dogs & cats - I know of one person in particular who spent $800.00 on a pair of persian kittens, only to turn them in to the SPCA because his children werent taking care of them and he did not want to either! Our shelter spent almost $4,000.00 last year in medical bills alone, we took in 80 ferrets and adopted out 54. We now have 11 ferrets that are considered unadoptable - either age, health, temperament or a combination of these conditions have made them not available for adoption. We charge an adoption fee so that the ferrets that stay within the organization are guaranteed the best medical care that We can provide. It also helps defray the costs of vaccinations, neuter/spays, printing costs, food & supplies. Do I accept donations? You betcha, although that attributed less than 10% of our income for 1996. I am not proud when it comes to my fuzzies, I will take whatever help that is offered, whether it be money or supplies. I want what is best for the ferrets - bottom line! We screen all prospective ferret adopters - this is a 3 page contract that must be signed and we allow for in-house checks on the ferret within the first three years of adoption. If I dont trust you, you will not get one of my ferrets! The animals have had one bad break already, and I will do my best to make sure that they are not going from the frying pan into the fire! As you can see, I take my responsibility of the rescues very seriously, and I do hope that I have not offended anyone. That is not my intent, I only want people who question what I do to understand that the costs I have incurred are not even taken into consideration. I do not charge the rescue back for food, litter, cages, bedding, postage, supplies like ferretone & treats, and some surgeries - these costs I just absorb into my regular household budget. Please don't take me for a matyr, all the other rescues I am sure do the same - its the only way we can stay in business! As far as purchasing ferrets, yes I have gone and purchased a ferret from an owner out of my own money and then turned it back to the rescue for adoption. I did not charge the purchase back to the rescue, and I do not do if often, but I have & if I feel I have to do it again, I will. My main concern is for the ferret! As far as Patricia is concerned I am sure that she is speaking about irresponsible breeders, not those that only breed when they have people who want a kit already lined up, or those that keep their ferrets in clean, airy environments, or those that track their kits through their lifespan, or those that when they discover a genetic defect in a particular line, neuter/spay the animal; she is referring to those that do not do any of this, and I have to say that I agree with her! I do not breed, but I am not anti-breeder; I simply choose not to breed ferrets. I think that we all need to make a resolution for 1997 to be kinder, gentler and more understanding to not only our pets, but to each other. So many times we have misunderstood and been misunderstood, because the written word can be taken in so many different contexts. We all obviously love our ferrets, and are very tolerant of them, why can't we be with each other? Just MHO. Lisa [Posted in FML issue 1802]