>Second, we got into a mild argument over the domesticity (ooh, big word) of >ferrets. She stated that the ferret is more genetically related to their >wild counterparts (weasels, minks, etc.) than cats are to theirs. This was >her argument for ferrets being "more" wild. What I would like to know is , >first, is this a true statement, and second, if it is true, does it have any >effect on how domestic a ferret is. This was a new argument to me, and I >didn't know quite how to counter it. I would like to be prepared next time. I've seen something at the SF Zoo called a "Jungle Cat" from North East Africa that sure as heck looked like an ordinary tabby, if a wee bit larger (up to 35lbs by one source). . . I've also seen at least one nature show that caught a brief glimpse of a cat in the dense grasslands of Southern Egypt of something I didn't catch the name of that looked almost exactly like a standard gray-striped tabby in almost every way. See also http://www.wildlifeeasyst.com/jungle.htm. At http://www.cyberpet.com/cybercat/breed/bengal/bengal.htm there are references to a type of domestic cat called a "Bengal" for it's color, and there's mention of a new variant of such produced by CROSSING it with the aforementioned JUNGLE CAT! It would appear that there are several small wildcats of Africa that share a common set of similar markings in the same way that our Ferrets, Blackfoots, polecats, etc. all share the basic "sable" color setup. So go back and WIN this argument! <g!> ------------------ For a wild true story of crooked cops, stolen guns, perjury, fraud and false criminal charges, see http://www.infinex.com/~jmarch [Posted in FML issue 1978]