Your scenario of how the early spay/castration affects the adrenal glands sounds as if you are stating a scientific fact, but I think it's your own theory. I know of no data to support your statement. In fact, if it were correct, then we should be seeing the same endocrine problems in dogs and cats. As I have stated in an earlier post, ten-year post-op studies of early spay/neuter in dogs and cats have shown no increase in endocrine problems. These are studies involving thousands of animals. Ferrets are not so different physiologically that we would be led to think early spaying would have a profound affect on them, and no effect at all on dogs and cats. What happens if you do manage to get things changed? Suppose the US does start selling non-spayed or castrated kits in pet stores? Can you imagine what would happen to the ferret population here? I shudder to think about it. There are so many irresponsible people that every Tom, Dick and Harry would be breeding ferrets and our shelters would be as overrun with ferrets as they now are with dogs and cats. People in the UK may not have any idea how many unwanted animals are killed here in the US every year. I have to say that whatever problems might be associated with early spay/neuter, none of them are as bad as what I visualize as the alternative. Perhaps people who are rabidly anti-early spaying should take that under consideration. Debbie Kemmerer [Posted in FML issue 2224]