Boy do I hate this subject! Yes they (MF) sell for reserch...(how do you think the new rabies studies would have been done without having subjects to do the research on? Would you rather just have all bite/nip/scratch cases killed and tested? Not Me!) Yes they do early alters.... but how many ferrets would die if they sold whole females to the general (and often generally uneducated about ferrets) public? Not everyone will go to the trouble of even reading a short manual before buying a pet. And, Yes they sell to the "dreaded pet stores", but for some of us that's the only option as far as obtaining a pet ferret. There are no quality breeders in my area. Although there are two different ones locally, they just keep trading breeding stock back and forth...... no wonder most of them look exactly alike; very small and dark sables. ( Oh, one gal said she had a few silvers, but when I asked if they were pretty dark she said with a sneer "no they're white...." and I say OH, so they're more of a dark eyed white than an actual silver? And she again smirks and says " Their eyes are RED!" SORRY! I wouldn't take a ferret from an idiot like that if it was free!) Now, if I had breeders around here like the Killian's or any of the others on this list (sorry people....I just can't think of your names right now, but you know who you are. ;} ) I'd certainly take advantage of the fact and get my next fert from one of them, but I don't have that option. So, does that mean I shouldn't be able to enjoy a ferret as a companion? I say BULL! Marshall ferrets are very much known for their wonderful temperaments, and I wouldn't trade my Katie for anything. She is everything a first ferret should be. If my New Zealand bred Worf had been my first, he'd have most likely been my last too! I love the little bugger dearly and again, wouldn't give him up for the world, but he's been a trial. Katie had gentley prepaired me though, for what a ferret can be. I now feel like I could handle about any fuzzie, but without Katie (and my FML Family) I wouldn't have known what to do with Worf. So in my own opinion MF helped me by breeding such a sweet pet. I may not like some of the things they do, but I also realize some of those things ARE necessary. Like it or not.... I'll get down off my soapbox now and don my asbestos undies, I'm sure the flames are comming...... Yes, this is all just my "Opinion", and seen from my own point of view and it might or might not mean anything to anybody, but everyone has a right to their own opinion..Right? I'm not forcing anyone to agree with me. Amy Evers and: Katie (the Sweet One) and Worf (aka: The Velociweasel!) "Here's Dookin' at You Kit!" [Posted in FML issue 2232]