I'd like to see rescue/shelters chime in her on how many of them ask for social security numbers or credit card numbers. None? How about someone's sex life? How they feel about abortion? Then what's the deal on invading privacy? There are a wide variety of reasons to ask. The questions asked are pertinent to determining whether the home will be a good one for the life of the animal (outside of unforseen life alterating events that can happen). Good placement policies can also save a toddler from being bit. Any dog/cat/horse etc. breeder worth their salt does the same. They ask a TON of questions, often pick out the dog/cat from the litter for the home (since they know the pesonality of the puppy/kitten), makes the adopter sign a contract etc. etc. Anything less and your not being responsible for the life that you bred or rescue'd. Think about the responsbility from the other side. They do their damndest because if a dog/cat or ferret goes of into a less suitable home - they end up feeling guilty even though no one can ever be sure. Not to mention the animal suffering. These kinds of questions and contracts are common in almost every other type of animal and personally I wonder sometimes if people think ferrerts are somehow "less" than dogs or cats. No one supports the idea of puppy mills right? Or buying a dog in a pet store because it came from a puppy mill? The dog/cat etc. people are out there trying to educate Joe Q Public as much as they can and still 10 million or more dogs and cats are put to sleep every year despite their efforts. I don't want to see ferrets swell that statistic. If your philosophy about animal care as relates to how you would take care of an animal is that important to you.... Mary, Booker the rescue dog and Boris and Giesela the fuzzbutts [Posted in FML issue 2292]