Pam wrote:- >1. Require that no domesticated companion animal... be sold to the > public until it is 8 weeks of age. Someone posted a response that 10 weeks would be a better alternative. If this is a serious attempt to start an all-inclusive legislative push, let me state right off the bat that you'll never make headway for anything beyond 7 weeks. Most retreiver-training guides choose the 49th day (7 weeks) as the the optimum time to pick up a pup; there's enough 'mothering' so that they know they're a dog, but not so much that they won't accept another as their 'new' mom. I'm sure this age varies with cats and ferrets as well. Unfortunately, it would be hard for this to make any headway as a ferrets-only bill, it would start getting complicated once you start mandating different ages for different pets, and I'm sure there would 'constitutionality' issues for restricting one's right to sell their goods on the free market. Despite all that, I think it's a great idea, but if you want to include dogs as well as ferrets, the you'll get oppostion from any sort of hunting organization/lobby for anything less than 7 weeks. -Erin... [Posted in FML issue 2305]