I have tried repeatedly to understand many people on this list. I tried to understand why on earth any one advocating ferrets as pets would point out cases of ferrets biting due to noise stimulus as proof that ferrets are not domesticated and that they are de-evolving. I have tried to understand why some one who believes in the joy of ferrets would call neutered ferrets "sissy ferrets" or "inferior". I tried to understand how a ferret lover could say that other ferret lovers were perpetuating extinction and senseless butchering by simply purchasing from Marshall Farms. I'm sorry but I just don't get it. Comments such as, "Are we speaking of attempting to create a SUPER RACE? Absolutely we are; the more super the better. And what the hell is wrong with that?" I'll tell you. There are many different types of people on this list - we are all trying to share our knowledge and our love for the ferret. Not all of us understand what you stand to accomplish or share by using images associated with a monster from our past. "...you are loving the ferret to death...especially when humans require the maiming (early spay & neutering) of such pets with absolutely no concern whatsoever given to... our cancer ridden and drastically short lived, commercially bred ferrets that are typical of MF." - If you see Marshals ferrets as cancer ridden "inferior" ferrets you should be glad that they are not contributing to the gene pool. But yet you criticize Marshals for neutering. Again I am confused."...a ferret owner who's only experience is handling MF furballs and who comes here and picks up one after another of our viripotent, in season hobs... expecting that our ... ferrets are going to be just as docile as his MF furball. Man-o-man, is he in for a surprise.." - Is a serious biter, a ferret that can live on it's own because it's traits are closer to it's non domesticated kin, is this what you see as your superior ferret? Don't we breed to keep the traits that makes a animal a more suitable pet (docile, loving and yes dependent)? Is your idea of the Super Ferret a wild animal? Is that why you don't like our "sissy, butchered ferrets"? Perhaps that is why this comment was made, "For Damon Hudoc and his instinctive tendency, his innate sense of animalism, I say kudos. Please do feed to your ferret(s) live feeder mice..." Is this due to the fact that in the wild (if they were in the wild) they would eat live animals instead of kibble? Does this "wildness" make the ferret more appealing to you? Maybe this is why I don't understand you. I want my 5 year old daughter to experience 'the joy of ferrets'. I want her to be able to pick up my Marshall Farms 3 pound "butchered" fuzzball and put her up to her nose and her lips with out having them bitten right off. I want to have a docile, loving, dependent, juvenile, playful, curious wonderful ferret. That is where we have been going with the domestication ever since they outlived the necessity of being mousers. I don't want a wild animal as a pet. "The one constant in this universe is change. You either 'Go with the flow' or you'll be left alone to wither and die." Only dead fish go with the flow... Beth, Minerva and Frumpstiggle the Marsh wiggle in Denver, Colorado navigating our way up the stream. [Posted in FML issue 2392]