>From: Becki Kain <[log in to unmask]> >I have a non-scientific poll question. Most of my ferrets have died >somewhere between 7 and 8 years old, 2 of which were MF and 2 of which were >from a breeder and left to mature before getting fixed. Am I just cursed That's the most common age of death we've seen, too, for ferrets from any breeder we've used -- large or small, though we've had a few who went older or younger. (We typically call it "late in the 6th year to early in the eighth year".) Have now and then heard of unusual individuals who went longer -- sometimes a breeder has a great genetic strain, or sometimes there's just an individual like that. Urban mentioned once seeing this time frame in Sweden if I recall right, and someone else mentioned seeing it in Holland. How about other locations? Have heard of a number of ferrets THOUGHT to be older who were adoptees and really were NOT older than this or just a bit older once serious traces were done. Have also heard of the stray individual (from a range of sources, large and small) who went to 9, 10, or sometimes older. Frankly, we'd LOVE to get a kit or two the next time we have room for one more (not now) from someone whose ferrets tend toward longer lives, but tracing down the rumors only led to one who doesn't have ferrets anymore but was often seeing 10 years, and one who assured that she TYPICALLY gets 10 to 12 but we have not heard a word from her since then and some other things happened later to call her word into question. BREEEDERS, WHAT ARE YOU SEEING WITH YOUR STRAINS? [Posted in FML issue 2609]