From:
sukiecrandall@telocity.com
Date: 2002-07-30 02:37:37 UTC
Subject: RE: Bob C: Common Knowledge
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <21744011.1027996658006.JavaMail.root@scandium>
I don't know why Smartgroups is thinking that Linda's posts are attachments when they aren't but here is her post:
Bob writes
Ask questions, disagree,
point out error, offer alternative hypotheses, try to falsify suggested
hypotheses, demand empirical evidence, ask for, obtain and read
references, and never, ever, ever forget dogma, disguised as common
knowledge, is our common enemy.
Bob is quite right that "common knowledge" both inside and outside the
ferret community often creates barriers to improving the lot of our fuzzy
friends. But be careful not to confuse common knowledge with common sense,
which many people could use an extra dose of! Of course common sense can
sometimes lead you astray, just as common knowledge is sometimes right. :-)
Bob also says
the stress of overcrowding probably cause ferrets more
discomfort, even deaths, than most ferret diseases combined.
I'd like to see some supporting evidence for this statement. While I can
believe that overcrowding is a problem, especially in shelters, does it
really effect more ferrets than adrenal disease or insulinoma? Combined??
What is the average number of ferrets in a household? What percentage of
ferrets live in an overcrowded setting? Is overcrowding defined by space or
number of ferrets, or a combination? Which is worse overcrowding: 5 ferrets
in a cage 20 hours a day, 10 ferrets with their own room, or 20 ferrets
free roam in 3 rooms?
Linda Iroff
Oberlin OH