From:
sukiec@optonline.net
Date: 2004-09-01 03:22:59 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] RE: Young Age at Alter Comments Re: [ferrethealth] Digest 31
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <3924462.1094008979350.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>
> But surely there's an easy happy medium here... altering at 6 months
> would minimize both problems, wouldn't it?
Several points:
1. The breeders sell the ferrets before the age of 6 months.
2. Many people do not get medical for kits even though they should
3. Pet stores too often have quite a history of not imparting clear medical instructions and even when they do people often for get them
4. If a ferret is exposed to too much light she can go into heat as young as 4 months of age (If you do a websearch on darkness and Dr Judith Bell you will find an interesting pdf on the topic.)
5. At this point it may be that 6 months is too little a difference to matter.