>>If Arnie-land lacks small valuable wild animals and the wild bird life is
>>unimportant to you, then easing of restrictions on Ferrets and
>>their ilk may be a good idea.
>
>Well, for instance, why would neutered ferrets be a problem?
>
>BillW

Most (almost all, in fact) ferrets in the US are bred by a single company
in New York state, Marshall Farms.  They are de-sexed and de-scented
(normally they have scent glands not entirely dissimilar to skunks) before
they leave the farm (too early, in fact, which leads to health problems
later in life).  So there's your breeding issue solved...in fact, if a
female
ferret is not spayed before the first time she goes into heat, she will
frequently die if not bred.  The small size of the population also means
that it's very unlikely that a breeding pair would ever meet, much less
both be capable of reproduction.

Domesticated ferrets have also lost most of their hunting instinct, and
have a demonstrated inability to survive in the wild for more than a
day or two (they tend to be unaware that puddles and ponds are a
viable source of water).

My point is that whatever the dangers of ferrets released in the wild
is, the impact of cats and dogs is far more significant.

Mike H.

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