For many people the question of "Why adopt?" is absurd: as long as animal shelters are full of pets in need of homes, adoption is the humane and responsible way to add that special ferret family member. And yet most people purchase their ferrets from a pet store, either because they aren't aware of nearby shelters or because of misconceptions about shelter ferrets.

We constantly strive for good public awareness, but the effort is both time consuming and costly, and the best results have come from word of mouth. If you know of someone who owns ferrets or who wants a ferret, please tell them about the CFN and give them our contact information -- we are more than happy to give CFN brochures, business cards, and newsletters to people who wish to hand them out to ferret enthusiasts, pet stores or vets.

There are a number of notions about shelter ferrets that keep people off the adoption track, but these ideas are not founded in fact, and we'll try and clear up a few of these misapprehensions here. Top Shelter Ferret Misconceptions

• A young ferret will bond with its new owner better than an older ferret.

  Ferrets are very adaptable animals, and remain so all through their lives, and so most ferrets will bond to their new owners given the appropriate amount of attention no matter what their age. At the CFN, the future owner plays with each ferret in a play room until they find the match that is just right for them, their family, and their home.

• Adopting a shelter ferret is inheriting someone else's problems.

  Most ferrets are relinquished to shelters because their owners made impulse purchases from pet stores and later find ferrets to be too much trouble and work.

  Unlike most pet store employees, shelter operators become familiar with the personality of each ferret under their care, and can best match an owner with a ferret personality that will work best for everyone involved.

  In addition, all CFN ferrets are spayed or neutered, tested for ADV, up to date on all required vaccinations, and have had a health exam from a ferret experienced veterinarian -- almost all pet store ferrets need additional vaccinations and have not yet seen a vet.

• Buying a ferret from a pet store is easier than adopting from a shelter.

  Up front this appears to be true: you just pay your money and take home a ferret from a pet store. At the shelter you must go through a phone interview, and then spend more time at the shelter choosing and interacting with a variety of different ferrets, then sign an adoption form, and finally pay the adoption fee and take your ferrets home.

  Of course the pet store ferret still needs a couple of trips to the vet to complete its canine distemper vaccinations series, get its rabies vaccination, and have a health check: extra time and money not required for about a year with CFN ferrets.

  A pet store sells ferrets to make money. Most pet store employees do not care if you know what is involved in owning a ferret, or if you'll wind up giving up your ferret a few months down the road because "it didn't work out." Probably 75% of the ferrets at the CFN originally came from a pet store (specifically one national chain of pet stores that sells ferrets for around $100), and were purchased on impulse. Most have been through more than one home before finally ending up at a shelter. It is much easier to spend a little extra time up front with a shelter operator determining if you really want a ferret than to make a mistake on an impulse purchase and have to live with it until you find a solution.