anon please Chris.
 
>What are ferrets? Are they rodents?
Ferrets are relatives of skunks, minks and otters.  They are not members of
the rodent family.  Personality and intelligence wise, they lie somewhere
between dogs and cats.  They remain very playfull their whole lives and tend
to be more personable than cats.  They are curious to a fault and with their
hand-like paws and limited climbing ability, they tend to get into a lot of
mischief.  Their innate cuteness makes them very difficult to get mad at.
Diet usually consists of high quality cat food.
 
> Where can I get one?
California is one of the four states where ferrets are still illegal though
many people own them there.  You would have to go to a bordering state to get
one and vet care could be a problem.  The law making them illegal is being
fought.  I myself live in a state where ferrets are illegal which is why this
is posted anonymously.
 
> Are people who are
>allergic to dogs and cats ok with ferrets? (I have rats, and they work
>well.)
There was recently a lenghty discussion on this on the list.  The conclusion
was that many people (~75%?) who were allegic to cats and dogs were not
allegic to ferrets.  On the other hand, there are reportedly people who are
not allegic to cats or dogs but who are allegic to ferrets.  Your best option
is to try before you buy.
 
>Any references you can lead me to?
There are several books out on ferrets and the list has a lot of
knowledgeable people.  In addition there is a FAQ.  Ferrets are not for
everybody and I would recommend that you visit with one for a while before
you decide to get one.  I'm also not sure how compatible they would be with
your rats.  Ferrets were often used on sailing ships for mousers/ratters
instead of cats because of their ability to get into tight places.  I lost a
hamster to my ferret and I have a friend who's ferret caught several mice and
one rat.
 
 
                                        -anon
[Posted in FML issue 0525]