Some people just don't match with ferrets.  That's true for any other
critter, too, and is a common cause of dumping of animals.  of abuse of
animals, of over-run shelters, etc.
 
The blame should be on those who sell without educating, and those who
buy without first learning since info is readily available these days.
 
Will some individuals not mesh?  Yes, that can happen, too, but as in
human-to-human relationships the lack of meshing is "a-little-bit-me,
a-little-bit-you" so the humans have to meet the ferret partway, too,
instead of expecting that the ferret will do all of the adjusting.
 
Like Wolfy, I'd rather see people realize when they or their lifestyles
aren't suited to a given type of animal BEFOREHAND.  The warnings are out
there, it's just that too many people buy animals BEFORE they bother to
learn anything about them and to many sell them with UNrealistic
expectations created.
 
Has anyone EVER figured out just why humans are too prone to jumping into
intense relationships (of any types) without first figuring out if they
personally can get along with the four-footed, two-footed (including
human), finned individuals they invite into such intense interactions?
(Okay, I was among those who as a kid studied folks with successful
marriages and didn't jump fast into marriage -- actually turning down a
number of proposals before I accepted Steve's, and it has resulted in a
marvelous 22 years (the best of my life by a wide margin), so not everyone
jumps fast, but we got ferrets 19 and 1/2 years ago without knowing about
them back before there was info out there except for one old book on
hunting ferrets from Britain.  At least now-a-days there are books,
websites, lists, etc.  so folks CAN learn FIRST.)
[Posted in FML issue 3582]