To Anonymous
I can't speak for all FMLers, but I'd like to give a shot at answering
your question about why "ferret lovers get up in arms about ferrets being
portrayed as biters".  First and foremost, unlike cats and dogs, there
is a lot of ignorance surrounding ferrets.  To portray ferrets as biters
instead of giving the whole picture only encourages ridiculous laws
banning ferrets.  Second, as you implied, ferrets bite for many reasons
including play.  As dogs and cats nearly always bite to hurt (at least in
my experience), the general public jumps to the conclusion that ferrets
are nasty (which is rarely the case).  Third, articles in the press such
as the Ben Stiller one do not report that ferrets rarely get rabies so,
once again, the public automatically assumes they are at risk.  Fourth,
articles in the press don't mention that with proper care and teaching,
nearly 100% of ferrets can be taught not to bite.  Fifth, when my fuzzies
take me for a walk in the park, I'm tired of hearing parents tell their
children to stay away from the ferrets because they bite.
 
Happy Holidays to all.
Elliot
[Posted in FML issue 4369]