Jeanne,
 
Have you ever considered going ahead with a petition to collect enough
signatures to get ferret legalization on the ballot?
 
The wording of the law would be simple (I would welcome input from legal
experts) and would avoid any appearance of being "too bureaucratic":
 
Henceforth, it will be legal to keep domestic ferrets as pets in
California, so long as the pet ferrets receive rabies, distemper, and
other vaccines deemed essential by the International Rabies Consortium
and other applicable national health authorities, and so long as they are
spayed or neutered by 6 months of age.  Owners of domestic ferrets will
be charged the same licensing fees as those charged for dogs and cats and
will be subject to the same ordinances that apply to dogs and cats in the
respective jurisdiction where the domestic ferret is housed as a pet.
 
Linda Doran
[Posted in FML issue 4651]