[Moderator's note: Appears to be a response to this news piece:
http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061208/NEWS04/612080324
first mentioned in FML 5451. BIG]
I certainly agree with not giving a pet for Christmas. If you want to
give a pet as a gift, better to wrap a dish or collar to put under the
tree and then give the pet later, when things calm down.
However, I disagree with your characterization of ferrets as a wild
animal. These are domesticated pets--they have been domesticated at
least as long as cats. Calling them "wild" is a great disservice to
the animal. Ferrets admittedly are NOT for everyone. If people get
the impression that they are have "wild" animal, they will feel that
if it's not working out, they will be doing the animal a "favor" by
releasing it into the wild.
Nothing could be further than the truth. Domesticated ferrets are as
unsuited to living in the wild as your pet dog. They are not used to
hunting for their food. To them, food is the stuff in the bowl, and
anything small and furry is a friend or a toy. Hundreds of ferrets die
of starvation, cold and disease every year because a misguided former
owner did them the "favor" of releasing them into the wild. If a ferret
isn't working out, it is much better to turn them over to a ferret
shelter (there are some in most states). If there is no ferret shelter
nearby, the ferret would be better off in a SPCA shelter. At least that
way if it is not adopted, it will get a quick humane death, instead of
suffering for a long period of time in the wild.
The natural habitat of the ferret is a family home.
Melody Tomaszewicz
Piscataway, New Jersey
(melodyt and the slinky six)
--
Melody Tomaszewicz
Holdings Record Maintenance Team Leader
New Brunswick Libraries
Distributed Technical Services
Rutgers University
Email: [log in to unmask]
Phone: (732) 445-3856 ext. 313
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"Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines."
[Posted in FML 5454]
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