Please take the spirit of this post as informative, not accusational
or flaming.

I was a bit alarmed by the tone of the anthro cruelty post. I have
concerns with thoughts that human emotions are being put on animals.
It has been clearly and scientifically proven that animals do have
and do exhibit emotional responses. One would think this would have
been proven a hundred years ago but it wasn't until recent years that
studies were conducted.

While a day in a cage won't cause extreme physical harm (unless your
ferret gets trapped or twisted in bedding or a nail or toe caught in a
wire and you don't notice till the next day), it can cause turmoil to
an intelligent active mind as well as confusion. Ferrets are creatures
of habit and in my experience they truly don't like their regular
schedule changed.

There is more to out of cage time than just physical activity - there
is mental stimulation and human interaction as well. I recommend that
ferrets get at least 4-6 hours of out of cage time on a daily basis,
the more time out the better. Imagine being locked in a room the size
of a small bathroom with your bed food and toilet, only to get out for
an hour a day. Free roam, or roomed ferrets are much calmer than caged
ferrets, though not everyone's circumstances allow for this type of an
environment.

For people who have disabling medical issues, I recommend a ferret safe
playroom for the times they just cannot do what needs to be done for
these little ones or when they are too busy to supervise the out of
cage time.

Ferrets are completely dependant on their caretakers, and as ferret
caretakers we need to do what is in the best interest of our little
charges.  Ferrets are ferrets, they aren't dogs, cats, or rodents (that
need to be caged a majority of time for safety) or any otherr animal.

Tiny furry ferret bodies contain tons of energy (especially youngsters),
and their intelligent minds are constantly twirling trying to figure
things out.  Combine that high energy and intelligent mind and you've
got a mustelid!

I don't speak lightly about doing what needs to be done.  Twenty one
months ago I tore muscles and cartilage from my sternum and ribs and
I still suffer from this injury.  A very painful injury which was
compounded by an initial wrong diagnosis, then the lack of adequate
treatment.  If you've heard about work comp not doing what it is
suppose to do, which is provide adequate treatment for injuries, I can
attest to those stories from personal experience.  I also get severe
migraines.  Even though I live with pain every minute of every day
the ferrets deserve the same level of care now that they got before
my injury.  If I need to let something go, it will be something other
than the ferret care (so don't look at the cobwebs in the corner when
you come for a visit).

My group is free roam except for the beastie boys who are caged when
they hit strike 3 or when strike 1 is especially heinous, and a group
of oldsters and timid little ones that reside in the front bedroom to
keep them safe. These two changes to a totally free roam home came
about because of my limitations from the injury, and I did the best I
possibly could for these particular ferrets and the situation at hand.
I do open the barrier so the bedroom group can come out but most prefer
to stay in their safe haven. Others go in and visit and often want in
the safe room when outside of it, but it is for a special needs group.
The beastie boys are out several times a day for as long as they are
good, sometimes all night. I feel bad that I had to close off one room
of the house from the others and that I had to confine a group to that
room. I feel bad that the beastie kids have to be caged. But on both
counts it is a safety factor.

I examined the situation and did what I could to make it better for
each of us with the least amount of suffering (it appears I worry
more about the situation than they do).

tle
www.ferretfamilyservices.org

[Posted in FML 5748]