I have mixed feelings about both zoos and circuses. However, if you are
going to have a circus act with animals - ferrets would be a reasonable
choice. Haven't been to a circus/zoo in years, but at least ferrets a)
are domestic, fairly small and easy to keep b) like dark places like a
pocket in a jacket, b) these get to run and c) these seem to be active
and have nice coats.

Better ferrets running loose in the ring than monkeys doing tricks and
mimicking humans. These ferrets looked clean, active and had good coats
(don't think you could get a woman to wear a bunch of dirty ferrets
with fleas in her costume). They also bring in money for the manager of
this act so I would assume the person who trains them takes good care
of them because the ferrets bring in money.

Takes a while to train a ferret - I'm guessing - in a circus ring -
even just to run away from the audience in the right direction. They
also have to be kept together as a group - introducing a new one if one
died would cause problems - ferrets fighting/screaming/biting in a coat
would not be much fun - plus - pee stains and poop drops when the flaps
fall down!

They'd have to be handled frequently - kindly - otherwise they would
bite like hell when moved quickly from box to coat. So, hopefully these
are money making ferrets (as is the bunny in the alternate video) and
the trainer/owners take good care of them. You would also REALLY try to
keep every member of the group alive since adding a ferret to the group
-as mentioned above - would be difficult -fighting/screaming/ biting/
peeing/ pooping/ etc in the box, the coat, the circus ring. Not a good
crowd pleaser.

Meryl

[Posted in FML 7015]