Concerning ferrets and young children (my opinion).  It's not injury to the
child I worry about, but to the ferret.  Most children under the age of 7 or
so have little to minimal fine motor control.  What is meant for a loving
hug, may turn into a spine damaging squeeze.  Or when the ferret squirms to
get down and almost makes it, a grab can turn into a joint damaging pull.
Then too, many youngsters are just boystrous and love to jump up and down
when really excited.  Curious ferrets can get stomped.
 
That's why in general we perfer to wait to adopt ferrets to families until
the youngest child is 9 or so.
 
If you do have infants and any pet (dog, cat, parrot) never leave an infant
where the pet has access, without supervision.
 
Dick B.
[Posted in FML issue 1260]