A big thank you to J.L. Brown for the children's defense!  It has
prompted me to write my own.  I have two ferrets, Felix and Oscar.
Felix came from a pet shop (probably a MF ferret) and Oscar came from
a breeder.  I also have three dogs (two German Shepherd Dogs and one
VERY old cocker spaniel) and several fish tanks.  One of my greatest
joys is my three-year-old, William, and he has been taught how to
treat animals with respect and loves them all.  He has a fish tank in
his room (the goldfish died a week ago and we have not replaced yet)
and he is reminded to feed them if he does not do so on his own.  He
helps me feed and water the dogs and the ferrets.  I got Felix when
he was just over two years old and he handled him from the start.  We
added Oscar six months later.  Felix is not fond of being held and will
nip William if he doesn't want to be bothered and William learned that
quickly.  I will later teach him how to correct Felix when I think he
will be able to handle it, as Felix will not nip me when I pick him up
or hold him.  (You see, Felix knows he can get away with a nip to
William!)
 
William has always been very good with the ferrets and wants to let
them out of their cage.  He kisses them (mostly Oscar because of
the aforementioned problem with Felix) and has even been known to rock
Oscar in his rocking chair while singing to him.
 
My friend that keeps William during the day while I work also has two
ferrets (aren't they contagious?) and her youngest girl was just over
one year old when she got hers.  There have never been any problems
with the kids for either of us.  The POINT being:  a breed (German
Shepherd, pit bull, etc.), an animal (dog, cat, ferret, etc.), a kid
(human, any variety) is not USUALLY (I relent to exceptions to
everything) bad, mean, ferocious or anything else it is not RAISED to
be.  End of soapbox.
 
I wish everyone's ferrets and other animals (two-legged ones, too!)
the best of days!!
 
Jackie, big William (husband), little William (child), Bear and Missy
(GSDs), Junior (cocker), Felix and Oscar (ferrets and keepers of the
socks and tennis balls), anole, tree toad, firebelly toad, and numerous
fish (all unnamed) . . .
[Posted in FML issue 1128]