I agree totally that you should do any and all research before getting any
pet - HOWEVER - I do not agree with ?  (can't recall who exactly) that if an
animal has claws, it will use them - especially when refering to cats and
scratching people.  It is yes something to consider BUT at the same time,
each pet (as we all know) has its own personality and some are much more
laid back than others.  I have a friend who has a cat that has never
scratched a soul - even when she was little and excitable.  Even if the
animal has a tendancy to scratch or in the case of ferrets, dig, they can be
trained with lots of patience and consistancy.  I admit my crew sometimes
still dig at the carpet but a stern no <insert name hear> gets them to stop.
 
My point is just because the critter has the equipment, it does NOT mean
that they'll use it for destruction/harm.
 
Just my $.02 - George and her reasonably well-behaved crew
D. Pasquino/G. Peters
Toronto, Ontario
[Posted in FML issue 1361]