David asked about ferrets and babies:
 
We have a 7 month old son who LOVES our ferrets.  The responsible pet owner
and parent though limits the contact (for the sake of both) and never
unsupervised.  STAR*, AFA, LAFF and several other ferret lubs and
organizations now have pictures of our son (Derek Harrison) with our old
lady Furball.  There are also pictures of Derek and one of our sable kits.
We keep our ferrets in the basement (finished - I lost my pool table to
these guys) and our human nursery on the second floor.  Cats share with the
ferrets and dogs in the middle.  Quite a menagerie.
 
In your case I would recommend the sweetest Marshall Farms ferrets you can
find.  I have never seen a mean MF ferret but even the best breeders get the
occaisional less polite ferret - including us unfortunately.  You might also
try to find older ferrets rather than kits.  Kits tend to play rougher than
adults and them boogers got sharp little teeth.  Kits aren't evil they just
think of teeth as toys.  I trust my eldest Furball absolutely completely
with my baby.  I've even let them sleep together at a ferret show.  I adore
all of my other ferrets but don't trust the quite as much if the baby were
to squeeze them.  Unprovoked I trust most of them but babies are unreliable
unfortunately.
 
I think it is a workable situation but with caution.  I'd keep the ferrets
in cages most of the time - and all of the time you are not around.  If you
get a large enough cage with enough tubes and tunnels and hammocks and open
space your ferrets would be happy - ours are.  If I get a snail-mail address
I can send soem of the photots up for you, Kelleen, and FANG to use for
positive images of ferrets and children on displays.
 
John and Christi brought up descenting:
 
I'm strongly of the opinion that descenting is not necessary or even
helpful.  I strongly support limitting descenting to those cases where it is
medically desirable.  A ferret that can't control its discharges wouldl be a
candidate for the surgery.  Descenting is more expensive that neutering a
male and almost as much as spaying a female (at Dr.  Kawasaki's Old Bridge
Veterinary Hospital).  It is a seperate operation from the spay/neuter and
not connected in anyway except the sharing of the anathesia.  I've also been
told it is a harder operation on adults than young kits.
 
Descenting does not help in the day to day odor of a ferret.  Regular ear
cleaning and keeping their housing clean are FAR more important.  Medically
spaying a pet ferret is essential and desired for males so I'm assuming any
ferret you get would end up altered.
 
Its not evil and horrible to descent but I don't like it the same way I
don't like declawing cats or cutting the ears and tails of dogs.
 
My opinions of course vary from some others.
 
bill killian
zen and the art of ferrets
[Posted in FML issue 1348]