>From:    Modern Ferret Magazine <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: Editor's Comments in 1999 Ferrets USA
>Melissa Durfee wrote:
>>Ferrets communicate with their teeth much more than other companion
>>animals and it's something people need to be aware of.
>Check out any of the ferret web sites devoted to ferret legalization and
>you will find all sorts of documentation of how much more frequently and
>severely people are bitten by dogs.
 
I'm not talking about ferrets latching onto your hands.  I'm talking about
ferrets who put their teeth on you when you play with them.  I have
different expectations when I play with a dog than when I play with a
ferret.  When I lived at home we always had a family dog; I was only bitten
by one of these dogs once (I woke him out of a sound sleep so it was my
fault anyway).
 
I'd never expect to feel a dog's teeth on me but it's something I accept
when I play with my ferrets.  Usually it's nothing more than feeling the
tips of their teeth on my skin; if they get too rough I let them know.
 
To tell non-ferret people that ferrets absolutely "don't bite" is
ridiculous.  How many people out there have ferrets who can't be trusted
around the soft parts of their arms?  Of the four ferrets we have now, the
sweetest, most affectionate one is Kili.  But he STILL has a problem with
occassionally latching onto a wrist or forearm.  That's why I don't let
strangers hold him when we go for walks.
 
Like I said originally, ferrets communicate with their mouths more than
cats and dogs.  It's something potential ferret owners should be made
aware of;  ferrets are not the perfect pet.
 
-mel
[Posted in FML issue 2520]