Ed, I have read reports on the small number of cases in which a ferret was
implicated in an infant's death -- these amount worldwide to a lower number
than most of us have fingers one hand, BTW.  I have also read a number
of the serious injury cases.  EVERY case with a death which I have read
involved parental abuse or neglect -- typically both for the animal and the
child.  EVERY death case I read also involved the parents or guardians
either passed out drunk/stoned or completely absent from the home -- which
makes sense because otherwise the infant's cries would have been heard.
(No slam on the deaf here, ED, there are ways deaf people monitor including
visually and with electronic monitors which trigger lamps.  Also, having
known someone whose child had to have a tracheal stoma from infancy through
some of early childhood I have known parents who managed to monitor a child
who could not cry and keep her safe.) In the injury cases I have read one
ferret had not received medical care for a fungal infection which -- if
memory serves -- had eaten through the bulla into the cranial cavity.
Otherwise, they have been like the death cases and the case which Linda
mentioned in that the parents were passed out and there was abuse.
 
Can an attack happen otherwise?  Sure, but it's going to be rare.  In fact,
according to one of the humane publications I read (Can't recall offhand
which one it was but I think the one from Associated Humane Societies.)
most attacks by ANY type of pet animal are traceable to abuse or neglect.
There may well be two reasons form that -- abuse and neglect create the
confusion and pain which can precipitate an attack, and they also mean that
that care and supervision are lacking or sometimes absent.
 
It may also mean that people will want to be a bit more careful with any
adoptees from abusive homes in case they have established a reaction
pattern which might pose a future hazard.  Ditto that shelters which know
of an abuse history may prefer adotping to a home without young children.
Personally, I tend to think of ferrets as not being ideal for young kids
simply because both tend to be excitable, but I don't see any reason for
people who have ferrets to get rid of them when children are born unless
there are very extenuating circumstances.  Fortunately, there ARE things
like barriers, dutch doors, and huge cages available to allow people keep
everyone happy and well.
 
The risk rates ARE worth knowing despite what you think.  At per capita
animal having a rate that is 1/200th or the rate which dogs have gives
people a feel for how uncommon the incidence is and that the press noise is
a matter fo finding a man-bites-dog story in it's rarity; that lets them
have a better handle on how to use their own common sense.
 
I find it impossible to believe that in a situation which usually traces
back to drug or alcohol abuse and mistreatment of the pet (and often child)
that anyone here would "blood on our hands" unless one of us has a miracle
cure for drug and liquor abuse and is withholding it.  We can't save the
world, but can only pass along common sense.
 
Carla, the information you want on the older history of domestication of
ferrets in available in the Natural History FAQ at
http://www.ferretcentral.org
The Egyptian artwork is probably a mongoose, but there are Roman writings
and I gather some suggestive Greek ones.
 
Sukie
 
[Moderator's note: Or ask the FML server to SEND NATURAL HISTORY      BIG]
[Posted in FML issue 2542]