Sorry for the thousands of posts to the list, but I found this topic
important...as a lot of ferret owners have other species in their zoos.
 
We had the iguana before the ferrets and never had much luck with the
iguana giving affection.  Granted, our ferrets are not "snugglers" but they
are soft and litter trained and DOMESTICATED!  Our iguana is in a huge cage
(many times bigger than the ferrets') and comes out periodically, of his
own free will and sits (where else) on *top* of the cage.  Our ferrets will
do anything to go into this room, reset his timers and scare the heck out
of the iguana.  He will puff up, hiss, show them how big he is, shoot salt
at them from his nostrils, and they have no respect.
 
For the last 3 years, we have been doing 'iguana therapy'.  Wearing leather
gloves with our fingers curled back, we would pet him until he would not
whip us.  I have to point out the iguanas ARE wild animals.  There are some
that are so calm they will sleep with their owners, ours on the other hand
will bite and whip at anything that "threatens" it.  Either way, they are
not domesticated.  He hates our ferrets.  Which is fine.  He has his own
room.  He is not free roam as cleaning up iguana poop is 50 times worse
than picking up a ferret log.  Imagine a Pterydactyl pooping on your
carpet - ie. bird crap lizard size.  When we let him out of the cage, he
just sits on top of it.
 
I won't get into the Salmonella issues, as I have no idea if Ferrets are
affected by it.  My main concern is for both the ferret and the iguana.
Male iguanas can be more dangerous as they do hit puberty and become VERY
territorial.  Ours has always been very mean and territorial.  He will eat
strawberries from my hand though...you have to know how to read them.  Ours
is very predictable - he will whip and he will bite.  end of story.
 
Why do we keep such a mean-spirited creature?  Because 3.5 years ago, we
saw a cute, small, green iguana that liked to be held and we bought him
from a pet store.  We feed him properly, give him all he needs and his
personality dictates that he is a jerk.  He would be a jerk in the wild
too.  But I would rather work with him and know that we keep him properly
than to have someone get him, feed him lettuce and carrots, and dispose of
him because he is mean.  Our vet has one just like him.
 
The point, after so many drawn out words, is please keep the iguana and
ferrets separated.  The ferrets may be interested and may do no harm, but
iguanas don't understand ferrets.  Iguanas may look like they don't move
all day, but you can bet they tear off when threatened, either to run away,
or to attack.  This is my personal experience.  Feel free to post if you
got lucky with a "calm" iguana.  The unexpected fight that could occur one
day would not be worth the damage either animal would receive.  And iguanas
DO have teeth - ours bit me *through* the fingernail and into my thumb -
looked like perforation - razor sharp.  (I would love to stand in a pet
store and preach as those 9 year olds beg their moms for cute little 3.5"
iguanas with 10" tails.  Ours is now three feet long and his tail is like a
whip that leaves welts)
 
Sorry so long...some animals don't mix, but they can be kept with
territories.
 
Stephanie, Chimi, Pepe, & debut appearance by Oscar, the grouch
[Posted in FML issue 2667]