Max writes:
>This is going to spook people here abouts so please try to limit who touches
>your ferrets to those that you know well.
 
WRONG!!!  The more we hide our ferrets in the closet, the more people will
be scared of them!  This man did not get rabies from a ferret, he got it
from a bat.  We should no more hide our ferrets away than our cats and dogs.
I take my ferrets out as much as I possibly can, and urge people to touch
them.  I hold the ferret with it's back to the petter, face in my elbow, and
encourage people to A.  pet the ferrets back, and B.  keep their hands away
from his face....NOT THAT HE WILL BITE, BUT SO THAT ANY GERMS THEY MAY HAVE
ON THIER HANDS WON'T MAKE HIM SICK!!!  I can't tell you how many times
people have said "Oh, I heard they smell" and then I say "Does he smell?" to
which they reply, "Not at all!", or "Oh, I hear they are vicious", to which
I hold my fuzzy up to my face to get a kiss, and they invariably laugh and
say "I guess I heard wrong".  I do educational showings at schools, fairs,
and any other place that will have me and have had many people approach me
afterwards and say they learned many new things- and their opinions on
ferrets were turned around afterwards.  I have even had people ask about
adopting a ferret.
 
I am not suggsting that we take fuzzies with a tendency to be nippy or those
who are skittish into public.  I definitely pick and chose carefully, and
only take those fully vaccinated and in good health who are hams and enjoy
being around people and particularly strangers.  I strongly feel the more we
back away into the closet, the more our ferrets will suffer from ignorance
and misjustice.
 
-Anne
[Posted in FML issue 2104]