Hi All and Anon
 
While on the one hand I don't want to pick a fight, on the other I don't
want to see misinformation about ferrets on the FML.  Ferrets can and do
kill rabbits, it can happen when hunting rabbits with ferrets.  A ferret
catches and kills the rabbit (rather than just scare it into the waiting
nets like its supposed to), eats a bit of it and then goes to sleep
underground, a term for this behaviour is that a ferret has "laid up".
It is because of this behaviour that radio locator collars are used so
that the person rabbiting can retrieve their ferret.
 
Some references:
 
Ferrets Taking their Work & Welfare into the 21st Century, by Simon
Whitehead, publ. 2000  Pakefield Ferrets, Lowestoft, Suffolk (UK) p72
 
"killing down" referred to in
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/ferreter/trouble.htm
 
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/ferreter/code.htm
also refers to ferrets killing while rabbiting
 
By the way I don't claim to be an expert on the topic of
ferreting/rabbiting at all, I just know that it happens!
 
Dogs can kill too, my partner's parents used to take 3 dogs out and they
would act as a pack and hunt, kill and eat rabbits.
 
As previously discussed on the FML Cats are renowned for killing
wildlife.
 
The anti ferret law in California is ridiculous but it is a fact that
Ferrets (and cats and dogs) are carnivorous animals.  I understand that
cats and dogs are legally kept as pets in California...
 
Right I'm off to hug my bloodthirsty kritters, take care all : )
 
C
[Posted in FML issue 4300]