Hi All!
I found this web site posted by the American Veterinary Medical Association
in the local paper as a suggestion for people who want advice on pets.
Ferrets are barely mentioned and when you go to the following link:
http://www.avma.org/care4pets/ppetexot.htm it makes them sound like
DANGEROUS animals (with the following statement as a direct quote ie: "It
is also recommended that no ferret be left unattended with any individual
incapable of removing himself or herself from the ferret) as well as a
discussion about the rabies virus and ferrets.  It lists them under Exotic
pets with the following information given:
 
 Exotic animals and wildlife (skunks, chimpanzees, poisonous snakes,
 raccoons, etc.) do not make good pets.  They can be dangerous.  It is
 illegal to buy or keep them in most states.  Owning a young, exotic animal
 can be a passing fancy.  As the animal matures, it can become aggressive
 and probably will be unhappy in captivity.  Owners who find that they can
 no longer keep an exotic pet usually encounter great difficulty in placing
 their animals in a new home.
 
NO WHERE does it give anything positive about them or inform a person at all
about what should go into considering owning a ferret as a pet.  To put it
mildly, I was strongly disappointed in this type of information coming from
what I would assume most people would consider a valuable resource.  I
ended up going to their home web site and had a hard time finding an e-mail
address but came up with: [log in to unmask] or another link:
http://www.avma.org/care4pets/avmatell.htm that invites you tell them
about your pet.
 
I'm sending them a letter on how I feel about this type of lopsided
information, I thought some of you might want to also.
 
Karla
Meep and Daisy
[Posted in FML issue 2341]