>Also, a "How ferrets get along with infants" is being planned.  Perhaps
>it'll put an end to the Ferrets Are Baby Killer's myth.  I dunno.
 
Dear Roger,
 
I have mixed feelings about the idea of claiming too strongly ferrets are
harmless or near harmless to infants or drawing attention to the matter
unnecessarily.  My worry runs along the lines of ferret enthusiasts making
exaggerated claims about ferrets, thereby harming the credibility of
themselves or causing incidents that draw even more attention to anti-ferret
sentiments than would otherwise be bestowed by the general public.
 
When I am asked about the matter I kind of tilt my head and think hard and
say, "well, ... ferrets have been known *once in a rare while* to injure
people, and I'm sorry that anyone gets injured by *any* pet, but it is
certainly no worse than dogs, dogs being known for common, rather serious
incidents, menacing the postman, and killing 17 people per year, where
ferrets *might* have killed one or two people *ever* that I know of.
Everyone has been scratched or bitten when petting the neighbor's cat.
People need to take the responsibility to keep *any* pet, especially a
carnivore with sharp, pointy, teeth, away from their infants.  Surely that
dogs are well known, serious biters doesn't mean we should outlaw them.  If
over 2 years old, I'd much rather be bitten by a mean ferret than a mean
dog, because you could get the ferret to stop."
 
That usually wins them over and gets them nodding with me, and I feel it is
accurate and fair.  That and the fact that Dors is rubbing her shoulders
upside down in their arms, which are usually jacket-sleeve-covered if I am
letting Dors get that far and show them how much she loves people (one has
to take care, given the opposition).
 
I think it is important for us to be (a) factual and fair and (b) very
careful about how we handle issues of historical attention.
 
Some infant bashing (opinion): I don't have an infant, thank God . . .
they're loud, wet, pushy, diseased, expensive, and require mouth- and butt-
wiping, while ferrets are quiet, dry, mellow, largely non-contagious,
comparatively inexpensive, and wipe their own mouths and butts.
 
Todd Cromwell III, Dors and Seldon, WA State
[Posted in FML issue 2211]