>From:    Alicia K Drakiotes <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: Exotic pets listings?
>It sounds wonderful, but I was under the impression that listing ferrets
>as exoitc animals was merely suppressing the fact that they are an
>accepted domesticated pet.
 
Exotic doesn't mean "wild" or "non-domestic".  The AcmePet site for example
has in their "exotic" category - llamas and pygmy goats (we happen to have
both and neither is wild - goats are second only to dogs in when they were
domesticated) Oh they moved their ferret section into their exotic section.
They also have pot bellied pigs and rabbits which are not seen as "wild",
just ... well ... exotic (or uncommon)
         http://www.acmepet.com/
 
Exotic in automobiles is just rare and exciting like Ferraris.  You know
"COOL" cars...
 
In cats the exotic short hairs are basically short haired "Persians" - we
had one.  Its not thought of as a "wild" cat.
 
Dr Susan Brown (one of the most noted vets that work on ferrets) is at
Midwest Bird and Exotic Hospital.  There is also Exotic Pet and Bird
Clinic in Washington which touts the Ferret Frolic '97.
        http://www.jetcity.com/~exopet/
 
Lets not get carried away with political correctness.  Exotic just means
that ferrets are still not mainstream pets.  Really they aren't.  We
have to really contort things to pretend they are the third most popular
pet by excluding an awful lot of pets.  (The only non-ferret world listing
we've seen the with ferret in third was when they were lumped with rabbits
and some other pets.)  The more exposure ferrets get the better we would
think.
 
bill and diane killian
zen and the art of ferrets
http://www.zenferret.com/
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[Posted in FML issue 2317]