Hello all,
I did happen to witness the rough and tough scruffing of the ferret at the
ferret show and I have to say, it didn't look like discipline to me.  This
ferret was not deaf.  As the ferret was scruffed (and the scruff was then
twisted), the ferret screamed louder than I've heard a bratty human baby
scream in my entire life.  The ferret handler proceeded to stare the ferret
in the face and scream at the ferret, mimicking its cry as loudly as he
cried.  That ferret seemed terrified to the observer and it did not look
like loving discipline.  This same individual was also seen throwing the
ferret up in the air and catching it.  Personally, I do not subscribe to
this tough love philosophy.  The ferret wasn't nipping as far as I saw.
If this individual subscribes here then perhaps she can discuss what, in
fact, she was doing.  It really seemed as though she was just doing it to
show-off.  This display of "tough love" really soured the day for me as
well as my traveling companions who are not ferret owners.  If scruffing
is necessary (in my own experience, it has not been), is screaming in the
ferret's face at the top of your lungs really necessary?  Is that "speaking
a language ferrets can understand" or is it mistreatment?  I mean, where
do we draw the line?  If you love your ferrets as if they are your babies,
would you scream in their face to discipline them?  Last time I checked,
this is considered child abuse....
 
If you are the individual in question and you have some reason for doing
this that I am unaware of, please inform.  I, for one, am still upset about
what i saw.
 
--Marissa
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[Posted in FML issue 2756]