I just wanted to mention, regarding the thread of college students who are
ferret owners who seem to be a bit miffed at being told they shouldn't have
pets.  Granted, not every college student lives the same life.  And I don't
think anyone is putting college students down or calling them
irresponsible... but..  Working with the shelter our club here in North
Carolina supports, I can tell you that a very very large percentage of
ferrets that we take in to the shelter or place with new families by direct
contact come from college students.  We also discourage adopting to college
students and even junior high and school students unless we know that there
is someone else in the family that is willing and WANTS (read as promises)
to take on the responsibility of the ferret, knowing that it's highly
possible the child will be going away to college and the parent may very
well then become the primary care taker.
 
Dorms don't allow pets for many good reasons which have already been
listed, and I'm sure anyone who has spent time in a dorm would agree it's
not a good place for a pet (except perhaps a goldfish).  Students who live
off-campus have often just relocated to go to school or will be relocating
for work when they graduate.  Ferrets average a life of span of 8+ years,
most often outliving the students college career.  These students usually
are working to pay their rent, and have even less time between school, work
and study to devote to a pet that needs one on one care.  That doesn't mean
a college student makes a bad ferret owner..that means that the lifestyle
of a college student isn't well suited for pet ownership in most cases.
 
Our group (Triangle Ferret Lovers) was invited to speak to a college
companion animals club at NC State earlier in the year, bring some ferrets
and talk about what it's like to be a ferret owner.  All the students were
wonderful, loved the ferrets and asked great questions..but most of them,
although they love pets, didn't own any because they knew their lifestyle
at the time wasn't in the pet's best interest.
 
If you're a college/junior high/high school student who loves ferrets,
there are lots of ways you can spend time with fuzzies while you're in
school without taking on the responsibilities of ownership until your life
is more settled and you have the time and resources to devote to your own
pet.  Volunteer at a shelter or with a local club.  If your college has a
vet school, ask around there.  You can really make a difference in the
lives of ferrets in your area, and gain great experience for later in life.
 
Best wishes,
Robynn and the Four Ferrets of the Apocalypse
[Posted in FML issue 2779]