Among the people I have known most were not raised with animals did not
get animals later, but there certainly are exceptions.

I was always around many types of critters.  Some were our own.
There were wild rescues who tended to be passed on to me.  We had a
veterinarian next door who let me help some times.  There was a farm
just across the field across the street, and two sets of relatives had
farms.  I doubt that is unusual among ferret people.  Later I went
into studying primatology and working for an anatomy department, but
a neuromuscular illness cut that short, which is why I have undergrad
credits and degree and some graduate credits but... (Hey, life just
sits on people some times.)

-- Sukie (not a vet, and not speaking for any of the below in my
private posts)
Recommended health resources to help ferrets and the people who love
them:
Ferret Health List
http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/ferrethealth
FHL Archives
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
AFIP Ferret Pathology
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
Miamiferrets
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/
International Ferret Congress Critical References
http://www.ferretcongress.org
[Posted in FML issue 5269]