I'd like to add my $0.02 worth on this topic.
 
Our two ferrets have been trained (sic) to come whenever they hear unusual
noises.  Whistles and flutes work best, but any soprano sound will do.  This
is because just calling names will not wake a deep sleeping ferret.  If the
smoke alarm ever goes off for a reason other than my cooking, I want our
fuzzies to wake up and emerge _pronto_.  We reward them for coming to the
smoke alarm, and various other whistles we stash in the car and around the
house for lost ferret alerts...  The point of this is that this training and
their natural agitation around high pitched sounds made our fat lazy ferret
charge our friend with her new (crying) baby.  We don't know if he'd have
bitten the child: we didn't find out.  We wasn't bouncing, he wasn't having
fun: he was agitated and bee-lined right for the kid.  As the evening
progressed, he became somewhat accustomed to this new noise, and refrained
from charging, but was always alert.  After this, I would never leave
ferret/child potential combo unattended.  _Eat_ babies?  Not a chance.
_Bite_ one?  I'd not want to risk it.
 
Stephen and Carolyn
Biff the Baby Watcher
Pepper the Oblivious
Oscar the semi-psycho cat.
[Posted in FML issue 1434]