OK folks, I need some supporting arguments.
 
Last night, my SO let out the ferrets but forgot to close the door to our
bedroom.  20 minutes later she discovered that the ferrets had chewed up her
new shoes she is wearing in her sister's wedding this weekend and one had
gotten into the heating duct system.  It took her 20 minutes to get her out.
My SO was in extreme panic and distress over the shoes and ferrrets.  When I
got home she laid it on the line that they have to go for the following
reasons.
 
1. Odor - it has gotten worse over the last few days.  It has been pretty
   strong around their cage.  I think it has been because I started mixing 8
   in 1 with their Iams kitten food.
 
2. Damage - all of the stuff they've chewed up has been hers.
 
3. No one to watch them - we travel on occasion (have a 10 day honeymoon in
   October) and have problems finding someone who can watch them.
 
Now the biggie...
 
4. Biting - She is deathly afraid of the problems when we have a baby in a
   couple of years.  The ferrets are usually pretty good about not nipping,
   but once in a while they will bite to get attention or to steal a sock
   off a foot.  She cannot imagine dealing with keeping a baby and ferrets
   separate.
 
To me, these are the same issues you would have if you had a dog or a host
of other pets.  Maybe when she calms down about the shoes, I can talk her
into the realization of how it isn't a lot of work to keep them over any pet
and how we can handle the first 3 issues.  But I need help with the 4th.
You folks who have had babies and ferrets at the same time - can you give me
"case studies" of the good and bad of having both and what did or would have
done differently?  I know that she doesn't want to contribute to the
"disposable pet" problem in America any more than I, but I sure don't want
to get into the position of having to pick between her and the ferrets.
This will tear up both me and my two older children who just adore the
ferrets.
[Posted in FML issue 1950]