Through the years many ferrets have joined our family because they were
biters.  The majority of these ferrets have been deaf.  A high majority
have been abused and some had physical evidence of that abuse.
 
A situation I'll never forget involved a call from someone wanting to get
a ferret.  We talked about her experience and I learned she once had
found a stray ferret that was a terrible biter.  She tried everything she
could think of and what her vet suggested she tried as well.  Finally
when she had enough, her vet suggested euthanisia... and she agreed.  I
dug deeper.  We finally determined that this poor innocent being had
been deaf and no one, I repeat - NO ONE had figured it out, and from his
reactions we determined he had previously been abused.  A vibrant life
was snuffed out because the caretaker, and her vet, hadn't figure out he
was deaf.  She felt terrible but the fact remains that a deaf ferret was
needlessly and wrongfully euthanized.  If only she had contacted me
BEFORE the decision....
 
Pet Store personnel are not normally trained to detect defects.  With
tiny kits in groups, it would be more difficult to detect a hearing
defect for the untrained.
 
Not all pet stores have caring trained personnel, some are only there
for a job, some are too busy with all their duties, and some are there
to socialize with pay.  The caring knowledgable staff and management in
pet stores is in the minority from my experience.
 
I don't mean to be too stern in my post but I do mean to get my point
across.  Just because you, or anyone in your area wouldn't harm a deaf
ferret, doesn't mean others won't.  Ignorance and lack of knowledge,
training and research on what companion animals need and deserve runs
rampant in our world.  And yes, that does sometimes lead to abuse.
 
tle
www.ferretfamilyservices.org
[Posted in FML issue 4885]