Bill wrote:
>Ferrets are wonderful pets because they are highly entertaining and all in
>all very easy to care for.  They are becoming more of a mainstream pet and
>that is good.  They do not need 'special' owners anymore than all pets need
>'special' owners.
 
My response: To care for a ferret well (key word) takes work.  Many people
who buy ferrets think of them as pocket pets who live in a cage.  Pet
stores often don't tell them differently (they may not know themselves).  I
don't think the average person who buys a ferret from a petstore knows what
they're really dealing with, and the ferrets suffer.  People don't know
about ferret proofing - how small spaces can be deathtraps.  They may not
be happy dealing with corner poop, changing litter daily, washing laundry
frequently (many people bathe the ferret rather than the laundry; hence the
smell), or supervised time out of the cage.  Many ferrets have terrible
lives sitting in cages, because pet stores sell them as easy-to-care-for
pets.  I've had cats and a dog, and aside from the initial time spent
working with and training my dog, hour for hour, ferrets take more time.  I
don't mind it - I love them.  But I don't believe they are pets for
everyone.  After several years trying to help people with medical and
behavioral questions on a ferret board, I grow more convinced each year
that they are special animals who need the right match with special people
willing to care for them in a special way.  A ferret left in a cage with a
hammock who is given food and water may be considered a mediocre home by
some, but it's a sad and terrible existence for a curious, active little
animal.  I'm afraid far more people than we'd like to think give their
ferrets such a home.  Or worse.  I do not relish more popularity without
education, and the education is sorely lagging, especially given many
sellers' uninterest in learning.
 
Just a few thoughts.  (Done with this thread - it's okay to disagree.)
[Posted in FML issue 2857]