Three of my secret spy elves copied and pasted Chris's FML questions to me
*before* I actually got my copy of the FML.  I'm impressed.  Without doing
a lot of quoting, let me just say Chris's questions can be broken into two
basic questions: 1) Do ferrets need to be imprinted on humans to be tamed
towards them, and 2) Does imprinting make wild animals (mink) better pets.
 
To answer the 2nd question first, yes, imprinting makes wild animals like
mink better pets.  In fact, in most cases, that's about the only way it is
possible for them to be even adequate pets.  In mustelids, the critical
phase is BEFORE the eyes are fully open, but extends to weaning.  Once
weaned, while you can tame an animal down, it does not really imprint on
the care provider.  Weasels, mink, badgers, skunks, and polecats all react
this way.  In fact, I have a turn-of-the-century book on animal training
what has a chapter entitled "Get Them While They Are Young!"
 
Now, there is a world of difference between a human-imprinted domestic
animal and a human-imprinted wild animal.  I visit ferret owners all the
time, and would never hesitate to handle almost any ferret.  Yet, when
visiting friends who own wild animals, I *never* attempt to touch or hold
without the owner in attendance, and then do so very carefully.  Even when
imprinted, wild animals are not trustworthy and can bite at any time--even
their owners.  And do so frequently.  Most imprinted wild animals can be
approached by people while they are juveniles, but once the hormones kick
in, especially testosterone, the animal can become quite nasty.  I have a
turn of the century reference on a black-footed ferret that was
human-imprinted, but once it went into rut it became so dangerous it had
to be destroyed.
 
As for the ferret part, they also have to be imprinted by humans to reduce
fear.  Most larger breeders handle the babies a lot (Modern ferret did a
story describing the handling) to make them completely positive toward
people.  The garage-breeders I know can't seem to keep their hands of the
babies, and they get as much human contact--or more--than at the large
breeders.  The test is found with feral ferrets.  I have been TOLD (I have
yet to read any respectible paper of the subject, but I have asked four
different New Zealanders--who have experience--about it) that older feral
ferrets will eventually (sometimes quite fast) tame down, but never act
like pet ferrets.  However, if the feral ferret is collected while young,
they can find no real difference between them.
 
Now, to be technically correct, the babies are not really imprinting on
people, but are rather socializing with them.  In other words, the ferrets
know clearly who is the mommy and who is the human.  Imprinting is a wiring
thing in the brain, but socialization is learned.  Solitary ferrets do not
learn how to socialize with other ferrets, and later people have a very
difficult time mainstreaming them with other ferrets.  Socialization is
learned very early in the ferret's life, which is one reason why people who
maintain large piles of ferrets have little problem introducing new ones,
but people who only have a few ferrets tend to have difficulty in such
introductions.  In my case, Minnie Moose and Mickey Moose were introduced
in less than two days.  While there is still some hierarchical squibbling,
it is very minor.  TLE, who has at least 4 times more ferrets than I do,
has told me the same thing.  Yet, almost weekly, I get a letter form
someone saying they cannot get ferret No. 6 introduced.  I believe the
difference is mainly one in socialization.  I think this increases stress
and could be a factor in the advent of some types of disease.
 
Bob C and 18 MO' Freedom Ferret Fighters
[Posted in FML issue 2810]