Hello Dear Eden in Seattle,
 
Say, you must be close by, 'cause we're just across the water from you.  We
are on Mercer Island located in the big pond called Lake Washington, and
approachable across the floating bridge, which hasn't sunk yet like the
previous one did several years ago.  Blub, blub, gurgle.
 
I find your posting of Lemke's fear to explore the outofdoors on his own
paws so saddening.  My heart aches for him.
 
Here we have an animal (excuse me, a pet) that is closer to the soil than
most other quadrupedals (not speaking of short legs here) yet because we
people breed-birth, rear, and contain these marvelous creatures in an indoor
environment during the early developmental phase of their lives, they
apparently come to fear the outside earthbound world so fervently that even
their normal instinct to scratch, sniff and dig into the earth is muted.
 
Sometimes I think we are so greedy in our pursuit of hedonism and
self-gratification that we may inadvertently render our animals (excuse
me - pets) truly psychotic.
 
This seems to be evident in the FML postings wherein owners seek this
peculiar and selfish (?) need to "see" or anthropomorphize human emotions
and human-like behavior and response qualities in their ferrets.
 
Is it not true that the ferret is a child of the earth?  Just take a closer
look at the native American Blackfooted ferret, Mustela nigrapedes.  Where
does it make its home?  Do you not think that the domesticated house ferret,
M. putorous furo, would likely choose the same habitat had it free choice
and the ability of self-perpetuation?
 
Come on folks - get the lead out - and take your ferret for walks on
surfaces other than asphalt and concrete.  Let them dig in the fresh, clean
earth, for it's deeply rooted in their nature.  You won't have to bathe them
nor trim their claws,ever.  Let Momma Nature do her thing.  They'll be so
glad you did and so will you.
 
Edward Frettchenvergnuegen Lipinski,
der Frettchen Meister von Mercer Inselreich,
Der Staat Washington,
Die Vereinigten Staaten von Nordamerika
[Posted in FML issue 1822]