Personally, I agree with your boyfriend.  I work at a local Petsmart (that
does NOT sell ferrets) and I constantly hear the normal things like, "Oh,
they stink," and "They bite!"  While I do pass on some useful information,
such as how to care for them so they don't stink, and how to nip train, I
feel that it's better for some people to see them the way your relatives
do.  True, there are many ferrets that need good homes, and also many
people who are not in favor of having ferrets that can influence whether
or not *you* may have a ferret as a pet.  But, at the same time, I feel
that those are the kinds of people I wouldn't *want* to have a ferret.
In my opinion, in some roundabout way, it's preventing other ferrets from
being taken into those homes, where they wouldn't be taken care of
properly, and where the "parents" wouldn't take the time/effort to become
knowledgeable.  Now, some people may disagree with me, but it's just my
opinion.
 
Lolli and the Mini-Zoo
Bridget, Brandon, Zoe, Zeus, Bear, Bandit, Smokey, Grandma (fuzz)
Molly (cat) Dykers, Midnight (dogs) Sycamore (snake)
[Posted in FML issue 3521]