Though ferrets have canines, can walk on leash & fetch a ball, they are
not close cousins to dogs (family Canidae).
 
Though ferrets have long claws, love to climb & use litter box, they are
not close cousins to cats (family Felidae).
 
Though ferrets (order Carnivora) are quite quiet, enjoy tunneling,
hoard food, & sleep in cages, they are not close cousins to mice, rats,
squirrels, etc (order Rodentia).
 
So why do so many pet store employees perpetuate the myth that ferrets
are rodents?  Though dogs, cats, & ferrets are in different families of
order Carnivora, why do so many pet store employees assume cat & dog
foods are interchangeable with specialized ferret foods?
 
I've seen more and more of this type of misleading (or blissful
ignorance) at pet stores lately.  I truly believe if someone is going to
make a business out of finding suitable homes for such small, dependent
animals, they owe it to the public to be educated on the animal's
specific needs.
 
Lately I have noticed so many signs at pet stores claiming ferrets are
members of the SKUNK family.  The family Mustilidae includes weasels,
badgers, otters, polecats & ferrets (with duct-like anal scent glands).
Over the last decade research studies have established that skunks &
stink badgers belong to the family Mephitidae (with nipple-like anal
scent glands).
 
With all the molecular, dietary, behavioral, & physical differences
(including differences in scent glands & rostrum size/shape), it baffles
me that such misinformation is still perpetuated by pet store employees,
the same people I'd expect to keep informed on the latest taxonomy,
environmental, nutritional, & behavioral knowledge regarding the animals
they sell.  I believe it falls upon us, the educated public, to educate
the pet stores so they can better inform their customers.  I encourage
FMLers to print out relevent information to give to pet store owners who
may seem clueless.
 
References:
Dragoo and Honeycutt, 1997
Flynn et al., 2005
Lopez-Giraldez, and Domingo-Roura, 2004
Marmi et. al., 2004
Nowak, 1991
Sato et. al., 2003; Sato et. al., 2004
Vaughan, Ryan, and Czaplewski, 2000
Whitaker and Hamilton, 1998
 
"Intelligence is like 4-wheel drive.  It allows you to get stuck in more
'remote' places."
~ Garrison Keillor ~
[Posted in FML issue 5170]