>From:    "Sharon M. Estes" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: New member needs advice
>
>... It all sounds good so far.  However, I want to know what you people
>think about ferrets as classroom pets.  There would be constant human
>contact from 7:30 until 4:00.  They would be alone at night and on
>regular weekends except for daily visits to clean, water, feed, and
>exercise a bit.  I would bring cage and all home for extended weekends
>or vacations....
>
>Here is one big concern of mine: The temperature varies greatly in my
>room at night.  During the summer, I am required to turn my thermostat
>to above 80 at night.  During the winter it has to go down to 60....
 
Hi.  I am not a big fan of ANY animal as a strictly classroom pet (I work
in a vet's office as a tech, and we have found classroom pets to be more
likely to be timid animals and are more subject to abuse, even under the
most careful teacher's watch; also, medical problems tend not to be
noticed or taken care of as early as if they were being supervised in a
private home, etc.).  Ferrets are very social animals, so may enjoy the
children's company, but they are also not animals that should be in a
cage all the time-unless you can safely have them be out of their cage
for a few hours a day, I wouldn't recommend getting them.
 
Also, kids have a tendency to want to stick their fingers or other things
in cages, and even the friendliest animal of any species may defend
themselves with their teeth if provoked.  Ferrets really need to be
closely supervised with kids in such a setting, largely for the ferret's
sake-they are small and fragile, easily hurt if stepped on, etc., get
into a lot of trouble quickly, and are too curious to be very afraid of
most things.  They won't necessarily remove themselves from a potentially
dangerous situation (i.e. being underfoot) the way, say, most cats would.
(Though I've stepped on more than one very lovey cat's tail....).  Kids
can be great with ferrets, but they really need to be taught how to
handle them and move around them, which I would think would be harder
to do in a classroom with a lot of kids at once while you're trying to
teach a curriculum.  My 5 year old nephew is great with our ferrets-he
knows we don't run when they're outm we watch where we sit and be sure
we know where the ferrets are before we do, etc., but he is closely
supervised and there's only one of him and one of his brother! :)
 
Also, temperatures above 80 can be deadly to an unattended ferret (an
attended ferret wouldn't fare well in 95 degrees, either, but if
someone's around, they can provide regularly changed ice packs, air
conditioning, etc...).  Other small animals are similarly affected by
hot temperatures-i.e. rabbits.  Lower temperatures are not as much of
an issue-60 is certainly fine-but temperatures in a nonairconditioned
building in the summer would be of concern.
 
If they are spending the whole school day in their cage, and then
spending all night in it alone and all weekend in it alone, I would
advise against it.
 
My two cents!
 
-April AC
[Posted in FML issue 4256]