I have four children.  My 9 year old has autism, ADHD, Tourette's syndrome
and various other things and is great with the animals.  He has lived with
them, including ferrets, all his life.  They loved to play hide and seek
with him when he was crawling.  Animals are probably easier for him to
interact with than humans sometimes.  My 6 year old daughter has also been
with animals all her life.  My two adopted kids have really grown from
interacting with animals.  My 8 year old son has ADHD and was extremely
wild, but my now 12 year old lab mix and the now deceased 12 year old cat
taught him manners.  Now he is very careful and loving with animals.  And
my 5 year old girl mothers everything which is a long way from the little
girl who didn't know what a real mother did.  I do not leave my ferrets
unattended with the kids for the ferret's sake.  The cats and dogs have the
run of the house and I can not imagine not seeing our cat curled up with
our boys at night or the knowledge that the dogs are protecting us at
night.  The cockatoo can't hurt anyone, as he doesn't have a lower beak -
he came that way, which is why I got him for free.  I know this seems
somewhat non-ferret related, but it is in response to not letting any child
under 10 alone with an animal - what an impossibility!  I am, after all,
always near the kids, as leaving children under 10 alone is not exactly
legal.  We are expecting a fifth child in Feb.  and I am really looking
forward to having my animals help raise another animal loving and
respecting child.  We have never had an animal seriously harm a child here,
however.  In the case of the 8 month old nursing infant and the biting
ferret, I would probably just let him out when baby is napping - but my
ferrets are in their cage when not exercising in the living room, so that
would be easy.
 
Well, good luck to all with integrated families (kids, ferrets, and other
animals),
 
Jean
[Posted in FML issue 2748]