>Please don't take this as a flame but I would NEVER, EVER recommend
>declawing a cat "just in case"....
>Did you consider "detoothing" the ferrets in order to protect the cat?...
>I have EIGHT cats and five ferrets and none of either species had to be
>altered, mutilated, de-anythinged.  All of my animals get along just fine
>and so can anyone elses.
 
Declawing cats is even worse, in my opinion, than declawing ferrets.  Cats
are more dextrous and use their claws for fingertips--they can pick up tiny
things, open doors, etc.  Ferrets don't usually do that.  And I would never
declaw a ferret, let alone a cat.  One of the questions I ask vets is if
they declaw cats.  If they say yes, I find another vet.  (Another is
finding out their euthanasia policy.  If they'll euthanize healthy animals
because the owner doesn't want them, when there's a shelter nearby, I find
another vet then too.)  These are personal criteria, of course.
 
We, too, have both cats and ferrets--three of the felines and plenty of
mustelids.  The cats give the ferrets a good smack if they come too close
or get too annoying, but, for the most part, all is peaceful.  They also
play together a great deal.  If a ferret was going to be in danger from a
cat, the most dangerous parts of the cat would be teeth and hind, not front
claws; when cats hunt, they grab the back of the neck in their teeth and
shake (exactly like ferrets do); then, if the prey won't stop moving or is
too large, they use their back legs to disembowel.  Front claws are used
for fights between cats, or as defense against humans, dogs, etc.  They're
also used to climb, balance, and carefully shred all the comforters in the
house into their component threads.  I have NEVER heard of a cat injuring a
ferret, although I'm sure it's happened.  I HAVE heard of a ferret injuring
a cat.
 
Also, usually, ferrets go down and cats go up, which means cats sleep on
windowsills and ferrets sack out behind the couch.  No conflict.  :-)
 
Jen and the Crazy Business
[Posted in FML issue 2994]