This posting is prompted as a response to the purported infant attack in
Ohio by the family ferret.
 
Two cases of ferrets interacting with humans to their physical harm come to
mind here in the Seattle area.  One case involved a ferret biting the face
of a two-year girl who had been sitting with the ferret in her lap, the
ferret apparently sleeping and being caressed by the little girl.  The
family was present and reported the following:
 
Ferret suddenly jumps up on the girl's chest and bites her cheek.  The
parent slaps the ferret with sufficient force to dislodge the ferret's
teeth.  The ferret runs and hides under furniture.
 
Ferret returns to interact with family members and the girl as if nothing
has happened.  Ferret is allowed again on the girl's lap and apparently
falls asleep.  Everyone is alert to possible repeat of the previous
incident.  No repeat.
 
Girl is put to bed in her bedroom and door is closed.  Ferret remains with
parents to romp and playfully interact in a typical manner.  Some 30-minutes
later, parents become aware that ferret has gone to sleep somewhere in the
house.  No apparent problem.
 
Parents become aware of child whimpering in bedroom.  Reaction: Where is her
ferret?  Parents find bedroom door ajar and ferret on little girls face; tip
of girl's nose bloodied.  Child is half-asleep and apparently not fully
aware that ferret is chewing her nose, but apparent pain is enough to cause
child to whimper repeatedly.  Very strong action is taken against ferret,
near unto death.
 
This factual history must give rise to any rationally thinking person that
this ferret acted purposefully and with intent.  The fact that it was able
to open a closed (?) bedroom door and chew (?) on the flesh of the girl
FOLLOWING its initial bite some two hours previous to the child's face,
would seem to indicate that this female ferret's actions were driven by an
unknown natural (?) biological drive that it was unable to or could not
control, perhaps because it was an instinctual drive and not recognizable to
the ferret as unacceptable, at least from the point of view of human
thought.
 
I have a theory (remember what a theory is?) that may explain this behavior.
However, first I'd prefer to cite two other ferret-human tissue renderings
with which it's been my good fortune to have been involed, second-handidly.
If you'd care to follow me on this journey, then read my second posting on
this subject.
 
       Mas vale saber que haber. [Sp.] Wisdom is better than wealth.
Edward Lipinski, Frettchenvergnuegen from the Frettchenlustbarkeitsfuehrer !
Frettchenvergnuegen [G.] Joy of Ferrets.  F...fuehrer [G.] Ferret frolics
leader.
[F]erret [E]ndowment for [R]esearch,[R]ehab, [E]ducation & [T]raining
[S]ociety, NorthWest.
[Posted in FML issue 2231]