I was completely eviscerated yesterday by my committee simply because of a
silly misunderstanding.  I thought I was smart; they did not.  So while I
pack by bowels back into my body cavity, I thought I would respond to a few
things.
 
Catherine is right about ferrets having a disproportionate bite compared to
cats (or most carnivores for that matter).  The angles of the jaw and jaw
muscles make their bite quite awesome.  However, while the bite may be quite
powerful, it is not greater than that of a typical cat, the reason being the
much greater size of the later.  Based on size alone, the bite force of the
cat should be 5 to 10 times stronger, but because of the biophysics, it is
only 2 or 3 times stronger.
 
What the cat lacks in biophysical force is more than made up from the teeth.
If a Martian came to earth and asked me to point out a carnivore, I would
choose the cat because its teeth are among the most specialized of
carnivores.  The incisors are diminished, the canines are large and sharp,
most of the molars have been lost (except for a very small molar in the very
back) and the premolars have been specialized into large cutting shears.
The cat has the ultimate carnivore jaw, while the ferret (or more
accurately, the polecat) has a jaw that helps to make up for its small size
by being disproportionately strong.
 
I might point out that although the ferret's skull is long and the cat's is
short and round, the length of the ferret skull has more to do with the
attachment of neck muscles that the size of chewing muscles.  If the ferret
had a cat-like neck, it would also have a cat-like skull.  The biggest
difference is the jaw muscles of the cat are at a slightly different angle
than those of the ferret, giving the ferret more bite for the muscle.
Still, the cat can have 10 to 20 times the mass of a ferret, and as any
weight-lifter knows, more muscle mass means more strength.  The end result
is even thought the ferret has a bite advantage, the cat has more raw biting
power and better cutting teeth.
 
As for the ferret clamping down and not letting go, well, that is actually
quite common in most carnivores, especially the Viveridae, Mustelidae,
Ursidae, and Canidae.  The trait is also present in the Felidae, although I
am unaware of the exact extent it is present in house cats.  In some
mammals, there is a small bony extension on the back of the upper jaw hinge
that prevents the jaw from becoming unhinged during biting; this trait is
quite common in the Mustelids and Viverids, and especially in badgers (I
have seen some skulls where the jaw cannot be removed without breaking the
bone at the hinge).  The cat's muscles are especially suited for rapid
bites; I once watched a bobcat (not much larger than a tom cat) kill a
full-grown buck in less than a minute.  It jumped on the deer's back,
reached around and bit the deer's neck about 20 times in as many seconds.
While bobcats are not house cats, I wouldn't underestimate the ability of
the house cat to seriously bite you if they so desired.  I used butcher's
gloves to rescue stray cats, and while the teeth never made it through the
gloves, the bites still hurt and were frequent.
 
As for breaking the grip of any animal clamped into the flesh, my best
method is to let the nose have it, either by pushing hard between the bottom
of the nose and the lip, or by actually whacking the nose (I was also bit by
a poodle -a standard- that wouldn't let go until I knuckled the nose.  I
guess I was a rap star.  Ho!).  It usually works, although in most of the
cases I've danced with fangs, the animals let go pretty quickly.  I've seen
two dogs (a boxer and a huge mongrel) that had to be shot because they would
not let go when biting someone.  I have a friend with a really cool scar on
his back where a bear picked him up and shook him for a couple of minutes.
I don't think the nose trick would have worked in those cases.
 
The rat that bit me causing a three inch gash was a pet domesticated rat,
but it did not belong to me.  It belonged to a friend, and I had to poke it
with a sharp stick for about an hour before he would bite.  No, actually, I
had just rescued the poor guy from a cat, where upon he thought my wrist was
the bad guy.  The length of the cut was because the tooth went across the
surface of the skin, rather than cutting into it, mainly because I was
desperately attempting to get my hand out of the way.  I failed.
 
The intent of the post was not to minimize the damage a ferret could
possibly inflict; rather it was to point out ALL domesticated animals can be
dangerous, and as a whole, ferrets are one of the least dangerous of the
domesticated pets.  Personally, I think rabbits are more dangerous than most
of the common pets, especially whole males with an attitude.  (I had one I
named Satan for obvious reasons.  He ate my couch.  Honest.) There is one
advantage of a ferret over a cat I didn't mention.  If a ferret was clamped
on your right arm and a cat on the left, I'd bet my favorite shorts and
Hawaiian shirt the ferret wouldn't also be flaying your skin from the bone
with four sets of razor-sharp claws.  I swear the only reason a cat has
teeth is so it can hang on while flaying skin.
 
Bob C and the 17 Forceful Biters
[Posted in FML issue 1883]