In response to your comments below on the FML:
>I oppose any licensing or restricting of ferrets that is not exactly the
>same as licensing or restricting of cats.  If you can get cat licenses
>through then by all means add ferrets at the same time.  If the same rules
>do not apply than ferrets in general are the losers even if a very few
>might be winners.  Ferrets are not harder to care for or more needful of
>understanding care than cats.  Ferrets do not suffer abuse at significantly
>different rates than cats as far as I can tell.
 
My response:
I do not want to imply ferret ownership be made illegal, but I do feel
fully that ferrets are getting less than acceptable treatement due to
public ignorance of the animal.  Yes, they do look soooo cute in the pen
at the pet store, but they are not like that cat in the next pen at all,
yet that is the impression most of the public has of ferrets.  You do not
mention your evidence of comparing cats to ferrets in abuse.  I will agree
that the numbers in the SPCA of ferrets are fewer than cats, but the gross
number of cats far outnumber ferrets in the public sector.  I have two
fuzballs,would not trade them for the world.  Yet I am a responsible person
and take great care of my pets.  Not everyone is like me.  Cats are more
able to care for themselves if ignored and underfed than a ferret locked in
a cage.  All I would like to see, is any potential owner of a ferret be
fully made aware of what the animal is, what it's needs are, what to expect
of it's behaviour, and what an owner must do to have a safe healthy happy
ferret for a pet.  THis is for the benefit of the animal only.  Do you
disagree with affording a little protection for a totaly defensless and
human dependent animal?
 
Gordon Bengtson
[Posted in FML issue 2838]