>People seem to make such quick decisions in owning ferrets and I
>think it would be very helpful to post problems/ downfalls in owning
>ferrets such as medical problems, habits, etc.
 
Lisa -
 
My thoughts are that the biggest downfall in ferret ownership is making a
decision based on lack of information.
 
1) If a person buys a dog or a cat on a whim they probably have a better
idea of what they are in for and what they should provide their pet with,
whereas fewer first-time ferret owners have previous ferret exposure.  A
lot of people find out the hard way (due to lack of knowledge to start
with) how much a ferret requires in terms of attention, training, routine
vet care, etc...
 
2) Most pet store staff know next-to-nothing about ferrets, and little
more about the rest of the animals in the store.  If they are lucky they
got a 10 minute crash course on the animals they are selling with an
emphasis on selling accessories that make actual money for the store.
So one of the primary sources that a new ferret owner will turn to is
potentially one of the worst.  (For example, it is very rare that I have
met a pet store person who is VERY aware of the fact that ferrets need
to be vaccinated just like a dog does.)
 
3) Some pet owners, no matter how good their source of information, assume
they know everything.  It doesn't matter what a vet or a well informed
ferret owner tells them ... they assume everyone is exagerating when
people tell them that there are certain things their ferret must have to
live a healthly life (this point is more of a downfall for the ferret
than the owner).
 
***
 
If you know up front what you are in for in terms of time and money you
can make an informed decision about becoming a ferret owner.
 
Fortunately many good petstores now include a "free" vet visit and are
making efforts to ensure that their ferrets are up-to-date on their
vaccinations.  In many cases they provide a basic care sheet with a new
ferret.  The store I bought from actually called me about a week after I
took Al home to see "how things were going".
 
I could go on and on, but I think I've made my point.
 
Lorraine
& Al
[Posted in FML issue 3700]