Ordinarily I'm quite happy being a lurker, but seeing this thread depressed
me so much I had to say something.
 
The first time I saw a ferret, I was in early grade school.  My class had
taken a field trip to the Shasta County (CaCa Land) Humane Society.  I can
quite clearly remember looking at all the animals, wishing I could take all
of them home with me (I was an animal person even then.)  I can also quite
clearly remembering seeing your standard sable ferret sitting in a hammock
in a bare bones cage.  He/She didn't look particularly ferocious, in fact,
the only thing he/she looked like was curious and in need of attention.
One of my classmates asked about the animal in the cage, and the response
we got back was "That's a ferret.  They're illegal in California.  Ferrets
are mean and they bite so if you ever see one, stay far away."  That was
between 1981-1985.  I'm quite sure that poor ferret never made its way to
a happy home to live out the rest of its life with love and good care.
Almost 20 years later, that story still makes me cry.
 
No child should have their first exposure to an animal in such a way,
especially to an animal so full of love and "wonderful-ness", if I may
use a word that doesn't exist.
 
Thank God we moved.
 
Laura Ellis
[Posted in FML issue 2921]