When bringing a new baby home to a ferret (or any animal) that has never
lived with a baby before ... shouldn't they be given' the time to get to
know the baby and what the baby is.
 
When pet already exist in the household and there is a decision to go and
get another one ... they aren't just thrown together ... you need to give
them time to get to know one another.
 
It is only my opinion, but if you bring a baby home ... why should the
ferret be expected to take to it from the get go.  I have to give all my
ferrets time to get to know new ferrets that come into the house ... why
would it be different with a child?
 
When some ferrets go nuts (so to speak) when they hear a baby crying ...
could it be they think they are being harmed or that something is wrong with
it?  If they are trying to drag the baby off (first off a parent should be
in the room and not allow this to happen) maybe they are trying to take the
baby to be nurtured?  It just maybe their way of helping the baby.  Lets
face it ... ferrets do not have hands to pick the child up to coddle it,
they have claws and teeth.
 
I would hope to think that if you have a crying baby in you arms and the
ferret wants to see what's going on ... have someone pick the ferret up and
show them what is going on.  Hold the ferret while you do it, don't allow
them to crawl on the baby or in close enough range to bite or nip just so
your ferret can see whats going on and that all is ok.  If the ferret or
animal wants to know what is going on and you don't show them ... I would
think that it would just add to their agitation.
 
I also would like to hear the who's what's why's when's and where's when it
comes to hearing about these bite incidents.
 
How many ferret folks that have babies on the way are scared to death now,
just from the Ohio incident?  I feel that instead of scaring folks out of
their wits that positive reinforcement of responsible parenting/pet
ownership needs to be applied.
[Posted in FML issue 2234]