Karen Daigneault told us of the 'flesh-eating weasels' from Weird Al's ...
now I'm sure we all know that the idea is simply preposterous and
ludicrous.  Is society's knowledge of ferrety aspects are shaped by the
media?  Remember 'Kindergarten Cop', and Arnold's amicable pet ferret whom
he introduced to the younger children?  Hey breeders, if you were around
then, do you remember the sudden interest in ferrets the movie ignited?
Do you recall how grateful we were of this fine portrayal of the domestic
ferret?
 
We are still seeing ferret references, everywhere we look.  It is
astounding, really.  Twenty years ago, North America hardly recognized the
ferret as an animal.  Now it's one of today's most popular pet mammals,
alongside the traditional dog, cat, hamster and rabbit.  Go to your local
pet store - if you're located in North America, you are sure to find ferret
food & a harness of some sort.  We the larger, department-like pet stores
carry whole sections dedicated to ferret merchandise.  The ferret community
has never looked better!
 
But it has also never looked worse.
 
I have only recently signed up for this mailing list, and do not know if
you were informed about the Party Of Five issue.  I personally know many
ferret fans that were enraged by the encapsulation of the ferret by the
producers of the television series, "Party of Five".  I will refrain from
delving into detail, it is not my wish to re-tell something you might
already know.  So-have you heard about anything ferret-related concerning
'Party of Five'?
 
I am a ferret breeder, and my 'staff' and I take out the kits at a young
age and permit them to almost frivolously peregrinate around with us.  We
purposely select the long routes and make use of the city buses in order to
encounter as many people as possible.  It alleviates the kit in becoming
more ferret-oriented, it relinquishes publicity to my ferrets and the
ferret name in general, and it acquiesces us to indoctrinate the
commonplace pedestrian about true ferret nature.  I have established much
close kinship due to these little expeditions and I believe I will continue
to do it until the day I retire.
 
So many times when people intercept me to discuss and pet the animal(s) I
am carrying around, they will inform me they have a friend or relative who
owns a 'biting ferret'.  Thus, my conversationalist has a negative view of
the fuzzies, and announces to everyone he/she meets that ferrets are 'bad'.
It's similiar a highly contagious, infectious disease.  Once someone has it
in their head that ferret = bad, all in their surroundings become infected
with this same blasphemous opinion.
 
Where are people acquiring these ideas?  The media?  The memorable 'Party
Of Five' episode has most likely been drilled into the brain of its number
of impressionable and idealistic idol-worshipping youths, and adults who
faith in the system as well.
 
How do we wipe out these kinds of unfounded rumours?  How do we make it
stop?
 
I think I'm doing my part.  Through my journeys to Toronto and back, toting
several ferrets and educating people as I go along, I am doing my part to
give publicity, respect and a reputation to the ferret community.
 
Would you be as confident as I?  If you asked yourself, "Am I contributing
to the ferret community?", what would *your* answer be?
 
Cassandra Lockwood
[Posted in FML issue 2729]