Thank you to all who responded to my questions concerning normal/abnormal
vaccine reactions and playing/aggression with my two little squabs.  My
gratitude especially to Jeff Johnston and Dick Bossart for their detailed
descriptions of vaccine reaction warning signs -- exactly what I was looking
for.
 
The Parentsplace post:
 
I too visited the Parentsplace website and found the doctor's response
upsetting. Dr. Steele said that no animal should ever be left unattended near
an infant and that all animals should be properly vaccinated, etc..  But he
also made it a point to state that "Ferrets have an unpredictable demeanor,
and many reports of severe facial injuries in infants due to unprovoked
attacks have been reported."
 
There are many more well-documented cases of infants, children, and adults
being severely injured, mauled, and killed by dogs. It happens every year.
 
Ferrets should not be specifically targeted as "malicious" or "blood-thirsty."
Doing so only helps maintain the myths that damage this animal's reputation.
As ferret owners it is our responsibility to speak up and make an effort to
end these myths -- not flaming but educating. If we pass it off as just
someone clinging to commonly held misconceptions then we only serve to
perpetuate the problem.
 
I responded to Dr. Steele's letter, asking if their organization could point
me to some documentation - a book, magazine, website - in which these "many"
attacks have been reported.
 
You never know .. perhaps our responses will give him cause to think next
time he has the urge to casually repeat a myth instead of finding out the
real facts.
 
Melissa A. Durfee
[Posted in FML issue 1729]