>From:    Catherine Shaffer <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Ferret population explosion, "abused" ferrets
>On abused ferrets: There are surely a whole lot of people out there who are
>mean to their animals..... On the other hand, I have seen a tendency for
>people to very quickly assign the title of "abusive" to former ferret homes
>based on a ferret's behavior.  I think a lot of good breeders and pet
>owners might be unjustly maligned by this tendency.  Some ferrets are born
>biters or born skittish ...
 
Hi Catherine--
I don't know if this was intended as commentary on Cully's story or not, but
I wanted to state for the record that I think you have a very valid point.
Cully probably is one of those born skittish ferrets, but he also has
exhibited behavior that leads me to believe that somebody was in the habit
of using physical punishment on him.  For months after I brought him home
he'd run up to you, or duck under the covers at night, bite hard, and then
run away crying.  I interpreted this to mean that he was expecting to be
hit.  It's also very clear that he wants to trust people, but has big mental
barriers about it.  If I hadn't been making progress with him over the last
year, again, I would agree that with Cully it was purely a matter of
personality, but since he is growing in trust, and is learning pretty well
not to bite, I think that the severe biting was learned defensive behavior,
not just a matter of not enough handling and a predisposition to bitey
behavior.
 
I agree that it is a serious accusation against someone, even if you have no
idea who they are, that they were abusing an animal.  I would listen to
Cully's first owner, if she ever popped up, and try to maintain an open mind
to what she might have to say.  But I do think that something happened to
this ferret to make him the way he is today; at the very least, that owner
did abandon him, although she showed some responsability in dumping him at a
vet's and not out in the woods (although not enough responsability to find
the Montreal area ferret shelter and bring him there).  If a shelter
operator with lots of experience with all sorts of ferrets told me I was
wrong, after meeting Cully and interacting with him, I'd be willing to
believe it.  I'm not claiming he was abused as a convenient way to explain
his biting, to avoid stereotypes of ferrets as biters, or to excuse the
length of time it's taken me to get where I am with him today.  Based on the
experiences and observations I've had with/of his behavior, I think it's
likely that he led a pretty unhappy life previously.
 
Whew.  I didn't take Catherine's remarks as a personal flame, and I think
she's absolutely right, but I did feel a need to get all that out after her
post yesterday.  Somebody else can have the soapbox back now...
 
Regina
Cully (i want to believe, mom)
and Amelia (soapbox?  yum, I love soap)
 
*********************************************
Regina Harrison
PhD Student, Anthropology
Joint Co-ordinator, AGSEM-- McGill's TA union
McGill University
Montreal, Quebec
"If that's all there is, my friends, then let's keep dancing" --Peggie Lee
[Posted in FML issue 1756]