Hey, I know this may place me in danger of being flamed, so I'm trying not
to direct this at anyone in particular.  Recently I've noticed several posts
that seem to make the assumption that kids/college kids can't adequately
take care of ferrets.  I think that in a few cases this may be true, but in
that case, age really doesn't matter.  Many people get their own "first pet"
during their teenage years or in college after they move away from home.
Some may experiment with new animals, a little different from the dog or cat
back home that the parents cared for.  Yeah, some people won't live up to
the demands, but I've talked to several people who are reluctant to deal
with people under, say 25, when they are interested in getting a ferret, and
it really upsets me.  I'm about to be 22 and I got my first ferret several
years ago.  I think that most of the people I know are great at parenting
their fur kids (because we all know that's essentially what it is).  The
girl who was 15 and excited about getting a ferret, good for her!  I hope it
is a rewarding and educational experience.  I hope that she won't pawn it
off, but it sounds like she (specifically) has taken some time to learn
about ferts before getting one.  I think she sounds pretty responsible.  So,
basically, I'm not saying that I disagree with everything said about kids
and fritters, I'm just saying that there are a lot of young and responsible
pet owners out there...don't count us out, and please don't lump us all into
hideous catagories.
 
On a truly great note, a few weeks ago I posted about a bonding experience
my roommate had with Reverend Maynard.  She'd been agonizing about whether
to get a pet or not for a while.  This weekend, she bought a gorgeous blaze
kit, and named her Cossette.  Now Katie is experiencing the joy of obsessive
worry about small furry children.  It's been truly great to be able to play
with a kit, relate stories about mine when they were young (sigh), and pass
on valuable information gleaned through ferret-knowledgable acquaintances
and (of course) the FML.  We'll make a ferret fanatic out of her yet (she
already worries everytime Cossette makes a new sound or something... =) ).
 
Well, sometimes ferret math is contagious.
Kelly.
Reverend Maynard: "Mmm...pumpkins taste good!"
Edie: "Uh huh..."(muffled sound from within the pumpkin)
and the newest, Cossette: "Pumpkin, what pumpkin?" (who is already 100%
litter box trained, and putting my guys to shame).
[Posted in FML issue 1737]