Adding to Alexandra's good comments on keeping mink:

I've known a couple of people who rescued and kept mink. The ONLY way
they were tame enough to be handled was if they were taken from their
mother before their eyes opened, and were hand-reared by the human
parent. Effectively you become mommy 24/7. Any older than that, and
odds are you won't be able to safely handle them.

Tame mink are INCREDIBLE animals - soft, smart, and strong. Think
ferret X 10 on those areas...

A few other comparisons:
* Ferrets have been domesticated for ~2000 years. Mink are NOT
  domesticated. They are wild animals.
* If a ferret gets pissed, they can draw blood. If a mink gets pissed,
  they can bite THROUGH finger bones!

Awesome animals, and I treasure the chances I've had to meet and hold
them, but I know I won't own one in my lifetime.

Kevin Farlee

[Posted in FML 6826]