Went to my first ferret show today - the Big Apple Ferret Show in White
Plains, NY.
 
Saw many eminent ferreteers including Bill Killian, Mary Shefferman of
Modern Ferret Magazine, Warm Fuzzy Ferrets, Fran's Ferret Rescue, my own
group NYFRA (New York Ferret Rights Advocacy)......I'm leaving out lots
more, it was just too wonderful to see and meet people I've read about or
"met" on line.
 
We got there too late to consider adopting anybody -- at least four had been
adopted early in the day.  There were two adoptees carefully described as
needing expert care - they were biters, poor dears, and needed lots of TLC
and training.  We had never seen a biter first hand and watched in awe as
experienced ferreteers displayed a pretty silver girl who bit hard and
mercilessly.  She must have had a bad time before coming to this rescue
group.
 
I also saw a young girl (12 or 13?) with a brand new ferret kit on a leash,
a cute ferret carrier back pack, etc.  She said she'd just bought it today.
She was dragging the poor thing around on the rug like a toy, once swinging
it from its leash, and seeming to have no idea what she was in for.  I saw
no food, water, No sign of parents, either !  Where did this pre-teen get
several hundred dollars to spend on a pet she was treating so cavalierly?
 
My almost six-year old son, who loves and is loved by our ferrets, had no
concept of a ferret that bites - or even a kit that nips.  There were some
6-month old kits that he liked.  All day I kept telling him, no fingers in
cages!  He understood that very well. BUT he put his face up to the kits and
got a sweet nuzzle and kiss.  I firmly told him NOT to do that, kits are
babies and can bite!  He paid no attention to me and the next minute, he got
a considerable bite on the lip. He was so shocked and had such tears that I
forgot to be mad at him.  We got a piece of ice and he really had a nasty
swollen bite for about an hour, which then subsided to a reddish scratch. In
no way do I blame the ferrets or their owners who had large signs warning of
just such an occurence.  And of course WE know that ferrets don't have rabies
or bubonic plague or ebola fever.  Nevertheless, I did feel some involuntary
panic after seeing my darling child with a bite mark.  I hope no one off the
street unfamiliar with ferrets would be dumb enough to stick their face into
a cage full of leaping, nipping kits.  We could have another New Jersey
murder scene.  Gives me chills.
 
Gee, this started out as a nice note about a great show, but I got
depressing.  Sorry.
 
We won twice at the raffle table - two of the same cute books about otters.
We're donating one to our school library. There's our happy ending.
 
Kat
[Posted in FML issue 1692]