I suppose this comes under the heading of "Stupid Things People Say About
Ferrets," although I'd prefer to think of the person in question as simply
uninformed at best, or a "fuzzy thinker" at worst.  There was an element of
shock on his part, but no active hostility.  And I guess I didn't exactly
shine at first as a ferret partisan, either.  Here's how it all came about:
 
This evening my SO excited and delighted me by offering to buy a new
refrigerator to replace the one that's been threatening to expire for some
time now.  Before he could think twice, I rushed with SO over to Sears,
where we met with a very pleasant and informative salesman.  We found a
fridge we liked (large bottom freezer making it difficult for ferrets to
leap high enough to become ferretsicles and "absolutely impossible"...we
hope... to ever again get into the fridge part), and while SO was discussing
extended warranties and such with Mr. Salesman, I was poking my fingers
around the bottom and the back panels.  I noticed Mr. Salesman giving me a
puzzled look, so I explained that "We have ferrets."
 
Mr. Salesman immediately got a very concerned look on his face and inquired
"Have you contacted an exterminator?" The first reply to cross my mind was
"I paid MONEY for my ferrets!" I didn't actually say that, however, just
stuttered that ferrets are like ermine or mink.....I'm so used to talking
about ferrets with FML-type people that I didn't even think to mention that
they were PETS.  So then Mr. Salesman became even more bewildered and wanted
to know "How did they get in your house?  They're very LARGE rodents, aren't
they?" (Like we must have really big holes in our house or something.)
Eventually the whole thing got straightened out ( I trust....after all, he
was there to sell appliances, not learn about ferrets, but he did seem to
take in some of what I was saying), and maybe he'll be more in tune with
the next fridge-shopping ferret owner.
 
It wasn't until a couple hours later, when SO and I were playing backgammon
and the ferrets were frolicking, that I started giggling uncontrollably as I
had a flashback to the alarmed and sympathetic expression on Mr. Salesman's
face when I said "We have ferrets."
[Posted in FML issue 2341]