I was surprised to hear in the posts yesterday that ferrets were not
allowed in schools.  I live in Utah and teach school...7-12.  I don't take
mine on a regular basis, but I have taken them several times to school.
Believe me, the kids ask all the time, and each year that is one of the
first questions I get from the incoming 7th graders.  "Ummm Ms. C, we
heard you bring your Ferrets to school.  Will you bring them to our class?
Please?!"  The principal knows, and teases me about my "rats"...the parents
even know.  One of my students brought her ferret to a parent/teacher
conference we had to figure out her scheduling.  I talk to the kids about
how they are very good and don't bite, but they do get excited and if the
students aren't quiet and very careful with them my ferrets could get
nervous and bite.  I have never had a problem in all the time I've taken
them.  The kids are great, very quiet, very sweet...they let them crawl
in backpacks, hats, coats.  they get them drinks and laugh to watch them
drink...and you always have the poor little outsider that the fuzzies seem
to really love and the rest of the class thinks it's "cool" that that kids
gets lots of fuzzie kisses and hugs.  I've had parents comment and smile.
The only negative response is that "Now Trevor wants one of his own!" I now
have kids drawing me ferrets all the time (my office is covered) and they
loved my ferret art that I'm selling, http://miners-peak.com ..(look for
"ferret art" in the store section)..and I've used them as a review for my
art history portion of my classses.
 
I have also been asked by one of my students mothers to bring my ferrets to
the rest home.  I guess they like to bring in a wide variety of pets for
the ladies and gentlemen staying there to hold.  I took my tribe there and
the kids had so much fun, and the adults loved them too.  THey asked all
sorts of questions about care, behavior...even their origin and pedigree
line.  The nurses were very happy with the response they got and how well
behaved the kids were and told us to come back any time.
 
I just wonder how many other places they say no pets...hummm.
[Posted in FML issue 3052]