>From: Ben Wilborn <[log in to unmask]> >I don't understand some of you people. When a solution for one person is >the best thing for them, (declawing) YOU think it is a sin. When YOUR >fuzzy bites to the Bone, YOU think it is ok, because they were scared or >you mistreated them.... I am getting real tired of people bashing others on >here about how they take care of there ferrets.... I get the feeling that >many people treat there ferrets better than their own children, which is >totally sick.... So to all the people that think declawing is bad, are you >against the tattoo of 2 dots in the ear, because that hurts them, and how >about giving them shots, because that hurts them, and how about getting >them spaid and neutered, does that hurt them??? ... Ben, There is a huge difference between being a responsible care giver, and unnecessary mutilation for the convenience of the care giver. Declawing is not a solution to the problem of ferrets digging at the carpet. In fact, declawing totally ignores the ferret's problem. Ferrets dig because they are bored, and digging gives them something to do. It is as simple as that. And the solution is as simple as redirecting their curiosity, either by providing them with something else to hold their interest, or by covering the spot where they have been digging. Declawing is a lazy solution to the problem of the human care giver. They don't have to take the time to figure out why a particular spot has attracted the ferret's fascination, and expend the time and effort to redirect the ferret's behavior. There is a huge difference between a responsible treatment that may briefly hurt, and the deliberate mutilation of a ferret. Neutering and spaying is a part of providing responsible care for a ferret not in a breeding program. Annual vaccinations have the potential to hurt briefly, but they provide protection against disease which can lead to painful death to the ferret. Even the quick injection of a dye into the cartilidge of the ear during the tattooing process may briefly hurt, but it cannot be compared to the needless mutilation caused by the amputation of a ferret's toes. While one can find vets willing to declaw a ferret, that does not automatically mean the procedure is right or ethical. As for biting and discipline. Animals do not bite without justification. That justification may not always be readily apparent to the human receiving the bite, but there is a reason for it. Biting can be the result of poor socialization, and the ferret doesn't realize that a ferret invitation to play can cause injury to the more delicate flesh of a human. Biting can also be a symptom of illness or injury. It is the ferret's way of letting those around him/her know "I am in pain, leave me alone." Biting can also be the result of long term abuse, the bite is a preemptive strike. They key is to use reason to discover the cause of the biting behavior and correct it. Unsocialized ferrets can be taught good manners. Ill ferrets can receive vetrinary treatment, and abused ferrets can be rehabilitated with time and patience. Hitting, or inflicting a physical punishment is not a responsible solution to a bite incident. Physical punishment usually encourages biting. Hitting as a form of discipline --whether the pet is a domestic ferret or a doberman pinscher -- is not a solution to the biting problem, it is a reaction that solves nothing. The key to providing responsible care -- for ferrets, doberman pinschers, or even children -- is for the care giver to learn that it is necessary to respond to the needs of the pet or child receiving the care, rather than to react to a symptom. Scott and the Mustilid Mob Jopal Ferret Haven [Posted in FML issue 2465]