From:
mjanke@miamiferret.org
Date: 2003-06-25 22:55:20 UTC
Subject: RE: only child issues
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <3471250.1056581720766.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>
Other's may have different opinions, but a free roam ferret and teenagers (other than your own) in and out of the house all the time sounds like an accident or escape waiting to happen. It would be easier to keep track of one ferret rather than many.
Ferrets are definitely underfoot a lot and they seem to appear out of nowhere when a door is opened a crack so they can explore the great outdoors. Non-family members are not going to be as concious of these potential mishaps no matter what you tell them. When someone comes to my house, the ferrets get locked in their room, without fail. The person can lean over the dutch door to look at them or take off their shoes and go in and play with them if they want, but they don't leave the room.
However, I will admit to being overly paranoid when it comes to my "kids" so you should probably listen to opinions other than just mine. When I open my door for someone (and they wonder why I'm constantly staring at the floor), I can't help myself and have to go around afterwards and hunt down each of mine to make sure they are safe and sound, no escape. Or I walk back out the door, close it behind me and scan the patio after the person has left. And that's even though I was watching and I KNOW one didn't slip by me.
So that tells you my level of paranoia. I admit it, I'm obsessive when it comes to the ferrets. Even with that, I've had two escapes (both found within 15 minutes) in years past.
mike
Author wrote:
> My question for the group, concerns our plans for his future. The question of becoming a multi-ferret family has come up alot (yeah, I know, this is how it starts), but there are some legitimate reasons for raising him as an only child, mainly, safety concerns.