by Lynda Chitwood

Created on: February 17, 2009   Last Updated: March 06, 2009

As a ferret owner, and parent/grandparent, my opinion is that children and ferrets, generally, do not mix. I am sure there are ferret owners writhing in their seats at that statement, and I make no apologies, but offer a story that has nothing to do with ferrets, and everything to do with the nature of a child.

Before my first grandson was born, my daughter purchased a chinchilla. When she got pregnant, and the closer it got to her giving birth, we became "foster parents" to the little rodent. She was cute, very entertaining, and fairly easy to care for, so we became a bit attached to her. She went back home when my grandson was a toddler, and I shudder to think of what the poor little creature has endured since then. The boy liked to open her cage and pet her, and then leave the cage door open. My daughter would recount tales of the chinchilla dashing madly around her home, with the boy and his large Labrador hot on her heels. She even thought it was amusing that the chinchilla, who normally didn't like being captured and placed back in her cage, would run there intentionally for refuge. One day I was visiting, and the poor animal looked like she'd been through a war. Her coat, normally lush, full and silky, looked like dreadlocks. She seemed smaller, diminished somehow.

Apparently my grandson decided she needed a bath, and dunked her in the toilet. Without going into the details of chinchilla care, suffice it to say that they cannot get wet. My daughter is an excellent parent, and I try hard not to give unsolicited advice, but I did get a bit testy with her, saying that her child should not be permitted to torture a small animal. The chinchilla is gone now; my daughter says she found her a new home. I hope this means truly a good home with a new owner and not that the chinchilla has gone on to the sweet by and by. I like to believe that my daughter and her husband have come to understand that a big, sturdy dog is the best pet for their willful child.

That same willful boy, whom I love dearly, is not permitted around my ferret without supervision.
Because the ferret is a clever girl, we have her cage doors rigged so she can't open them. This is a good thing when the small animal terrorist is here.
He adores the ferret, likes to pet her, and thoroughly understands the concept of petting her gently. When we let her run, though, he wants to chase her down, tackle her, pull her tail, and all number of other unwanted behaviors. Her natural playfulness, hopping and running

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