http://www.brittline.com/2011/11/30/ferrets-as-pets-a-cautionary-tale/
I’m a dog lover at heart. Always have been. A couple of months ago however, I almost succumbed to family pressure to add a ferret to our family dynamic. I think they are cute and all, but it just didn’t seem like a good idea for us. My brother however, did get a pet ferret at that time. It seems that our kids had been in cahoots. What follows is a bit of a cautionary tale that I hope some people will learn from before casually bringing home a new pet.
My brother John is also a dog lover, and his family includes a small terrier mix named “Sparky”. When John said that they were going to go ahead with the idea of getting a ferret, warning bells went off in my head, but I kept my mouth shut. To keep a long story a little bit shorter, when they brought the ferret home from the pet store, Sparky took one sniff and started going nuts. Now, some dogs do just fine with new pets being brought home. Sparky, however, was filled with instincts that told him he should be getting his jaws on the fluffy new addition.
John and his family tried to deal with the situation rationally. They put their new ferret in a separate room, safely in a cage. Sparky wasn’t fooled however. All he could think about was getting at the ferret. Eventually, to keep Sparky sane, John gave the ferret to a friend who already had two ferrets as pets. The furball seems to be living happily ever after.
The lesson to be learned here is that some pets just don’t mix. Perhaps John could have had his friend visit with one of his ferrets to see how Sparky reacted. At the very least, he might have thought about the fact that Sparky has a history of chasing almost anything that moves. This isn’t meant to be an indictment of ferrets as pets. Rather, it should serve as a warning to potential owners of these animals that they might be seen as prey by some existing pets. Do a bit of research before getting a new pet. You will be glad that you did and it will help to ensure a more peaceful existence for both of you.