This is a post that I read in this months issue of CLIFFNotes, published by LegalizeFerrets.org. It was sent in by one of their readers and brings up some very good questions about what happens to pet ferrets once they are legalized in California. Tell us what you think. Please send us your comments on this interesting question.
Should Ferrets Really Be Legal?
Hey, I have a tough question which I wonder what your thought is on it, I live in California and have 3 pet ferrets and I love them, they have their own bedroom so they are free roamers, but I have often thought, I don’t know if I would want Ferrets legalized!!! Now hear me out, this is a tough one.
Facts:
Ferrets are very special animals, they require very special care and knowledge, they are not easy to take care of.
They are easy to lose and very good at escaping. You must alter your entire house to make it “Ferret-Proof”
They require a special diet to be healthy. The average person does not have all of the necessary knowledge to properly care for a ferret.
Opinions:
People are generally irresponsible and careless, if ferrets were legal they would see one in the pet store, get it because they are cute and lovable, take it home or buy it for someone as gift with absolutely no knowledge of how to care for them.
People generally don’t read or listen to instructions on how to care for things. People may think, hey this ferret food looks and smells like my cat food, I will just give them the same food as my cat, which will not provide the proper nutrition for the poor little guys.
A ferret will easily escape from a house that is not properly ferret-proofed with owners who don’t know how sneaky and fast and clever they are. We may end up seeing stray ferrets as frequently as we see stray dogs and cats on the streets, I do not believe they will create feral armies of ferrets and terrorize our livestock and crops, or cause ANY harm to anything for that matter, I do believe, however, that they will get sick, get ran over, starve to death and die, because domesticated ferrets cannot survive for very long out on their own.
Conclusion:
Now don’t get me wrong, I would love to be able to take my pet ferrets outside for a walk, and not have to be constantly worrying about getting them confiscated. I am just concerned that if they are legalized, their popularity in California would skyrocket, because they are awesome, yet since they require such special care and attention, that many of them would be neglected, given malnutrition, lost, and killed.
Have you ever considered this? I have not made up my mind on my position yet, I have just been thinking about this issue for a while every time I wish they were legalized, I second guess myself.
It’s an interesting question, but really it all boils down to : if they get legalized, they might get treated badly/get out and get hurt/be neglected/etc. Not only that, it assumes that all the ferrets that are ’secretly’ kept as pets in California are somehow better cared for now then if ferrets were legal.
Honestly, if that were the case, then maybe ferrets shouldn’t be legal anywhere?
Yes, legalizing ferrets will most likely cause a surge in their popularity and raise the chances that they might be neglected, raised wrong, fed wrong, etc, but not legalizing them does not mean that those things won’t happen anyways. Ferrets kept illegally have just as much a chance to be neglected, fed wrong, and treated badly. Not only that, with ferrets being illegal, there is always the chance that they may be confiscated and shipped out of state, or worse, all because they are illegal.
Instead of worrying, and dramatizing, about what would/could/just might happen if ferrets were legal in California, maybe it’s time to start planning for when they WILL be legal, and start thinking about organizing informative clubs that would be there to give new ferret owners the information and tips and tricks they need to take care of the fuzzy little beasts. Instead of worrying about what could be, plan to make sure that it won’t happen, and open resources so that those who need them will find them.
theZoshi,
I have to agree with you on this. Although I think there is a chance that more ferrets will be adopted and some of those owners will find them too much to deal with, there are ferrets in this same situation every day, that’s why the shelters are overflowing with furballs who are homeless.
Thank you for your valuable opinion.
Laura