Keeping any animal around toddlers unattended is irresponsible and should never be done; this includes cats and dogs. Plenty of stories about attacks from the family dog or cat too.
That being said, one of my childhood friends had a ferret, and can definitely attest they're kind bitey, more so than your average cat or dog, and they also seem to have an unlimited amount of energy.
On the other hand there are also plenty of stories about dogs and cats saving kids too.
One of my earliest memories is from being out back and seeing something interesting that I wanted to go pick up and play with, and our dog (a little wirehaired terrier) getting between me and it and forcing me back despite my attempts to get around him to get to the interesting thing, while barking his head off until my mom came out to see what was going on.
As someone who has had dogs, cats, and ferrets - it really just comes down to training.
The bitey-est animal I've had so far is my current cat. Neither of our ferrets were bitey. The only time a bite happened was when our (at the time, young) dog backed one into a corner and it got scared.
Based on some reading, it appears the principal risk of ferrets relative to other animals is that they can climb. A crib will protect a baby from a cat or dog, but not from a ferret. Consequently, the most disturbing examples involve ferrets attacking immobile newborns in cribs.
There are lots of reports of domestic pets attacking babies, but ferrets are more likely than the others to have the opportunity, when normal infant care is applied.
On the contrary, ferrets are generally kept in cages, whereas dogs and cats conventionally have free roam of the house. Ferrets out of their cage should be monitored, especially in the presence of infants who don't know how to interact with the animals yet.
We had some concerns about our dog around a newborn child, we had to be super careful while the dog adjusted to the baby being in the house, because she showed a decent amount of jealousy for the attention the baby was getting.
I wouldn't consider allowing a ferret free roam of your infant's room to be normal ferret or infant care, it'd be irresponsible in terms of both.
A cat can easily get into a crib, not only can they climb, they can jump pretty high too. My cats regularly scale a 6" wood fence in the back yard to see what the neighbors are up to. The first 5" is pure jump, followed by a fairly ugly pull-up.
>Consequently, the most disturbing examples involve ferrets attacking immobile newborns in cribs.
My college roommate had a ferret. I don't remember him every climbing anything and he could hardly jump. He was adept at pooping all over the corners of our dorm room though.
Always keep in mind that now a days, just about anything you read in a publication or on the internet is over-hyped or dramatized, or sensationalized for effect.
"Ferrets can get into a crib and there have been instances where a ferret has attacked a child, but the same holds true for cats and most household pets," just doesn't sell the drama as well.
Unlike dogs that sniff and bark, and cats that watch, meow and rub everything, ferrets interact with the world by biting and tasting.
If they love you, they will show it pulling gently the hair in your arms with its mouth while you are watching TV. This can last for a lot of time.
If they are startled, in pain or feel threatened they will sink the fangs in your flesh and bite. Strong. Every single owner of a ferret show small red spots in their arms. And they are perfectly capable to chew off a finger, even if that behavior is extremely rare in a domesticated animal.
I don't have any problem with people having them as pets in Europe. They love to be cuddled, are affectionated, playful and curious, but they also smell, are oily, lose the hairs when in heat, and sometimes yes, they bite.
Beltalowda|3 years ago
That being said, one of my childhood friends had a ferret, and can definitely attest they're kind bitey, more so than your average cat or dog, and they also seem to have an unlimited amount of energy.
tzs|3 years ago
One of my earliest memories is from being out back and seeing something interesting that I wanted to go pick up and play with, and our dog (a little wirehaired terrier) getting between me and it and forcing me back despite my attempts to get around him to get to the interesting thing, while barking his head off until my mom came out to see what was going on.
The interesting thing was a large rattlesnake.
Teknoman117|3 years ago
The bitey-est animal I've had so far is my current cat. Neither of our ferrets were bitey. The only time a bite happened was when our (at the time, young) dog backed one into a corner and it got scared.
scythe|3 years ago
There are lots of reports of domestic pets attacking babies, but ferrets are more likely than the others to have the opportunity, when normal infant care is applied.
ocdtrekkie|3 years ago
We had some concerns about our dog around a newborn child, we had to be super careful while the dog adjusted to the baby being in the house, because she showed a decent amount of jealousy for the attention the baby was getting.
I wouldn't consider allowing a ferret free roam of your infant's room to be normal ferret or infant care, it'd be irresponsible in terms of both.
Clubber|3 years ago
A cat can easily get into a crib, not only can they climb, they can jump pretty high too. My cats regularly scale a 6" wood fence in the back yard to see what the neighbors are up to. The first 5" is pure jump, followed by a fairly ugly pull-up.
>Consequently, the most disturbing examples involve ferrets attacking immobile newborns in cribs.
My college roommate had a ferret. I don't remember him every climbing anything and he could hardly jump. He was adept at pooping all over the corners of our dorm room though.
Always keep in mind that now a days, just about anything you read in a publication or on the internet is over-hyped or dramatized, or sensationalized for effect.
"Ferrets can get into a crib and there have been instances where a ferret has attacked a child, but the same holds true for cats and most household pets," just doesn't sell the drama as well.
pvaldes|3 years ago
If they love you, they will show it pulling gently the hair in your arms with its mouth while you are watching TV. This can last for a lot of time.
If they are startled, in pain or feel threatened they will sink the fangs in your flesh and bite. Strong. Every single owner of a ferret show small red spots in their arms. And they are perfectly capable to chew off a finger, even if that behavior is extremely rare in a domesticated animal.
I don't have any problem with people having them as pets in Europe. They love to be cuddled, are affectionated, playful and curious, but they also smell, are oily, lose the hairs when in heat, and sometimes yes, they bite.