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> But regardless, you need to weigh those risks against the enjoyment and psychological benefit that owners derive from pet ferrets, just like with pets of any
by armada651 4y ago
> But regardless, you need to weigh those risks against the enjoyment and psychological benefit that owners derive from pet ferrets, just like with pets of any other species.
What's the unique psychological benefit that owners get from a ferret that they wouldn't be able to get from a cat, dog or any of the numerous already legal pets?
- hgomersall 4y agoArguably cats and dogs should be banned too!
- rcpt 4y agoAt the very least allow people to kill cats when they're on your property. Instead you can face a year in jail if you put down the cat that's been hunting your rabbits and chickens
- cmrdporcupine 4y agoPeople have problems with cats and chickens? Dogs, sure, but cats? Our chickens stare down the neighbour's barn cat (who hunts full size rabbits BTW) and the cat is like... hm.... not worth it, and she moves on. Now, I wouldn't want cats around when they're still chicks, true. A rooster comes in handy then, though.
- armada651 4y agoWe used to have a bantam chicken and we'd regularly see the neighbor's cat sprinting through our garden being chased around by a small, bite-size chicken. The cat would regularly terrorize the larger chickens, but it knew not to fuck with the little guy.
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- hgomersall 4y agoA few years ago someone in the UK put an electric net over their vegetable patch, probably to stop cats. Long story short a cat was killed by said electric net. He was prosecuted but only got a fine of £60 or something. I suspect he might have felt that was good value to eliminate the cat shit from his veggies.
- Clubber 4y agoJust ban people from California and be done with it. 99% of all of California's ecological problems would be solved right there.
- nomel 4y agoCats definitely. I've seen outdoor cats kill many birds, and have even come across house cats out on hiking trails. What do dogs do to native wildlife though? I've never seen this argument made before. Wild dog packs are very rare, and usually taken care of since they're dangerous. Ferrel cats aren't all that different from house cats, and can be found everywhere.
- hgomersall 4y agoHere is one issue: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2307320-dog-waste-may-harm-nature-reserve-biodiversity-by-fertilising-the-soil/ https://www.newscientist.com/article/2307320-dog-waste-may-h... They also cause problems for nesting birds, most notably for ground and hedge nesting kinds.
- sigzero 4y agoGo watch videos of ferrets playing. They are amazing animals. I love mine and would rather have a ferret than a cat but maybe not a dog.
- pxc 4y agoOr if you're not in CA, see if you can find a ferret rescue willing to let you meet some in person.
- ocdtrekkie 4y agoFerrets are, like dogs, heavily play-focused animals. For people who can't own a dog-sized animal, ferrets are an excellent choice for active pet owners. Your rabbit or guinea pig is literally going to sit there, eat, and poop. Ferrets are one of the only small pets you can really actually play with. I think they're extremely good pets for kids, because they're friendly, active, (relatively) robust and much less likely to cause harm to a kid than a larger animal like a dog.
- nomel 4y agoMy small dog is about 2 lbs heavier than a ferret, and shorter in length.
- pvaldes 4y agoThere is also enjoyment and psychological benefit in watching native animals in nature. Who has the priority?