Illegal in California

California and Hawaii are the only 2 US states that ban residents from keeping ferrets as pets. California ferret owners are ramping up their campaign to persuade lawmakers, wildlife regulators and the public that it's time to overturn a ban that's been in place for nearly 80 years.

"There is no reason the ownership of the domesticated ferret should be illegal in California," said Pat Wright, who heads the Legalize Ferrets campaign, told the California Fish and Game Commission in February. "These guys are part of our family. The pet-human bond is a strong one, and you're stepping on it."

State wildlife regulators say escaped or discarded ferrets could establish feral populations and threaten native wildlife, such as nesting birds, rabbits and squirrels.

Despite the ban, California is believed to have more ferrets than any other state. The pet industry estimates that about a quarter of the nation's ferret care supplies are sold in California, where ferret owners can have their pets confiscated and be prosecuted for a criminal misdemeanor.

Source

Pet Ferret Bites Off 7 Fingers Of Infant

GRAIN VALLEY, Mo. -- A 4-month-old boy had seven of his fingers gnawed off by a pet ferret in Grain Valley.

Police and firefighters responded to a home in the 200 block of Young Street Monday morning after an animal bite call. Grain Valley police Chief Aaron Ambrose said it was much worse.

Video: Ferret Bites Off Fingers Of Infant

"Upon further investigating, they learned that the infant's fingers had been taken off by the family's pet ferret," Ambrose said.

The police report said the boy was in a rocker when his parents fell asleep, one parent in the bedroom, the other in the same room the bites occurred. The ferret bit off all but the boy's two thumbs and one pinky, the report said.

Source

Monday Rufferences and Mews

Welcome to Monday Rufferences and Mews!

* Dogster announces their very first Dogster iPhone Application! It’s called Dog Park, and allows you to stroll through the virtual dog park, chat with friends and meet other dog people on the go. Check it out! Sounds like fun!

* Have you heard about this hero dog? Sabi, a black Australian labrador and American army bomb sniffing dog was separated from her unit and lost in the desert for a year. Happily, she was found and is now reunited with her unit. (From the Syney Morning Herald.)

* I just love this dog trainer's look at obedience school drop outs from Rachel Baum's fun blog Bark: confessions of a dog trainer.

* Gina Spadafori reminds pet owners that ferrets are susceptible to the H1N1 virus.

* Are you thinking of giving a dog as a Christmas gift? Edie from Will My Dog Hate Me suggests you might want to think twice.

What do you think? Is your dog an obedience school dropout? Have you ever given a dog or cat as a Christmas gift? I'd love to hear from you.

Join us again next Monday for more Rufferences and Mews!

Fursday Fun

from WebShots, by mbdaily

from Flickr, by loveisabeautifulthing

from Flickr, by Isa Costa

from Funny Pet Photos

Ferret movie stars

Jeanne Carley loves taking pictures of ferrets.

She said, "They are funny, sweet, and incredibly endearing. Ferrets amaze me with their intelligence and happy personalities. I can't imagine working with any other pet the way I do with ferrets. They inspire me with their exuberance, curiosity and adorable dance of joy. They are my muse."

Carley has created ferret-themed calendars for 15 years. Her latest, which took several years to create, pays homage to classic movies with a ferret in the pivotal role of each.

"It was a really hard issue for me," Carley said. "Trying to illustrate a whole film with a single picture – and using a ferret – is not easy! And they're hard to photograph. You can't say, 'Sit' to a ferret. Well, you can say it, but they won't do anything!"

Visit Jeanne Carley's Ferret Company

Shop for ferret merchandise

(via People Pets)

What's that in your pants?

From Flickr, by baelzubaboon

My cup runneth over

Awwwww .... it's Baby Ferrets in a Cup!, originally uploaded by Dosh Dosh.

(via Funny Pets blog)

Check local laws on ferret ownership

According to estimates from the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, about 500,000 people own some 2 million ferrets. Ferret folks claim the real numbers are much higher.

But ferrets, those slinky, mink-y cousins of weasels, badgers, skunks and polecats, are outlawed in New York , Salt Lake City and numerous other municipalities, and the states of California and Hawaii and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

"It's because they believe they're wild animals and they believe they'll decimate the wildlife. These are neutered and spayed animals," said an exasperated Norine Barnes, president of the Greater Chicago Ferret Association, which has about 275 members and runs a shelter for ferrets, which are legal in Illinois.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals agrees. It opposed the 1999 ban on ferrets in New York.

Source: Chicago Tribune

Video: Ferret vs. jalapeno

Oh, the poooor thing!

Video: The Blackfooted Ferret

Wildlife biologists from the US Fish and Wildlife Service explain how they are making great strides toward saving this endangered species that was once thought to be extinct. From breeding ferret offspring to preparing them for release back into the wild, the recovery effort of these cute carnivores is rich in math and science.