Unwittingly, it has become my ongoing quest to offend pet owners of all types. Yesterday I came across a PBS documentary series entitled The Pursuit of Excellence:
THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE follows filmmaker Mark Lewis’ tradition of well-told stories with compelling characters, combined with an inevitably forward narrative and inherent humor. The featured characters are diverse in background, warmly endearing and sympathetic — people consumed by passion, with strong ambitions in their individual quests.
“Passion” is putting it mildly. Obsession would be a more apt term. I didn’t think it was possible but I found a group of pet owners even more bizarre than Crazy Cat Ladies. Freaky Ferret Women:
FERRETS: THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE (7/18) offers an endearing and amusing glimpse at America’s most playful, mischievous pets — not to mention their distinctive owners. At the annual Ferret Buckeye Bash in Columbus, Ohio, the largest and most popular ferret show in the country, hundreds of top breeders, seasoned experts and ferret enthusiasts pamper and parade their pets in a quest for prizes and prestige. FERRETS offers a quirky contrast to the common animal show — these curious creatures lack the regal air of show cats or the respectable nature of pedigreed dogs — yet these ferrets are trained, pampered and primed by their doting owners in the hope of taking the top prize in the biggest ferret show in the country.
Yup, they’re “distinctive” all right. From what I gather, ferrets don’t live a long life. Most of these women (and one man) had boxes of ashes containing the cremated remains of all their deceased weasels all around their houses surrounded by elaborate memorials. One lady had 25 dead ferrets in her freezer. She was holding them for her fellow ferret freaks so they could have a mass cremation then distribute the ashes to everyone.
And of course no human interest story would be complete without several shots of sobbing pet owners mourning the loss of their little furry critters. And here is a … uh … pet peeve of mine, and this is not just the ferret freaks. It literally makes my skin crawl when I hear pet owners describe the death of their pet as being “just like losing your child”, usually by childless people. What a ridiculous statement! No. It’s not just like losing your child and it’s a heartless comparison of two things that aren’t even remotely comparable. Mourn your pet. Shed tears. Even build a shrine. I’ve had pets that were great “friends” and was deeply saddened when they died. But to compare the loss of a pet to the loss of a child is offensive.
My apologies in advance to Squawkboxnoise for the barrage of emails from furious freaky ferret owners that will surely follow.
66 Responses to “Freaky Ferret Women”
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July 19th, 2007 at 9:12 am
A little over the top, the both of ya’s.
July 19th, 2007 at 9:13 am
Not sure what you mean, Nat.
July 19th, 2007 at 9:29 am
Sure they are:
Losing your wallet as compared to losing your house
An iguana as compared to Godzilla
A go-cart as compared to an Indy Car
A firecracker as compared to a Thremo-nuclear warhead
July 19th, 2007 at 9:30 am
There is a story on CNN or FoxNews online about some girls in CA burning a cat. The local vets/animal shelter have taken the cat under special care and it is having surgeries (by volunteer vets) that will run into $20,000-30,000. This is what gets me! I would have just euthanized the animal and end the situation. This country spends way to much time/money on animals/pets. I bet that those vets would not think about donating 20-30K of there own money to a charity or using the hours operating on that animal to go support a real charitable organization. Animals should not be abused but there needs to be a hard line where treatment of animals is equal to or greater than humans.
July 19th, 2007 at 9:43 am
I really don’t believe it was $20K to $30K in cash. It was most likey $X in the vet’s time, $X in office/equipment time and the left over for medicine and surgical supplies like gauze and stitches. So unless you want some people worked on by a vet, in a vet’s office and using vetenarian medice, it really doesn’t transfer to people very well.
July 19th, 2007 at 9:46 am
I don’t know Peter. According to this, that doesn’t include the Vet’s time:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,289880,00.html
July 19th, 2007 at 9:50 am
Ferrets stink! When I was a kid I wanted one. Day one, it bit the crap out of me. It crapped all over the place. And did I mention it stunk? They have these glands that leak a stinky stink all over. I gave it away and got a dog. But I bet about 50 or so would’ve made a great coat!
July 19th, 2007 at 9:53 am
Letting it get under your skin enough to make it crawl may be taking the statement too literal.
Childless people condensing their feelings into one statement, which is inappropriate, because they cannot better articulate them.
Both things are a little over the top.
OK, today everything seems a little augmented a metaphor of our culture. Vick, dog fighting, cruelty to animals, the cruelty human to human witnessed everyday on the news, things until this era unacceptable and relegated to a small minority and shunned by “respectable people” now a side show presented for public entertainment.
Upps, looks like I ran on and validated your statement.
July 19th, 2007 at 9:58 am
Not too many things make my skin crawl, Nat. But comparing the death of one’s weasel to the death of one’s child is one of them.
July 19th, 2007 at 10:03 am
Nice marmot.
July 19th, 2007 at 10:28 am
The only redeeming use for ferrets was revealed in this article in the WSJ. If you are a subscriber, you can read it, otherwise it is behind the firewall.
There is a guy, the official gamekeeper, in the Netherlands at the port of Rotterdam whose job consists of killing as many rabbits as possible each day. The port is so overrun with rabbits burrowing underground, they caved in roads, buildings and collapsed pipeline supports. He keeps a bunch of ferrets which will run down into the rabbit holes and flush them out.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118236239783842197.html?mod=most_viewed_day
July 19th, 2007 at 10:49 am
#5 Peter.
The issue is not that the vet could use his time to work on people but that $20-30K (in time or material) is being used by anyone to try and save a kitten that should have been “extinguished” as soon as someone found it. I have a dog (we paid for it) and are paying for upkeep etc. I hear folks saying about operations their pet had to have costing hundreds up into the low thousands. I say NO WAY! It is not a human. End the life and get another one. Are pets comfort to our emotions and well being, YES. It that money worth it to someone who has no one else. MAYBE. But don’t start treating animals and the loss of them on the same scale as humans.
July 19th, 2007 at 11:02 am
Also, let’s not forget - let’s NOT forget, Dude - that keeping wildlife, an amphibious rodent, for uh, domestic, you know, within the city - that aint legal either.
July 19th, 2007 at 11:22 am
I’ve warned you people again and again about the dangers of nihilism. Faster points out yet another example of why I’m right. They believe in nothing.
July 19th, 2007 at 11:22 am
#7 Fast yes your critter stunk…… and I guess you really liked the big white stripe……. You had a skunk instead of a ferret…. jkjk hehe
July 19th, 2007 at 11:34 am
No, I think it was dead when I bought it, but the clerk assured me it was “just resting”. Norweigan Blues need rest he said….
July 19th, 2007 at 12:28 pm
I’ve never owned a ferret, but I think it’s pretty neat to see how high an unsuspecting individual can jump when the little weasel darts up the pants leg.
July 19th, 2007 at 1:10 pm
Especially if they’re going “commando”.
July 19th, 2007 at 1:46 pm
Weasels Ripped My Flesh
July 19th, 2007 at 2:01 pm
“when the little weasel darts up the pants leg.”
That does sometime makes for an uncomfortable situation…
July 19th, 2007 at 4:54 pm
#6 - I’m not sure how much of that could be anything but time and equipment use. Obviously the cat is receiving medicine for infection and pain, but I’d bet it’s not more than $500 or so. We’re not talking about a custom made hip or anything, just guuze suctures and meds.
#12 - It’s subjective. I’m sure there are plenty of people across the world that would believe dogs and cats should be in pots and on tables rather than living a life of leisure. Once you start arguing whether someone’s time and equipment is worth it to save a kitten because it’s just an animal, it’s not far to get into the the arguement of whether or not people should be spending any money and resources on pets when there is so much need around the world.
If a vet feels like $20K to $30K of her time and facilities is worth saving a kitten, who are we to say it’s not?
July 19th, 2007 at 5:06 pm
Amphibious rodent for a pet, The Dude?
The Dude is from Louisiana, well I’ll be…
July 19th, 2007 at 6:21 pm
“annual Ferret Buckeye Bash”
Let’s see… Definition of:
Buckeye: Worthless Nut
Ferret: Semi-Domesticated Weasel
And “WHEN” did it become a good idea to group these two thing?
July 20th, 2007 at 4:31 am
No one can tell another how to grieve and over who or what and to what degree. Maybe someone who IS childless grieves for her ferret as she would a child. It’s heartless to minimize the pain of another because you see it as trivial or happens to be a reason that falls short of your approval. Pain is pain. To different people. To different degrees. Just let it be.
July 20th, 2007 at 7:28 am
glrbabe - Thanks for validating my story. Now go play with your weasels.
July 20th, 2007 at 5:29 pm
I agree with girbabe. I am a ferret and dog owner but not a birth parent. I treat all living creatures equally - skin or fur. Animals are 100% dependent upon humans for their well-being, children can eventually open the cupboard and pour themselves a bowl of cereal, show me a dog that can do that! Do I miss my animals that have passed like I do people? Absolutely.
July 20th, 2007 at 5:32 pm
Yet another validation of hamous’ post. FerretGirl, there is a difference.
July 20th, 2007 at 5:58 pm
bigjolly - Please tell me the difference? Both breathe, live, feel pain and are dependent upon humans - how can one life be more important than another? Life is life. You must have a favorite child too!
July 20th, 2007 at 6:03 pm
I run a private ferret shelter in the Detroit area. Please, please do not confuse the crazy women profiled in the PBS program with normal ferret owners! I was dismayed several times during the program, and the “how many scoops of dead ferret do you get” portion was perhaps the worst.
If the program had been on cat show people or dog show people then many folks would have thought “wow, those SHOW people are nuts.” And often, indeed they are - from my perspective anyway. Same holds true for ferret people. These were ferret SHOW people - people who are only concerned with living vicariously and gaining adoration through their pets winning ribbons and trophies.
Ferrets are domestic animals who make delightful pets for many people. Contrary to the myth, ferrets do not stink and should not bite - but both items depend on proper care. Ferrets are like kittens crossed with toddlers and are therefore rather high-maintenance. Ferret people are the same as any other pet owner, even when they have several. I remember back when I had my original gang of 5 ferrets: sum total weight about 12# o’ critter. The gal at my vet’s office had 5 newfoundland dogs: sum total weight like 800#! Both of us had the time, resource and lifestyle to tend and enjoy the critters we had adopted and we were both very happy, but I did start to get annoyed at some of the comments I would receive when I would think of this other gal’s chosen lifestyle!
Again, please don’t think all ferret people are crazy because of the women in the program.
Nanci
Motor City Ferrets
www.motorcityferrets.org
July 20th, 2007 at 6:05 pm
Not a chance. I have two daughters, both very different and both have my complete and total devotion. Do I like one more at any given moment? Sure. Do I love one more than the other? Nope.
Please tell you the difference? I would say you gotta be kidding but I suspect you aren’t. Life is not life. By your reasoning, we should worship plankton. See that rose out there in my yard? Same as a human, right? No. No. NO.
July 20th, 2007 at 6:32 pm
I wouldn’t compare the life of a plant to that of an an animal let alone a human! That was a good example!
My point is: a principle is a principle. Either you love it and care for it or you put conditions upon it.
July 20th, 2007 at 8:05 pm
OK So why can childless people NOT care about an animal the same as a child? If a person cannot have children and they want something to love and care for (Like normal people who can have children) then why not an animal??
Further more, Ferrets are domesticated. NOT SEMI, full time
The ferrets that are in “the wilds” are 1) Black footed ferrets, which are not the same breed. that would be like saying wolves ARE dogs… Not true. and 2) cross breds of ferrets and polecats. Which AGAIN would be like saying wolf/dog mixes are wolves OR dogs. just not the case.
Before making ignorant comments look up the facts.
July 20th, 2007 at 8:24 pm
Um, ignorant comment coming, so prepare yourself RU.
Because an animal is NOT a child! Get a grip on reality.
A childless person can love any number of things. And that is great. What they cannot do, and that was the point of the post, is compare the “thing” that they love to a human child. It just doesn’t compare or compute.
July 20th, 2007 at 9:34 pm
What your article does not mention is that some of these “crazy” people are ferret shelter owners that have devoted there lives to there little fuzzies. My guess is that the author of this article has never came into contact with a ferret. They do steal more then your socks, but also your heart.
I’m offended to be called a “furious freaky ferret owner”. For some people their pets really are there kids, maybe they couldn’t have their own child and have transfered there feelings to there pets. I haven’t lost a child, thankfully. Some people are more compassionate about animals then others. I guess thats why there are so many cases of abused and neglected animals. Thankfully, there are “crazy ferret people” and other “crazy animal lovers” to take in those unwanted, not researched, impulse buys that someone just wanted to ‘get rid of’.
With some of the care that in involved with elderly or cancerous pet owners developer deeper feeling for the infirmed while caring for them. Sometimes they do bounce back. When they don’t its terrible.
My ferrets aren’t stinky, they have been nip trained (when you do your homework on how to train any animal it makes a big difference for everyone in the household! imagine not training your dog to go potty outside??), and litter trained.
If you don’t care for a pet it will not be a good pet. So to those who commented above about stinky, pooping ferrets, maybe you should have read about the animal before buying one. I wouldn’t bring just “any dog” into my house without reading up on the breed, etc.
This was a 1 hour show. It focused on the ferret show, a few breeders, and shelter folks. I’m sure there was a lot of footage that had to be edited out.
July 20th, 2007 at 11:44 pm
Attention all freaky ferret people (which doesn’t include alfert in #29):
FERRETS ARE NOT PEOPLE. THEY ARE NOT EVEN CLOSELY RELATED TO PEOPLE. I don’t care what you do with your ferrets. Just don’t try and equate them with humans. They are weasels. No matter how cute you dress them up they are still weasels.
Alfert - you are spot on! They are pets. They should be respected and treated humanely. And I don’t disagree with you that we should “not confuse the crazy women profiled in the PBS program with normal ferret owners”. This post was not directed at good folks like you. It was directed at the “freaky ferret women” as shown in the documentary and here today.
July 21st, 2007 at 12:22 am
Now, I hear Soylent Green is people.
July 21st, 2007 at 11:16 am
You know, I really think you are all arguing over a comment that really wasn’t as extreme as you might think. It’s hard for me to explain…would I suffer a greater loss to lose my husband than to lose a pet? Of course. I’ve heard many people (ferret, dog, cat, etc.) say that losing a pet is like losing a child. I really don’t think that the comment is meant to equate the loss as equal, but rather to explain that the loss of a pet can be acute and horribly painful - to help people respect that the person has suffered a loss.
We all know many people who have little to no regard for animals, nor much for the people who love them. Why, one morning when I came into work my eyes started watering quite a bit. I was dabbing with kleenex and my colleague even teased me for crying…something about the boss being too harsh, you know - just being silly. Then the resident asshole came by and made his joke: “Why are you crying, did a ferret die?” Well, this turd doesn’t have respect for anything, so you get the idea. In fact, a ferret had died the night before, but I wasn’t crying. The comment did in fact bring me right back to the night before and the sadness that had taken place. I had spent weeks nursing this poor little fellow who died because of the neglect he suffered in his former home. Indeed I had cried when he died, as a living creature came to the end of his life too soon and had suffered because of a human’s lack of respect for living beings. I didn’t cry for 6 hours or want to jump off a bridge, but even though I didn’t know this little guy for very long I was sad. The office jerk would never care about any loss I suffer, no matter the source…but could you imagine someone ever saying “what, did a friend die or something?”
When we pet owners have to deal with idiots who have no respect for living beings and certainly no respect for us, we often grab phrases that help to paint a picture. A pet is a dependant, reliant on us humans for the basic needs – including happiness, security, etc. Thus the relationship can be something like that of having a child, but I’ve never met anyone who would suffer the loss of both equally. And pets bring joy with few problems…sort of like the relationship you might have with an infant. All cute, no ill-will when things are messy or you’re up all night, etc. Now a teenager with a personality, that’s a different relationship! HA! So the relationship with the pet is always innocent, which I think leads to the great love that people can have for their pets.
With ferrets in particular, they’re so fun loving and always happy that it’s especially hard to see them fall ill. And I can tell you that one feels responsible for that tiny little ferret from day 1. I’ve had ferrets surrendered that were actually in the process of dying and I can tell you I’ve suffered pain from the loss – even though I didn’t know the critter well. It’s because I became responsible for that animal and with responsibility comes love or whatever you want to call it. And I assure you I am NOT a crazy ferret woman!
So I tend to think that even the “crazy ferret woman” who made the comment was not in fact trying to suggest that the loss of a ferret would be equivalent to losing a human child – whether she has human children or not. We have lots of clients who have both human and furry children and indeed, that’s what they call them. Because it helps people to understand what we believe to be the proper relationship with our pets: we are responsible for them, from basic necessities to emotional needs. And of course, that we should be respected for our feelings towards them. I don’t care if you love my dog, but if you expect me to respect you when you lose a friend or family member because it hurt you, then you need to respect me when I tell you I experience sadness and loss when my dog dies.
I will be writing to the filmmaker of the ferret program to request he continue his series by profiling “regular” ferret folk, hopefully including the shelters. Most people are surprised to learn that there are ferret shelters; I usually help them understand by reminding them that there are idiot owners of every animal!
Nothing “wrong” with any of our shelter ferrets – they’re here only because of the people who used to own them! C’mon over and meet some of our ferret friends and you’ll see that they’re regular people who happen to be lucky enough to have some extra joy in their lives, brought to you by your friendly local weezil affiliate.
Nanci
Motor City Ferrets
www.motorcityferrets.org
July 21st, 2007 at 12:07 pm
Nanci - thanks for bringing a sane voice from the perspective of ferret owners into the argument. However, I think you may be giving some of these people a little too much credit. Some of the commenters above were given multiple opportunities to clarify their positions and they continued to equate the loss of a child to the loss of a ferret. They were adamant.
I understand there are responsible pet owners and irresponsible pet owners. But there are also “crazy cat ladies” and “freaky ferret women”. I give one of our regular commenters here a hard time teasing him about his affection for cats. He’s cat crazy! But he’s not a “crazy cat man” (maybe crazy for other reasons, though ;-)) He can recognize the difference.
July 21st, 2007 at 12:34 pm
Animals can’t bless your lives with grandchildren!! BIG differnce.
Until you have lost a child, you cannot imagine what THAT pain feels like.
I am an animal lover as well, but gimme a break! Click on my name and check it out.
July 21st, 2007 at 2:03 pm
Repeat after me: People are more important than animals. Does it hurt to lose a pet? Of course! But it is nothing compared to losing a child. Anybody who thinks so has never lost a child or just ain’t right…
July 21st, 2007 at 2:47 pm
After reading some the comments on this thread, I feel compelled to repost this from the Weekend Open Comments thread:
texpat Says:
July 21st, 2007 at 10:17 am
” We’re all familiar with Baby Britneys, Moms Who Mosh, and Dads too “young” to call themselves “mister,” but what my book does is link these same behaviors — shaped by a social bias against “maturity” that’s still relatively new — to our cultural and political behaviors as a people, as a nation. In other words, if we are a society of perpetual adolescents who can’t say “no,” it follows that we are also a politically correct nation that can’t tell right from wrong. If, during the so-called culture wars, we sophomorically retreated from the lessons of Western civ, it follows that in the “real” culture war on Islamic terror, we fight on without understanding our own identity — or our enemy’s. ”
So writes Diana West, the very sharp columnist for the Washington Times, who invites everyone to read her new book, ” The Death of the Grown-up: How America’s Arrested Development Is Bringing Down Western Civilization “.
http://www.amazon.com/Death-Grown-up-Americas-Development-Civilization/dp/0312340486/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-9178646-0703837?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1184729743&sr=8-1
There are a more than a few folks in America that could benefit from reading this book.
July 21st, 2007 at 3:27 pm
Ya know, there’s not near the amount of meat on one of them critters as you’d think. A guy my size would have to skin and batter at least 5 or 6 to make anything like a meal.
Marinade them in buttermilk overnight to get the gamey taste out. Egg wash then Dredge in seasoned flour (tony Chacheres is pretty good) and cornmeal. Deep fry at about 450 degrees for about 3-4 minutes or until juices run clear.
And, ferrets DO stink!!
July 21st, 2007 at 3:32 pm
Squirrels and weasels!
July 21st, 2007 at 4:40 pm
Ferrets smell. They’re weasels, like skunks. I suspect that the reason why ferret owners don’t think they smell is because they have become desensitized to the odor. The same thing happens with many cat owners. They don’t think the litter box stinks because they’re used to it. Others can walk in and immediately tell they have a cat. Inside dogs too.
http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/ferrets/a/ferrets101.htm
July 21st, 2007 at 4:52 pm
#42, 43, & 44: Yes ferrets DO stink, however, I do like the smell of squirrel and ferrets as they are frying in hot grease! mmmmmm…slathered in gravy….
Psst! Faster: repeat the egg wash and flour again before frying. Dang, can’t wait for ferret and squirrel season to begin!
July 21st, 2007 at 7:45 pm
Ferrets make great bait. Some of the largest ctafish I have landed is with ferret as the bait. Catfish love a good stink bait.
July 21st, 2007 at 8:42 pm
Yeah Squawk. But you have to hook ‘em through the nosal cavity, piercing the skull because they’ll wiggle off and die if you hook ‘em through the guts.
July 21st, 2007 at 11:30 pm
They taste like chicken
hehe
OK So back to my other post about the kids. So children are more loveable b/c they can give you granchildren? So if your child could not give you granchildren then they COULD be as loved as a pet? hehe I had too say it.
Yes ferrets have a smell. But so do dogs and cats and any other animal. If you keep up with your cleanliness then, OK YES, ferrets still have a smell but it is not quite as bad as you would think. I have actually had people come over to my apartment and not know I have ferrets at all (And they would be NON-ferret people). If you are a clean person then the smell is not overly bad, unlike some people dogs, but I am sure that is a whole other can of (dare I say??) ferrets :0 hehe
July 21st, 2007 at 11:38 pm
Oh and #39 I pray to God I NEVER have to know what losing a child is like.
I am not saying a human or an animal is more important than the other. I am saying that if you raise something, feed it, (yes sometimes cloth it), nurse it is sick and have to make decisions about its health, care and wellfare then that SOMETHING becomes very important to you. And it will ripe out a piece of your heart when it dies.
More or less than a child?? I do not know. I do not have children YET!! (See I do want children, I do not have them yet).
If we all were touchy feely people then I would never get a hamburger. I am just a BIG enough person to realize it is OK to be different and NOT make fun of people for it.
July 22nd, 2007 at 1:26 am
Thanks for validating my post once again.
July 23rd, 2007 at 6:57 pm
It’s obvious that animal people will never be understood by non-animal people. You think we are ‘crazy’ and can do nothing better than name call to state your point.
A long time ago I learned that humans are vicious, evil creatures (these posts only validate my opinion), whereas animals give unconditional companionship and loyalty. They give 100%, 100% of the time.
You’re right animals aren’t people; but they live, they breathe, and they bleed just like humans. They deserve to be treated humanely and respectfully, something we barely do to our own people.
July 23rd, 2007 at 7:25 pm
Really? This one didn’t get the memo:
If you think that kind of violence was instilled in the dogs by “vicious, evil” mankind, maybe you could explain this one:
As for your absurd suggestion that animals “give 100%, 100% of the time,” have you ever seen a housecat?
July 24th, 2007 at 12:32 pm
First of all please get your facts straight before posting.
“County Dog Warden Jon Luzio said there were more than 40 pit bulls, pit bull mixes and English bulldogs that were being kept by the boy’s mother.”
— who was the irresponsible party - dogs, a pack species, or the mother leaving her child with breeds known to be aggressive?
“Also Sunday, two cyclists in Banff National Park escaped with minor injuries after being charged by a grizzly bear protecting her cubs.”
“Whether or not the bear at this point had caused death to that lady, I don’t know. We are in the process of investigating that,” Visentin said.”
Hhmmmm sounds like people were invading a WILD animals territory. Oh, wait that silly bear was trying to protect it’s cubs - maybe something that mother with the pitbulls should have considered. Silly WILD bear.
Regarding my absurd suggestion - 100% of the time - FYI - house cats are not considered 100% domestic animals. They are the only domestic animal that has never had the ‘wild’ fully bred out of them.
Your post has no merit.
July 24th, 2007 at 1:25 pm
Whoa now. I never said the lady was responsible, nor was I defending her.
I was pointing out the ridiculous of your idea that “animals give unconditional companionship and loyalty.”
That’s simply untrue. Animals turn on people all the time. Did you mean only domestic animals, or what?
July 24th, 2007 at 2:53 pm
So you agree that you are different. Now that we’ve established that fact, you don’t have to be “animal people” to have the capacity to treat animals humanely. The fact remains - animals are not people and its not very “humane” to equate the loss of one’s child to the loss of one’s weasel.
July 24th, 2007 at 2:57 pm
Coincidentally, Dennis Prager has an excellent article on the “humanity” of people towards animals and their fellow human beings today:
http://frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=29269
It would be interesting to see the percentage of “animal people” who are also “pro-choice”.
July 24th, 2007 at 5:07 pm
“I was pointing out the ridiculous of your idea that “animals give unconditional companionship and loyalty…”
That’s simply untrue. Animals turn on people all the time. Did you mean only domestic animals, or what?”
I can only speak for my animals and yes my dogs do give unconditional companionship and loyalty - 100% of the time. My dog never leaves my side when I’m home. Even when my husband is home and I’m not, my dog waits for me by the door until I return. My husband will try and lure him with food and affection but he’ll have no part of it - not until I’m home. Only then does he come alive and will pay attention to my husband.
Funny because my husband had (note the had) the same mentality - animals were just animals, they weren’t on par with humans - that was until we got married and he’s lived with my crew for the past 4 years. He sees the loyalty, companionship and devotion. He still won’t equate the two, however, his perception of animals has changed dramatically.
…That’s simply untrue. Animals turn on people all the time. Did you mean only domestic animals, or what?”
You have to clarify “what type” of animals turn on people all the time. Yes, WILD animals which have been TAMED will turn on humans. Wild, domestic and tame are not scientifically the same. Yes, domestic dogs have turned against humans/their owners, however one must consider the circumstances before passing judgment.
July 24th, 2007 at 5:19 pm
“So you agree that you are different. Now that we’ve established that fact, you don’t have to be “animal people” to have the capacity to treat animals humanely. The fact remains - animals are not people and its not very “humane” to equate the loss of one’s child to the loss of one’s weasel.”
Yes I definitely am different. I respect a persons point of view for what it is - an opinion. I respect your right to think less of animal life than human life. I respect your ‘feelings’. All I want is for you to respect how I see and perceive animal life. But for some reason you want to be right and tell me my perception is ‘off’ and I must be a freaky ferret woman.
I find it interesting that humans try and imitate animals in every way shape or form, that we rely on animals for life and breathe, that animals have helped us win wars, they’ve saved lives, they give us independence and the ability to experience life again, they protect our homes and our lives; they do so much for us, but still they are ‘just animals’ and don’t deserve the respect they earn. Their loyalty and devotion can easily be discarded. You’d be hard pressed to find a human being with all the qualities I’ve listed, but damned if humans aren’t the higher species of intelligence!
I’m baffled.
July 24th, 2007 at 5:19 pm
Ever seen a ferret tear up a house? Better yet ya oughta seen the stitches a ferret caused to my buds hand. He never abused, teased or mishandled the animal. He no longer owns a ferrtet.
Actually I have owned bunches of, I don’t know how many, cats and dogs. None of which have ever turned on me and each gave me love, companionship, loyalty and joy unconditionally. In fact I had to to take back a dog that I gave away because the dog was loyal to me and I spent over a month actively transitioning the hound.
So called TAMED wild animals, like a ferret are subject to turn on their owners at any moment.
July 24th, 2007 at 5:38 pm
“Coincidentally, Dennis Prager has an excellent article on the “humanity” of people towards animals and their fellow human beings today:”
I don’t understand how you deem that article “excellent”. Of course you can’t assume animal loving people will treat humans equally. Humans do and say things to make us dislike them all the time. I certainly won’t treat Jeffrey Daimler the way I would my brother! Do you honestly believe that someone who supports dog and cock fighting to be a warm, loving and affectionate human being? People who treat animals unkindly are desensitized to pain and suffering. I’d bet the majority of these people, as children, have been abused or have seen abuse to animals. Children by nature are kind and innocent, but by experience become cruel, vicious and inhumane.
July 24th, 2007 at 5:48 pm
“Ever seen a ferret tear up a house? Better yet ya oughta seen the stitches a ferret caused to my buds hand. He never abused, teased or mishandled the animal. He no longer owns a ferrtet.”
Please define “tear up a house?” If you mean have I seen a ferret do ‘ferrety things’ as in dig up plants, scratch furniture, push stuff off of shelves, etc., yes I have. All things which a dog or cat might do from time to time, until they are trained of course. Sorry to hear about your friends hand - however a dog or cat can do some lasting damage too.
“So called TAMED wild animals, like a ferret are subject to turn on their owners at any moment.”
I wholeheartedly agree. However, please familiarize yourself with the definitions of wild, tame and domesticated. Ferrets that are kept as pets are domesticated - there is nothing wild about a domesticated ferret. Possibly your friends ‘ferret’ was a hybrid (maybe even a mink.) It’s never been my experience that a ferret has caused such damage to an adult to elicit stitches. But than again, I’ve had my fair share of scratches and bites. However, what can one expect, after all, it is an animal.
July 24th, 2007 at 5:48 pm
Nope, but you can assume that if a person treats animals cruely you can pretty much bet how they are going to treat humans.
In fact it has been proven that the John Wayne Gaceys of the world usually start out abusing animals when they were kids and then graduate to humans. It is called no respect for life.
July 24th, 2007 at 5:58 pm
“tear up a house” means exactly what it says. Ferrets doing ferreting things? Is that how you quantify it?
The guy owned a F-E-R-R-E-T.
Excuse me but I am familiar with the term wild v/s tame v/s domesticated, and the “accepted” definition changes occurred in modern history. AND it has not been till recent history that “ferrets” have become “tame/domesticated” by definition and the wild attribution removed. Your semantics do not fly.
Ferrets like MONKEYS are WILD animals. They retain and are more likely to display their wild characteristics than say a DOMESTICATED house cat or even a tame ferrel cat.
July 24th, 2007 at 6:14 pm
Sorry ferretgirl but you’re trying to portray me as some mad vivisectionist cutting up little kittens for pleasure. I love animals. They can provide companionship to people. They are loyal to their masters. The only thing we differ on is your “freaky” obsession with equating animals with humans. If you were in a situation where your ferret and a child who was a stranger were in a car inundated with rising flood waters and you only had time to save one, would save your ferret or the child?
July 24th, 2007 at 6:22 pm
Excuse me but I am familiar with the term wild v/s tame v/s domesticated, and the “accepted” definition changes occurred in modern history. AND it has not been till recent history that “ferrets” have become “tame/domesticated” by definition and the wild attribution removed. Your semantics do not fly.
Ferrets like MONKEYS are WILD animals. They retain and are more likely to display their wild characteristics than say a DOMESTICATED house cat or even a tame ferrel cat.
———————-
By (scientific) definition - domesticated and tame are never in the same sentence.
A wild animal can be tamed. But it will never be domesticated. A wild animal is domesticated by selective breeding of desirable traits. (Think of wolf to dog).
A domestic ferret cannot be compared to a wild monkey. A monkey will always be wild. Domesticated cats are one of the only domesticated animals that have retained wild characteristics. Most ferrets have had the hunting ability bred out of them. However if a baby ferret is raised to kill it’s prey for food, it will have been ‘taught’ to do this. Just as a dog would be trained to kill a penned rabbit for dinner.
July 24th, 2007 at 6:25 pm
“Sorry ferretgirl but you’re trying to portray me as some mad vivisectionist cutting up little kittens for pleasure. I love animals. They can provide companionship to people. They are loyal to their masters. The only thing we differ on is your “freaky” obsession with equating animals with humans. If you were in a situation where your ferret and a child who was a stranger were in a car inundated with rising flood waters and you only had time to save one, would save your ferret or the child?”
Ahhhhhhhhhhhh the question I ask of my husband all the time! To which he replies - “the child OF COURSE!” I on the other hand, say, I would try and save both!
— glad to know, “the only thing we differ on is your “freaky” obsession with equating animals with humans.” I’m not saying they are EQUAL, I am saying they deserve to be treated equally. Huge difference IMHO.