FOCUSED
INTERVIEWS
Goal
Predicting the economic impact to California if the ban on ferrets was lifted
requires a series of assumptions. While we can estimate with some
accuracy the amount of money spent on an average ferret, no one can
know exactly how many new residents will become ferret owners if the law
were changed. Nor can we know exactly how many current ferret owners
will come forward and pay the licensing fee.
Ideally, we would look to other states that have recently legalized ferrets
and use their numbers to compare. Unfortunately, we could find no states
who tracked that kind of data.
Approach
Therefore, we drew on our own experience, and that of others, to make
use of focused interviews. Put simply, if one wants to know what ferret
owners might do, talk to ferret owners.
The findings are not scientific, and do not represent a significant sample
size. The goal is to provide a picture of ferret owners. Interview data is a
social science research method accepted in many disciplines. The overall
goal is to contribute to the understanding of an issue. The interview
findings can be used to provide predictions, explanations, and
interpretations of hard data.i
With this in mind, we solicited ferret owners from members of ferret
associations. We interviewed 10 current or former ferret owners from
California. To compare answers, we also interviewed five ferret owners
from other states.
Overarching
Themes
Our focused interviews revealed five overarching themes (Table 1). Each
of the five themes is discussed in more detail in Section ___ below.
Table 1. Overarching Themes from Interviews
1) Ferrets are great pets. They form an emotional bond with humans
unlike cats and dogs. Ferrets inspire a devotion in their owners, and
many become ferret owners for life.
2) As a domestic pet, ferrets provide unique logistical benefits. They
work well in small spaces, adapt to your schedule and are great for
busy people because they sleep 20 hours per day.
3) All the California interviewees did their own research into the ban.
They found no evidence to support Fish & Wildlife’s positions, and
found many facts to contradict the state’s claims.
4) Several California ferret owners we interviewed came from other
states or countries where ferrets are part of everyday life.
5) Ferrets are non-aggressive animals. Owners in other states have kept
them at a day care center, and used them as a therapy pet in a
nursing home.
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Implications
After analyzing the data collected from the interviews, we can draw
several conclusions. The most immediate being, there is little doubt that if
the ban on ferrets is lifted, more Californians will become ferret owners.
The reasons that inspire so many to own them in spite of the ban now,
can be expected to appeal to additional residents once they are exposed
to and become aware of the animal’s appeal.
Table 2. Implications from Interview Findings
Discussion of
Main Interview
Themes
Theme #1:
Ferrets make
great pets

We can confidently predict that lifting the ban will lead to a
substantial increase in ferret ownership.

If a licensing system is put into place to legally own ferrets, it’s
reasonable to expect a large number of current ferret owners to
come forward and pay the licensing fee.

Lifting the ban will likely increase the ability to raise funds for
private shelters and rescue activity, thus helping to control the
current population and manage expected growth.

Lifting the ban could likely improve the health of the current
population of ferrets. Owners are more likely to seek proper vet
care and will be able to give the animals fresh air and exercise.
While our interviewees come from different walks of life and live in varying
parts of California, and in other states, their answers were remarkably
similar.
Theme #1. Ferrets make great pets.
Ferrets make great pets. They form an emotional bond with
humans unlike cats and dogs. Ferrets inspire a devotion in their
owners, and many become ferret owners for life.
The first and most striking theme is what great pets ferrets make. Our
interviewees provide a clear explanation for why nearly 200,000 are kept
in California in spite of being illegal.
The animals provide a constant source of joy. When asked why ferrets
make good pets, interviewees said:
“They’re like a kitten that never grows up”
“hysterical”
“lots of personality”
“very, very intelligent”
“constant source of laughter”
“full of energy”
“intelligent and fun”
“Ferrets are smart, funny, fascinating and very loving.”
“They are a very happy pet, very joyous, curious and affectionate.”
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“You can’t be
sad around a
ferret”
One California ferret owner, a horse trainer in the Bay Area, used to own
ferrets in New Jersey, Her boss there asked her to set up a cage with one
or two ferrets at work:
“At lunch, people would play with them. My boss said it decreased
everybody’s stress level. If someone was having a tough day, they
would ask to carry one around for a while.”
One retail store manager bought her first ferret while living in the San Luis
Obispo area. She was in her 50s, and just diagnosed with breast cancer.
She saw an Animal Planet documentary showing how they made people
happy with laughter, so she decided to get one. It helped lift her spirits
during the cancer treatments:
“They get crazy sometimes, doing a war dance. They fall off
couches, run in tubes, chase balls, chase each other. My children
don’t have kids yet, so these are my grandkids for now.”
Ferrets form
emotional
bonds
Ferrets owners speak about them with a devotion even stronger than
people speak of beloved cats and dogs. They form an emotional bond
with humans not available from other domestic pets.
A hairstylist from Minnesota got her first ferret in her twenties, some 20
years ago. She said they form “such an emotional attachment; more than
cats.” When she had a period of depression, she learned that ferrets,
certain ones especially, are in tune with your emotions:
“They seem to know when you need a laugh, and they’ll do one of
their weasel war dances. Then, when you need snuggling, they’ll
lay on the couch with you.”
One woman who is a ferret behavioral specialist, said ferrets are very
emotional creatures – they don’t show it by jumping around or wagging
their tails like dogs; ferrets have more subtle, gentle ways of displaying
emotions.
One male truck driver put it this way: “They get into your heart and you
just can’t let them go.” A forty year-old teacher, wife and mother, said,
“They were the best pets I ever had because they showed me so much
love and devotion.”
This bond extends to other household pets, Many told stories of their
ferrets bonding with their cats and dogs, playing with them, and showing
affection for each other.
Many become
ferret owners
for life
Ferret owners tend to be animal lovers and many also have cats or dogs,
but after their first ferret, most become ferret owners for life. Many buy
pairs (or sets of three) and then when they pass (about 6-9 years), they
get another pair, and, later, a subsequent pair -- despite sometimes large
vet bills. One woman estimates that she spends about $1000 in a lifetime
for each ferret’s vet bills. When the interviewer commented, “The benefits
must outweigh the costs for you, then?” She responded, “Oh yeah, by far.”
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As one interviewee put it, you might have a dog or cat for 15 – 20 years,
who pass after a long period of slowing down. With ferrets’ short life spans,
“They burn brightly and then they burn out. I’ve had many animals in my
life; it’s just so much harder when ferrets die.”
Theme #2. Ferrets provide unique logistical benefits.
Theme #2:
Ferrets provide
unique
logistical
benefits
As a domestic pet, ferrets provide unique logistical benefits.
They work well in small spaces, adapt to your schedule and are
great for busy people because they sleep 20 hours per day.
Ferrets sleep 20 hours a day and need four hours of activity. This
schedule appeals to many of our interviewees, including business owners,
and people from the corporate world, who say they’re “great for busy
people.”
They’re litter trained, and can spend 20 hours in the cage. This makes
them good apartment pets, in addition to the fact that they don’t bark like
dogs.
“Ferrets are
great for busy
people”
Many owners describe them as a “cross between a cat and a dog.” A
middle-aged businessman in San Francisco said:
“I love dogs. But you have to walk them all the time if you live in
the city. Cats are sweet, but not always playful. Ferrets are a riot;
they’re a lot of fun and not a lot of work, in that they sleep most of
the day and then for a few hours, they want to play.”
A 30-something male executive in Sacramento said:
“Ferrets simply fit my life style. I’m busy, I work a lot. They don’t
require as much time since they sleep 20 hours a day. I’m only
home a few hours a day, and when I’m home, they’re up and want
to play.”
As one put it, they have two speeds -- “they either go, go, go – or, stop.”
A retired retail store manager used to own cats and dogs, but at this stage
of life, she “can’t afford a place with a yard anymore.”
Ferrets adapt
to your lifestyle
Many ferret owners expressed how ferrets can adapt to your lifestyle. A
truck driver from Oregon said he and his wife started taking ferrets on the
road with them in their 40s:
“They don’t have to be taken for a walk like a dog; they don’t shed
a lot of hair like a cat. So we decided to give ferrets a try, many,
many ferrets ago. They’re very clean, and they don’t bark like
dogs.”
One interviewee said several nurses are members of their ferret
association. She believes they like ferrets because the animals can easily
adapt to nurses’ irregular working schedules: “You can get them up when
you’re ready to play, and then put them back in their cage with some
treats.”
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Theme #3:
California
ferret owners
found no facts
to support ban
Theme #3. California ferret owners found no facts to support ban
All the California interviewees did their own research into the
ban. They found no evidence to support Fish & Wildlife’s
positions, and found many facts to contradict the state’s claims.
One striking finding is that each of the ten California interviewees had
independently done their own research into the California ban. Some
came here with their ferrets from other states; others became attached to
ferrets while living here.
Knowing what great pets they were, they each set out to find out what the
issues in California were. Some requested information from Fish & Wildlife,
some did their own research – none could find any valid reason.
After watching the Animal Planet documentary about what great pets they
were, the retail store manager said, “I found out they were illegal, and
looked up why. I did a lot of research, and made a decision that nothing
about the ban made sense.”
Many talked about how they’re legal in the state they came from, and in all
of the neighboring states. A few knew about the Sacramento State study,
in which the biology department could not support Fish & Wildlife’s claims.
A Hewlett Packard employee said, “Fish & Wildlife just won’t let go, plain
and simple, in spite of all kinds of studies throughout California and the
U.S. There haven’t been any problems so far with ferrets escaping and
living in the wild. I did my own looking into it, and decided to get involved.”
One said that Fish & Wildlife sent her a packet with articles about how
ferrets maim children. Nearly every interviewee was able to recite
statistics (verified by our research) that bites from domestic dogs and cats
are far more dangerous to children than ferrets.
None of the California interviewees appear to enjoy flaunting the law. It’s
just that each could find no discernible reason to give up their pets.
A retired school teacher said:
“I did a lot of research, and watched a lot of ferret presentations. I
disagreed with their reasons, and a lot of their findings are false. If
I truly felt my animals were a danger to the state’s economy or
people, I would not keep them. I believe people should not have
wild animals, but ferrets have been domesticated for over 3,000
years.”
A Bay Area horse trainer had ferrets in New Jersey, and brought her
ferrets and a cat with her when she moved back to California to care for
her elderly parents. She knew it was illegal to keep ferrets, “but I wasn’t
about to leave my beloved pets. I had studied ferrets seriously and talked
with an experienced vet before I moved back to California. I did more
research once I was here.”
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Theme #4:
Ferrets part of
everyday life in
other states
Theme #4. Ferrets are part of everyday life in other states
Several California ferret owners we interviewed came from
other states or countries where ferrets are part of everyday life.
Many California owners first learned about ferrets from living in other
states or countries.
The Sacramento executive moved to California from Indiana, where
ferrets are legal, with three ferrets in tow. The law student from Costa
Mesa moved here from Kansas with a pair of ferrets. She first was
exposed to ferrets when her parents in Kansas had one.
The 40 year-old teacher, wife and mother from Modesto discovered ferrets
on a long vacation in Oregon:
“I was in Oregon where people had their ferrets with them in public
places. They were so adorable. A girl was selling a bunch of baby
ferrets and I fell in love with two sisters.”
Ferret owners in other states take their ferrets out on walks, in the car to
the pet store and to public parks, just like other domestic pets.
The Oregon truck driver and his wife take their ferrets out on walks “all of
the time.” Every year, Oregon’s largest ferret shelter hosts a huge
“Weasels in the Park” event at a popular riverfront park, with games and
races. This park has two little childrens’ play areas and borders a primary
school.
One Oregon ferret owner grew up in California and as a child she fell in
love with Freddy the Ferret, a ferret on exhibit at the Academy of Science
in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. Since ferrets were illegal, she had
to wait until they moved to Oregon where she was finally able to get a
ferret at a pet store for her 10 year-old daughter.
The Bay Area horse trainer went to college in England, where “ferrets are
part of normal, everyday life.” Living back in California, she never saw a
ferret. Then she moved to the East Coast, and saw people had them as
pets there. “I read some books, talked to breeders, and bought my first
ferret in my mid-40s.”
Theme #5:
Ferrets are
non-aggressive
animals
Theme #5. Ferrets are non-aggressive animals.
Ferrets are non-aggressive animals. Owners in other states
have kept them at a day care center, and used them as a
therapy pet in a nursing home.
Many of the California ferret owners have heard Fish & Wildlife
claim, either in public meetings or in written materials, that ferrets
are malicious, biting animals. Some have found that this myth is
prominent in California, and when they sit at petition booths at
California pet stores, other pet owners say they’ve heard ferrets bite.
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Many of our interviewees could be considered ferret behavioral
specialists, since they’ve owned or fostered sometimes up to a
dozen, or more, ferrets.
They explained in detail how the biting behaviors of ferrets are in many
ways similar to other domestic pets. They will bite when playing as babies,
and need to be trained not to nip at humans (since our skin is not as
strong as theirs).
Dog and cat
bites pose
more of a
danger
Ferrets are
easily trained
out of biting
Many pointed out that if ferrets do bite, it’s never enough to send someone
to the doctor, like dog and cat bites or scratches can. It makes a little
indentation in the skin, and occasionally draws a small bit of blood.
Many of our interviewees in California and other states foster ferrets.
Several had a lot of experience fostering abused or neglected animals that
had a biting problem. In all cases, “biters” resulted from abuse or neglect,
or they had a vision or hearing problem that the owners hadn’t been
aware of.
In almost all cases, the “biters” were easily trained out of that behavior
within weeks or months. Only one interviewee, who has fostered dozens
of ferrets, said she took in an abused animal that she couldn’t train out of
its biting. So when visitors came, she would keep it in the cage. “Still,” she
said, “If he bit anyone it wasn’t going to send anyone to the doctor.”
One man in California said Fish & Wildlife was advertising a story about a
ferret maiming of a small child, in which case it turned out later the
maiming was actually done by a pit bull that the family didn’t want to put
down (so the family led authorities to believe it was the ferret). This man
said,
“Any responsible animal owner is not going to put an animal in a situation
where something bad can happen. You have to be aware of the
surroundings. Who would put an animal unattended with a tiny baby?”
Several interviewees stated that in their experience, ferrets are not
aggressive by nature. Like any other animal, they need to be trained and
socialized properly. In any case, they stressed, ferrets don’t post the
danger to small children that cats and dogs do.
Ferrets are
good with
children and
function as
therapy pets
The truck driver in Oregon said they first kept ferrets in their home when
his wife operated a licensed day care center. “The kids loved them,” he
said. The Minnesota hairstylist took her ferret so often to visit her mother’s
nursing home that they called it a “therapet.” Even though the ferret was a
“wild child” at home, it would sit calmly in the patients’ laps, and seemed
to know the behavior needed in that environment. She noted that an
organization now licenses ferrets as therapy pets [cite coming].
[Discussion of Implications to Follow]
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ENDNOTES
This type of anecdotal data has been called “grounded theory” – the discovery of
theory from data. [Glaser & Strauss -- cite forthcoming]
i
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