On a recent afternoon, he was dressed in a collared shirt, wool sweater and black jeans. Pat Wright is 5 feet 6 and slightly built with silver hair. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not recommend ferrets for families with children younger than 5. Nonetheless, because of the risk of bites, the U.S. Most are spayed or neutered, and they typically live five to seven years.įeral cats, which live longer, are a bigger threat for spreading rabies, she said, adding that she is not aware of any recent ferret attacks on humans. But in California, escaped ferrets would have a negligible effect, she said. Michelle Hawkins, a professor of avian and exotic animal medicine and surgery at UC Davis, thinks a ferret ban in Hawaii is reasonable, since islands’ ecosystems are easily threatened by invasive animals. That department did not respond to requests for comment. The current Fish and Game Code, first adopted in 1957 and amended in 19, lists ferrets as “ undesirable and a menace to native wildlife and or the agricultural interests of the state.” They are restricted along with bobcats, jaguars, cheetahs and bears.ĭuring a recent call, a California Department of Agriculture spokesperson referred ferret questions to the Department of Fish and Wildlife. The report also said ferrets can carry rabies and can escape into the wild, where they prey on small animals such as chickens and rabbits. Some concerns about ferrets stem from a 1988 report from the California Department of Health Services, which said that when ferrets play, they launch mock attacks and could end up biting humans.
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Today, the penalty for ownership includes up to six months of imprisonment in county jail along with a fine of up to $1,000.
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The agricultural lobby in California, fearing that ferrets could form feral packs that would endanger crops and livestock, took a stand in 1933, and the state Department of Agriculture officials agreed. Most states regard ferrets as a domesticated species, unlike, say, weasels and wolverines, other members of the mustelid family, but they’ve been banned in California for almost 90 years. Noodle, Astro and Merlin, who wiggle and fidget in Wright’s arms as he gathers and hugs them, do not present the hallmarks of a dangerous predator. Schneider eventually owned two ferrets - Puck and Mayhem - for nearly 10 years.įerrets grow to be around 18 inches long and weigh 1 to 4 pounds. The mammal was playful when it wasn’t sleeping between 16 and 20 hours day, Schneider said, ideal for a dorm that did not permit cats or dogs. Shadow Hills resident Scott Schneider, a 43-year-old acquaintance of Wright’s, fell in love with the creatures during his sophomore year at MIT, where a roommate kept one as a pet. Owners insists they are sweet, independent-minded and cuddly.
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One of his ferrets, Rocky, had to be euthanized after he bit a TV cameraman at a legalization rally. In nearly three decades of ferret activism, Wright has gone to jail, run for political office, lobbied legislators, collected thousands of signatures and battled decades of rejection and apathy. “How anyone can see these pets as a threat is absurd.”īut the state does see ferrets as a threat it’s illegal to keep them as pets in California, a fact that has defined much of Wright’s adult life. “They’re so much fun and bring me so much joy,” said Pat Wright, who keeps the three ferrets in his San Diego-area home, along with a corgi and an English shepherd. Watching him interact with the humans in his life, Astro gave every indication that he would rather cuddle with them than tussle with his cage mate. Merlin, living up to his masked “bandit” markings, chased Astro, who shimmied through a crinkly plastic tunnel in a frantic effort to get away.
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Then two more ferrets emerged from the cage. She scampered around the lower-level den, bouncing around a pair of La-Z-Boy recliners, a white-and-gray flash with her long back hunched.
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Noodle was the first to tumble out of the cage, roused by a series of belly rubs and head scratches.