A lot depends on the temperament of the ferret. When Jacob was little I had a pair of ferrets. They were the most playful, loving animals ever. They were great with Jacob...loved to chase him and play hide-n-seek, and they loved to be cuddled with him just as much. They'd have just assumed die before they harmed him or anyone else. They slept and played with my dogs and cats. They were just the best pets ever!
Recently a family member adopted a ferret from a local rescue and within one day had to get rid of him........so of course he wound up on my door step. My kids are 4 and 8, and I cannot let this ferret around them. I don't know what type of life he had before he came to us, but I suspect it wasn't a good one. He is not playful, not loveable AT ALL, and is a pretty vicious biter.
I am able to manage myself around him....I know not to lean my arms against his cage, and when I put my hands into his cage I have to approach him where he can see me and take him out before I mess with anything in his cage..... he is very territorial and will lock down on my arm and shake until he rips it open.
He will attack my kids no matter what. When I take him out to walk (run) him on his halter the kids have to stay away because he will actually lunge and grab on to their legs.
It pretty much seals his stay here, as I can't adopt him out, I don't want to give him back to the crapty rescue he came from (they adopted him out in a GERBIL cage!), and no matter how hard I try I can't seem to curb his biting habit. Poor little guy, it makes me sad to think of what made him this way in his former life.
