It's a story rare and horrifying enough to deeply trouble just about anyone, but especially those of us that adore ferrets. Like something out of an urban myth, a pet ferret ate 7 fingers off of an unsupervised infant.
A terrible tragedy, but who is to blame?
A 4-month-old baby boy from Grain Valley, Missouri, was in critical condition after a family pet ferret ate seven of the infant's fingers, and the boy's parents are under investigation for neglect and failure to obtain a $100 license for the exotic pet, police chief Aaron Ambrose told CNN Tuesday.
The mother woke at 2:30 a.m. Monday to her baby's crying. Her husband awakend to the mother's screaming. The father killed the ferret, just 6 months old, by hurling it against a wall.
A horrible thing to happen, but does it really show that ferrets are dangerous?
"It's very unusual, there's no doubt about it," Ambrose said of the incident. "We're trying to figure out if this thing had a crate or a cage, or was it running around the house, It jumped into the rocker thing that the baby was sleeping in and ate seven of its fingers."
It is recommended never to leave any pet unsupervised with an infant, not just ferrets. The ferret, also young, should have been supervised regardless for behavior issues that an immature animal may still be working on. It is also unknown if the ferret was being fed properly for this to have happend.
How common are ferret attacks?
According to Chris Lewis, former moderator of the Ferret Mailing List:
The FML has carried confirmed reports of two, possibly three, cases where an animal identified as a "ferret" has seriously injured, and in one case, I believe, killed, infants. One in the UK, and one or two in the US. In none of these cases has it been proven that the animal was a ferret - particularly in the UK, it is quite possible that the animal was actually an European polecat which are raised for fur and sometimes for hunting (in the UK). And in each case gross child and animal abuse is well documented. But it's important to remember, that even the most pessimistic statistics on ferrets show that a ferret is about a thousand times *less* likely to cause injury than a dog. Indeed, every year there are hundreds of very serious or fatal dog attacks in the US alone. Worst case statistics show approximately 12 ferret attacks ever recorded in the US.
Dr. Bruce Williams, DVM, adds:
I can say from personal experience that there are many, many more bite incidents with the household dog or cat, and that either of these species tend to do a lot more damage. I have seen children require over a hundred facial stitches from getting between the dog and its food, but never anything like this with a ferret. But I've also been nailed by my share of ferrets too.
Ferrets, like all animals, should be supervised at all times with babies and small children, and this most recent tragedy sheds light on this fact. But it should in no way reflect badly upon ferrets as family pets.
Utah Connection
This comes on the heels of some progress toward legalizing ferrets in California and is unwelcome publicity. Utah has only allowed ferrets since 1993. And in Taylorsville, UT it is legal to sell ferrets, but not to own them. The majority of ferrets sold in Utah are from Marshalls's Farms, a large-scale breeder with the practice of neutering and descenting very young ferrets before sale. This practice can lead to complication such as adrenal disease, Marshalls ferrets are typically sold at Utah Petcos, Petsmarts, and Animal Ark. Humane Society of Utah offers these 10 Tips for New Ferret Owners.
Comments
Wow. I know what the ferret did was wrong. But seriously? killing it? wow. i'll go over there and tell him something straight: Take more responsiblity of your ferret. Block off the entrance to it's room. And why kill it? give it away or be more aware.
You people are crazy! If I had a ferret and it did this I would torture it to death. Really, what is wrong with you people
Whoa now!
Are you freaking insane? That ferret ATE a baby's fingers off. ATE THEM. As far as I'm concerned, if any animal bit- much less ATE off something from my babies I would kill it.
What are you thinking? This is a human being- the ferret is an animal- let's have a little sense here!
You're pathetic. what if this was your baby? I love ferrets, but if mine ever did anything like that to ANYONE, i'd skin it alive
I agree.
This is so heartbreaking. The way the father reacted by throwing the ferret across the room is proof that this home had issues. I feel so badly for the poor child and the poor ferret.
I think I would react the same way, if there was an animal chewing on my child's fingers I would kill it.
I can see that this is probably a neglect case, but I think the father has sense enough to eliminate the animal.
I feel horrible for the ferret. Not only killed but thrown against a wall! Someone needs to throw those parents against a wall! Why the heck was the ferret loose in the middle of the night while they were sleeping!
It amazes me how you people care more about the ferret that isn't suffering any more than you do about the poor baby who has to live without fingers for the rest of his life!
I have owned many exotic and dangerous pets. It i the owners responsibility to make sure they animal proof their home. Yes it is tragic that the child was mutilated by the animal. Yet the parents are fully responsible for the incident. They should have had the ferret caged and tucked away until the next play time. I have 2 young children in my home and I own a few extremely dangerous and volatile creatures ( blue ringed octopus, Diamondback Rattle snake, 13' python, and 2 dobermans) have you the dobbies are gentle they are still very touchy about their space. Now even with the animals I do have there has never even been the hint of an accident. The reason being I take every possible precaution I can. the snakes are under lock and key the octopus has a very large enclosure that is not easily tipped and his tank top is latched and locked so he can not escape ( and he does try to very hard) so if I can keep such an array of volatile things in my home than any person with an ounce of common sense should be able to own a ferret which are very willing to be friendly and lovable if feed properly and given the right attention.. I think that the parents should be held fully responsible for the actions and abuse of the ferret as well as their child!
Thank You! I own 2 ferrets and they would NEVER bite anyone, nor have they in the five years i have had them. These people could not respond to the situation until 2 a.m.? Come on now, what the heck were they doing? Must have been out all night, and why would you have a lose animal around an infant anyways? This is why some people should be neutered just like the animals they keep as pets because they obviously can not handle the responsibility of handling a child. I say people should be put on birth control until they can prove that they are more than able to provide and care for a child. Its disgusting how people view animals as these beasts that have no morals when people kill their own kind before they are even born!
I agree. If you decide to own an exotic pet. Take the precautions to animal proof your home. I don't care if the ferret ate the kids fingers or not. Who's to say it was the ferret. Is there a report stating the remains inside the animals stomach? This whole article sounds like a crock to me. It would take so many hours for a 6 month year old ferret to eat off 7 fingers from a child. SERIOUSLY?! B-S! Just like this story.
Loser chronic animal lovers. I own my fair share of animals, if one even so tried to pull a stunt like that against one my own, it would literally be dead meat.
I love my pets and all, but I love my children more.
Reading numerous reports about this attack, it is clear that a lot doesn't add up. The ferret supposedly ate 7 fingers, 3 had already passed through it's system and 4 more were still inside its belly. I own a ferret and it takes a good hour or so for them to poop out anything, let alone a finger which, lets face it, is more likely to block it up and not pass through anyway considering the size of the animal.
Secondly, while ferrets can have sharp teeth, they aren't sharp enough to snap through bone. It would have to have gnawed the fingers for quite some time before even getting through one. Also, it can't just swallow down a digit, even one would have lodged and killed the ferret...so eating 7 fingers in a short amount of time is impossible, unless the thing was a super ferret. This suggests to me that this attack must have gone on for hours, if at all (could it be that the parents cut the baby's fingers off and fed them to the animal? Hmm, there's a thought!)
Thirdly, this attack is supposed to have happened at 2:30 am. Other reports suggest the mother was on pain killers and had drunk a fair amount of vodka before going to bed that night. On top of that, who in the heck would let a ferret roam the house freely with a baby there?! Not me, and my ferret IS given the run of our house right now (we don't have children yet, and she's basically my substitute baby).
I'm sorry, blaming the animal doesn't add up at all. The "facts" make no sense when you critically read.
So very incorrect. The parents probably passed out drunk at 12 with the ferret loose. At 12 30 it ate three of the fingers and was full, then went away for a couple hours. The baby was probably crying this entire time. Then it came back, ate more fingers, and eventually the mom woke up. It wasn't a short ordeal.
Believe it or not, a ferret is very capable of chewing through a babies fingers.
Also anyone who is upset about the ferret dying is retarded. Yes, the parents are idiots and they are at fault for letting the ferret roam around a baby, but even still the ferret should be put to death. Stupid hippies.
NO!!! SINCE!!! AT!!! ALL!!!
Yes, the baby will be scarred for life. Yes, the parents should be held ultimately responsible. But to kill an animal for following a natural instinct to eat is idiotic. This isn't stemming from a 'hippie' mentality. It stems from proven facts of animals of all kinds (including humans which are also technically animals).
I've owned 2 ferrets, as well as fostered a few others. Only once was I ever bit by one, but not hard enough to break skin. Course it was my fault for startling the ferret, and I didn't blame the ferret for reacting in a defensive manner.
Personally, I think there's more to the story than the parents are telling. Plus, Marshall's Farms ferrets are known to have more personality and other problems than those of other ferret breeders (has been documented by multiple non profit ferret organizations across the U.S.). I only hope that this extremely unusual case does not hinder others from owning such normally wonderful pets.
I have owned ferrets for over 22 years and have NEVER EVER had a ferret do anything close to eating a persons fingers. For one thing, this young ferret seems to have been left to roam. Do they ever feed it? Ferrets are wonderful loving animals if owned by responsible owners. I feel so bad for that little ferret and that little child. Those parents should be prosecuted for abuse to both that animal and their child. Their fingers should be chopped off, and then they should be slammed against a wall.
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