"Ferrets are known for their unpredictable behavior, and they are prone to vicious, unprovoked attacks on humans. Ferret attacks reported nationwide over time have become notorious for their severity and capriciousness, causing serious injuries to some infants and young children in particular... In New York City's multiple dwelling residences, which are not natural habitats of ferrets, a ferret could crawl through holes in walls or travel along risers or ducts to other apartments, with potentially tragic consequences for the neighbor of a ferret owner."
-New York City Department of Health, Office of External Affairs Press Release #36 (1999)
The report, "Pet European Ferrets: A Hazard to Public Health, Small Livestock and Wildlife,"(California) claims that "ferrets sometimes unleash frenzied, rapid-fire bite and slash attacks on infants.... The animals have then been reported to drink the victim's blood and eat the shredded tissue."
Pretty hysterical, huh?
I wouldn’t own a ferret if I had infants in the house — they are definitely unpredictable.
On the other hand, they are pretty small, and unlikely to be able to cause much damage, even if they should decide they actually want to eat you.
Their normal habit of play is to bite though. They don’t bite hard enough to break their own skin, but human skin has less strength than ferret skin, so they can break your skin while having fun.
ON the other hand, if you don’t cut their nails regularly, or correctly, their use of nails to climb over you can be kind of harsh.
I did think it was funny that “multiple dwelling residences” are not the natural habitat of ferrets — as if they normally are found in single-family homes.
I keep my ferrets caged, except when we are playing. They can get into almost anything, and I would be afraid they’d get into something that would hurt them.
I have no doubt that a ferret could get from one crappy apartment to another. I’ve seen videos of ferrets getting out of a cage with 1-inch bars.
The ferrets are my daughter’s, although I ended up liking them more than I thought I would. I’m not a pet owner. I like playing with other people’s pets, and then leaving.