|
|
Post by Sherry on Feb 4, 2011 22:41:54 GMT -5
Willow used to scream when she was scruffed. But then, she'd been abused by being scruffed, and having her nose "snapped" by the manager at the pet store  |
|
|
|
Post by bluemoose on Feb 4, 2011 22:48:39 GMT -5
Wow, did you report the pet store for mistreating their animals?
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 4, 2011 22:51:53 GMT -5
I gerentee you, if it said somewhere something like "And if your child ever tells you NO, take him/her to the back yard and smack his/her face with a shovel" Countless billions of people will buy believe and defend that teaching and attack anyone who says other wise and tell them to shut their mouths and go back to their closets if their going to complain!!!! I gerantee you. But let me ask you this, who is worse, the abuser, or some one who knows with out a Shadow of a doubt that cruelty is being done, and doesn't even try to do anything about it?
|
|
|
|
Post by Sherry on Feb 4, 2011 23:03:35 GMT -5
Yes, I did report it to head office. Next time I went in after that, she was gone. No idea if she was fired, or simply transferred. The whole time I was holding this trembling little thing while filling out the paper work, the...woman...was trying to tap her on the nose. I finally handed Willow off to hubby to get her away from that person |
|
|
|
Post by bluemoose on Feb 4, 2011 23:07:33 GMT -5
Some people I swear >=(
|
|
|
|
Post by Sherry on Feb 5, 2011 0:24:34 GMT -5
And this in spite of me telling her not to do that! Her response? Oh, it doesn't hurt them |
|
|
|
Post by Heather on Feb 5, 2011 0:36:24 GMT -5
The lady needs to be on the receiving end of a rescue like Fun-Go, or to see the end damage like your little girl. How cruel can you get, really I asked one lady if it was ok to flick a child in the face and why would you do it to a creature that was smaller than a child. Would she do that to her dog or her cat? and why not. Maybe because she thought it was cruel? Then why should the ferret be treated that way. Those people just make me angry  ciao |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2011 1:06:53 GMT -5
Poor little Willow. Glad you got that little one out of there.  |
|
|
|
Post by darlene on Feb 5, 2011 1:39:35 GMT -5
I wonder where people get the idea that flicking the nose is ok? Poor Willow,thank goodness you guys took her home.
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2011 1:50:21 GMT -5
Yeah, it's a pretty cruel practice. And completely unnecessary.
|
|
|
|
Post by joan on Feb 5, 2011 11:43:22 GMT -5
As you've all noted, physical "discipline" is cruel and abusive...and all it accomplishes is to turn the ferret into a frightened and/or angry little creature who resorts to biting whenever anyone comes close to protect itself. I get very upset to hear about people doing this who don't know any better, but there's no excuse for a breeder doing it...and it made me extremely angry. I will post the name of the breeder as soon as I have permission from the buyer involved.
|
|
|
|
Post by Heather on Feb 5, 2011 12:46:10 GMT -5
Thank you Joan. That would be appreciated. Breeder ferrets are often bigger, smarter and more difficult to manage. I would hate to think about having to try and rehabilitate one. I have two breeder fuzzes. Even though Thor was roughed up as a kit (he's never forgiven those children and hates children in general) I would hate to have either boys in the rough and ready to attack mode that Fun-Go often finds himself in. Their sheer strength both bodily and jaw would make them formidable adversaries. Neither boy has any difficulty in crushing the skull of an adult rat or small rabbit (my apologies to those of you that keep these furry ones as pets). The damage that a breeder ferret could do to ones fingers and toes would be extreme. That a breeder would use violence to discipline, she should know better and anyone who is buying from her should be aware that this type of discipline is being used. For their own safety ciao |
|
|
|
Post by Sherry on Feb 5, 2011 13:42:56 GMT -5
When we first "fell into" Boris, and ferret ownership, we were told to do the same thing. I picked up some books on it as well, to be somewhat prepared. We didn't have a computer, so on line research was out. Well, we followed the advice given both in person, and in the books, and we developed a wonderful little "lunge" biter. He would literally lunge at you with no warning at all, and sink his teeth in. When we got the computer, I went online trying to find out why this was happening  It took him another 10 months to a year to learn to trust us again That, after only a month and a half of subjecting the poor mite to that type of assault. |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2011 14:40:35 GMT -5
It really can damage the ferret emotionally. Unfortunately there is so much misinformation out there, and it's hard to change peoples minds.
|
|
|
|
Post by joan on Feb 5, 2011 14:54:04 GMT -5
From what I've been told by someone who is in contact with the current owner of this ferret, she is doing well in her new home and only does the playful kit nipping, so hopefully the biting/hitting from the breeder was a one time affair and an overreaction from the breeder, rather than her normal form of correcting a biting kit or adult...although I certainly wouldn't bet any money on it. The jill sneezed almost constantly when she was awake for the next 20 hours or so on their drive home as a residual effect of the nose biting, btw.
The jill obviously associated the buyers with her traumatic experience and wanted nothing to do with them. They did follow the breeder's advice re scruffing and hissing at her each time she bit (even though they refused to hit or bite her), and also scruffed and dragged her if she tried to bite again (as stated in the breeder's take home literature) which undoubtedly reinforced her lack of trust in them. Here's the buyer's account of the last ditch effort just before they delivered her to the person the breeder told them to take her to:
"So (breeder) instructs me to "scare the poop out of her". She says "If she is broken, you won't break her anymore". She said not to hold back my anger at the little thing. I thought this was crap, but I did try to be firmer than before just in case (breeder) was right. (I took her damned advice even when I doubted it, just to be sure I wasn't wrong.) I got a penny-filled soda can and shook the heck out of it in her face when she bit. When I scruffed her I yelled at her loud. Guess how much this plan worked. Despite being armed with white vinegar coated hands the jill then really bit out of fear and anger and tried giving me a new piercing through my thumb!"
To explain the biting when the jill was first handed to the new owner, they were told that it's routine for a ferret to "test" the new owners for the first day or two by this type of behavior. Has anyone ever heard that one before?
|
|
