i’m not a cat or a rat, but could i be a service animal?

I do not know much about service animals, but do know a bit about ferrets. I will do some research and let you know if I learn of anything relating ferrets as service animals. If anyone has information about ferrets as service animals, please let me know. This is a great topic worth exploring. However, I find it is not a practical venture for a ferret.

The first thing to know about a ferret is that it is not a cat and it is not a rat.

Ferrets can NOT be left out to roam freely like a house cat. To own a ferret, room(s) that you allow your ferret to play in must be ferret proof. There are many things to consider when ferret proofing including no holes — not even small ones. This makes kitchens and bathrooms off limits. People who have ferrets too often over look small openings such as those up and under the fridge or stove. Also, many cabinets (kitchen and bath) may look sealed at the floor, but there are usually a little opening at the baseboard. Once in there, there are the openings around most pipes, then into the wall and goodbye ferret. In addition, sitting on a ferret under a couch cushion never ends well. And forget about having a reclining chair or rocker... ouch! Most people who have ferrets actually have a ferret room, but even in there it is a supervised play time. Someone put it best when they said, "a free roaming ferret never lives long". I would think that the ferrets ability to assist someone would be very limited... if you could get the ferret to focus on the required task at all.

On the other hand, a ferret is NOT a rat. Ferrets can not be caged up all day and night. They require a lot of exercise and that means supervised out of cage time every day.

Finally, ferrets sleep 18 hours a day. I would find it difficult to rely on an animal that is catching some shut eye most the day.

In conclusion, a ferret is a fun pet, but requires a lot of attention — when they are not asleep.

Could a ferret be a service animal?

ferrets in the news: helping the disabled

You don’t often hear about ferrets in the news. Even rarer yet is a story about ferrets helping the disabled. Ferrets are smart, clever and very trainable — so why not?

Lucy Gwin, a 65-year-old resident at the George Washington Hotel, is being evicted for having ferrets. The management clearly states that pets are not permitted and no mention of ferret ownership was presented during the lease agreement. Gwin claims her ferrets act as service animals by alerting her to seizures. She even has a note from a doctor stating that the ferrets are medically necessary.While in court over the matter, Judge J. Albert Spence said she violated her lease by having the animals. He evicted Gwin and ordered her to pay $99.50 in court costs. You can read more on this story here.

The ADA defines a service animal as “any guide dog, signal dog, or other animal individually trained to provide assistance to an individual with a disability. If they meet this definition, animals are considered service animals under the ADA regardless of whether they have been licensed or certified by a state or local government.”

Personally, I would like to believe that ferrets can preform such wonderful tasks as alerting individuals with disabilities. However, I struggle with my own observation that ferrets, though being great companions, are somewhat self centered. Without meeting Lucy Gwin and her ferrets, it seems like a case of he said, she said in the courts. None the less, she and her ferrets are blessed to have each other. I am sure they are wonderful pets for her.

I am reminded of a great article in the March/April 2008 issue of Ferrets Magazine titled Finding Happiness with Ferra-Care. It shares the touching story of how ferrets have a positive impact on the life of an Alzheimer’s patient.

While writing this post, I came across a wonderful blog, Pitt Rehab, who posted about the Lucy Gwin’s story here.