Does anyone here own, or know someone who owns, ferrets in california?
There's a chance I may be moving out there this fall, and a huge factor in that decision is making sure that my ferrets would be able to get the proper medical attention if need be. I've done some research and read a few webpages dealing with owning ferrets in california, but I'd really like to talk to an actual person who can tell me what it's like.
I want to make sure A) that i can get ferret supplies easily. B) there are vets that will see them. C) those vets know what they're doing with ferrets D)do i need to worry driving them into the state? E) Is enforcement strict about the ferret laws? or is it something that most people let slide?
And in general, if you are a ferret owner in california, what's it like? Any help would be appreciated.
Posted by Stephan (Member # 7549) on :
Plug in your new zip code, look for close vets, and call them.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
I used to, but I believe they decided it was too much trouble (some of your concerns were issues, I think). In any case, I don't think I have any way of contacting them these days. (The people, not the ferrets. )
I can tell you that California does tend to be pretty strict about enforcement of laws which are designed to protect the local flora and fauna -- and the ferret law is one of them. How strict they are on that one specifically I do not know, although I have heard of ferrets being confiscated here.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Thanks for the list. The vet situation is of course the most important thing, but I'm really hoping to hear from an actual ferret owner who can first hand tell me what's it's like. the last thing I want to do is put my ferrets in harms way. I'm willing to take on minor acceptable risks, but I don't want to do anything stupid.
This whole law is ridiculous. Like a domesticated ferret could atually survive in the wild for any lenth of time. And the overwhelming majority of ferrets are nuetered anyway, so these feral colonies of ferrets that the CDFG is worried about are extremely extremely unlikely. I mean, it hasn't happened anywhere else in the country where ferrets are legal. Why would it happen in California.
Anyway, that's my rant. Posted by Princesska (Member # 8954) on :
California laws about animals are just wacky in general. I think it's because of all the hippies out here. I mean, I like their support of Democrats, public transportation, and bike-friendly roads, but sometimes they take things just a little too far.
For instance, I was trying to get a cat from a shelter. In every other state I've lived, you point to a cat, say "I'll take that one", and voila. Here, there's an application process and same-day adoptions are unheard of. They've gotta call your landlord, see your house and yard, et cetera. I think it would be easier to adopt a human.
(by the way, I think the above relates to your question, but if not, I apologize)
Posted by Bokonon (Member # 480) on :
Princesska, the later issue is not necessarily bad. Most non-public adoption groups do the same thing (I've seen it for dogs and rabbits). The goal is to reduce returns, which can cause issues with the animal, and makes it difficult for them to take new animals for their shelter, if they know many of the inital adoptions will be returned. This is especially tough for no-kill shelters.
-Bok
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
I know someone whose ferrets were reported by neighbors that saw them coming home from the vets.
The ferrets were taken away and euthanized.
I can't say I felt sorry for the ferrets. They were mean. Felt sorry for the owners, though, they missed the nasty mean creatures.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
(About adopting kittens-- I tend to do it from vets. They often shelter multiple strays or litters from clients so they won't go to a shelter where they might be euthanized, and are much more lenient about the adoption process-- just want to make sure you spay or neuter them and give them their shots, especially if you have a prior history with that vet.)
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Oh. Also, if you're driving in, well, I don't know that I should be telling you how to circumnavigate state law, but there are multiple places and times where you can get into the state without an inspection. Which direction would you be coming from?
Posted by Kasie H (Member # 2120) on :
So...it's seriously against the law to keep a ferret as a pet in California?
*slightly incredulous*
Posted by Strider (Member # 1807) on :
It is! And for the reasons I stated above. They're worried about mass ferrets getting loose and starting feral colonies and taking over the whole state!@!
KQ, this is all still pretty far off into the future. So all i can say at this point is that i'd be coming from the east...
I'd be living at a friend's house which is pretty secluded from other houses. So I don't think neighbors would be a problem, though i guess the threat of being turned in is always there, somehow. Why did the neighbors report them btw? Just becuase it was illegal?
Just curious, what about the ferrets made them mean. Also, from what i've read, if you get caught with ferrets, they will confiscate them and euthanize them. But don't they also give you other options? From the CDFA(california domestic ferret association):
quote: 1. At your expense, you may choose to have them shipped to a permanent adoptive home of your choice, in one of the 48 states that permit ownership.
2. You may choose, at your expense, to have them sent to an adoptive center in a "legal state," setup by CDFA. Please be advised that your pet(s) will be placed in a carefully selected permanent adoptive home(s).
3. You may relinquish the ferret(s) to CDFA for transport to the adoption center of our choosing at our expense
4.You may elect to have the confiscating officer handle the situation at his or her descretion. There is, however, no guarantee that your pet(s) will not be destroyed.
So why did they have to be euthanized? If the owners really liked them a lot wouldn't they have gone for another option? Unless they didn't know about their options. Also, lets say for instance i was caught with the ferrets. Would they allow me to personally drive the ferrets out of the state to a safe place i wonder?
[ July 06, 2006, 06:41 PM: Message edited by: Strider ]
Posted by Leonide (Member # 4157) on :
Although getting caught is probably pretty unlikely, i don't know that i'd choose living in california over the ferrets. jus' sayin'.
Posted by Strider (Member # 1807) on :
I don't know what I'd choose either! It's called research. Posted by Stasia (Member # 9122) on :
Feral animals such as cats, dogs, reptiles (think boas and iguanas in Florida), and rabbits have already been shown to cause ecosystem damage (in the form of predation on native animals, eating food that should go to native animals, taking up den space that should go to native animals, disease introduction) in areas where they have established populations. A lot of times, it doesn't seem like a domestic animal can survive, reproduce, and become a major pest, but they can and do. So California might not just be trying to drive its citizens crazy with arbitrary laws.
On the other hand, there appears to be controversy about whether or not ferrets are capable of becoming feral (I just googled "feral ferrets" and then I said it 10 times fast because it sounded neat). New Zealand appears to have a problem with ferrets (although that's being debated, too). It should be noted that New Zealand is an island while California is connected to an entire country where ferrets are legal. So it could just be a stupid law.
I would not count on the mercy of animal control in the event your pets get confiscated. There is no reasoning with bureacracy. I can envision a scenario where you get a big ticket for keeping ferrets in CA, they take your pets on the spot, nobody tells the animal control guy driving the truck that you wanted them sent to another state, and they get put down before you can even propose driving them away yourself.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
quote:Originally posted by Stasia: It should be noted that New Zealand is an island while California is connected to an entire country where ferrets are legal.
Two words: Rocky Mountains.
Posted by Stasia (Member # 9122) on :
Well that's true. The rocky mountains do tend to be a huge dispersal barrier. But California is definitely connected to Oregon, Nevada, and Arizona all of which allow ferrets. I could imagine a scenario by which feral ferrets could cross into California via Oregon or northern Nevada (not so much in the deserts of southern Nevada, and Arizona). I don't really know if ferret biology is suited to desert survival or not.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Very little of the area near the California border is arable land. (Hence the problems the settlers and '49ers had.) And I don't believe ferrets are remotely dessert-adapted -- they are naturally forest critters, neh?
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
quote:If the owners really liked them a lot wouldn't they have gone for another option? Unless they didn't know about their options. Also, lets say for instance i was caught with the ferrets. Would they allow me to personally drive the ferrets out of the state to a safe place i wonder?
They didn't seem to know there was an option. Probably, Animal Control didn't inform them of their options, just came, picked up the ferrets, and euthanized them.
I don't think you'd be allowed to drive them; they seem to be saying "shipped", as in "put on a plane or transported by an agency"; I don't know that they'd trust ferret owners to actually take them out of the state, KWIM?
Posted by HollowEarth (Member # 2586) on :
quote:Originally posted by ketchupqueen: Oh. Also, if you're driving in, well, I don't know that I should be telling you how to circumnavigate state law, but there are multiple places and times where you can get into the state without an inspection. Which direction would you be coming from?
So are you serious that California inspects all incoming cars? Is that even legal? (I can't possibly see how it is.)
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
They're inspected because there's a law against bringing in certain animals, any fruits or vegetables, and other animals are supposed to have an interstate travel health certificate. Oh, and apparently certain states have a kind of wood lice that could be detrimental to CA agriculture or something. So they check for evidence of that and wood coming from certain states, too. They usually just poke their head in and say, "Any fruits or vegetables? Traveling with any live animals?" (And possibly, "Are you all U.S. citizens?" Border control is another reason.)
See, CA grows something like 1/2 of the country's fruits and vegetables. Maybe more. I think it's at least a quarter of the world's, although I may be wrong. So they take their agricultural control very seriously.
However, it's not all incoming cars. Just cars passing through heavily trafficked entry points. And they often take off major holidays. And really, I think the last four times we drove into the state, we haven't been stopped at all (although three of the four they were still inspecting trucks.)
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
It's not any fruits and vegetables, just certain ones. (Trust me, I just did extensive research before bringing back several pounds of rhubarb from Minnesota. My bag DID get searched (as I expected), but the rhubarb passed.)
Posted by Phanto (Member # 5897) on :
That's what happened to Paris Hilton's weird animal thing!
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Wow, it's just certain veggies? Did they change that? When I was growing up, we had stuff taken away that was not on that list (including citrus from AZ, for one.)
Posted by Celaeno (Member # 8562) on :
I think ferrets are adorable, but alas, the two states in which I reside are the only two that forbid them.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
kq, I believe the exact items on the lists change every so often, yes. (And I would imagine it is difficult for border control to determine where citrus is from. So unless you could prove it was from Arizona . . .)
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