Ferret Friends Face Fines Owners Defy California Law Banning Ownership Of Controversial Animals

About 50 ferret owners defiantly walked or carried their pets through a downtown park Thursday to protest a state law barring ownership of the animals.

“I think the thing we need to do is inform people about ferrets, because there’s a lot of misinformation out there,” said Chris Kibler, 35.

“It’s like any animal. They have to be trained when they’re kits - that’s what they call the babies. Whenever they nip, just give them a thump on the nose.”

The protesters brought at least 15 of the long-bodied, short-legged animals to the Ferret Freedom Walk in Balboa Park. The ferrets lazily draped around necks, over arms and on the heads of their sign-toting owners.

Opponents say ferrets kill off wild game and can hurt children at home. But supporters say the creatures are fine pets, and like any domestic animal must be monitored around small children.

California and Hawaii are the only states that do not allow the animals as pets.

“People say they have a tendency to attack children,” said organizer Pat Wright. “I would not put a ferret in a baby crib, but I would not put a rat or a hamster or anything in a baby crib.”

Wright, who runs San Diego-based Ferrets Anonymous, admitted that one of his ferrets latched onto a cameraman earlier in the day.

Just last month, three-week-old twins in Anaheim were hospitalized after their grandmother’s pet ferret got out of its cage and bit them repeatedly.

Owning a ferret is a misdemeanor and can carry a $1,000 fine and up to a year in jail. But ferret lovers say there are more than 500,000 of them in the state and the law is rarely enforced.

Gayle Cichocki attended the rally with his wife, Ruby, their three sons and their three pet ferrets.

He said the argument that ferrets will escape, become feral and overrun California is ridiculous.

“If my sweeties go a half-day without water they’re on their death bed,” he said.

The boys frolicked around the park with their pets - feeding them raisins and dribbling bottled water into their mouths. The family has owned ferrets for about three years, and while the animals nipped when they were young, they’ve been trained not to.

“I think they’d have more control over them if they’d just legalize it,” Cichocki said.