It has been reported that ferrets are attracted by the high-pitched cries of babies, which may explain why infants seem to be especially vulnerable to ferrets attacks. Additionally, because ferrets have very little instinctive fear of other animals, they pose a particular threat to other domestic pets. Although attacks by dogs account for more reported injuries and deaths than do ferret attacks, the risk posed by ferrets cannot be adequately compared to dogs until reliable animal population data are available and animal bites are more accurately reported. The fact that more dog than ferret bites are reported is likely a reflection of the larger dog population and the tendency for bigger animals to inflict wounds that require medical care. There are several characteristics of attacks by ferrets that are of particular public health concern.
Many ferret attacks involve infants and small children who are sleeping or lying down.
Ferrets have climbed into cribs and inflicted hundreds of disfiguring bites on defenseless infants. In contrast, dogs usually bite when their territory has been invaded, they perceive competition for food or attention, or they view a running or screaming child as prey. Public health officials believe that more objective data are needed on the risk factors that lead to injuries from ferrets so that specific preventive strategies can be recommended. Until such data are available the safest approach is to restrict ferrets from households that have infants or small children. While the number of reported ferret bites in New York City is relatively low, that is almost certainly due to the fact that ferrets are prohibited.