The Delaware County parents whose pet ferrets attacked their infant daughter are now facing charges.
A lot of people weighing in on whether ferrets are safe family pets.
They were once banned in most U.S. states up until the 1980s.
Veterinarian Dr. Judy Rutkowski with the Allentown Animal Clinic said ferrets are no more aggressive than any other animal.
She said, "They are generally friendly and it's rare to find ferrets that cause damage."
Lisa Silverstein is the owner of Silver Lining Ferret Sanctuary in Whitehall Township, Lehigh County.
She said they are great pets, but she doesn't recommend them for small children.
She said, "I would say it's definitely more of an adult or at least a mature, older child. I would say 10 years old minimum and a mature 10 years old."
Silverstein says the animals require a lot of care and patience.
"It's a little bit of rough housing, even if they are nipping and it's just play nipping a child can be like ahhh, Silverstein said,
They are also expensive because ferrets get sick often and are always on the go.
Rutkowski explained ferrets are active animals and after a few hours they like to get out of cages.
Silverstein said in cases when the ferrets become aggressive, it's often the fault of the owners, not the animals.
She said, "And what people will often do is spank them, tap the nose. They'll get poor advice."
Silverstein said that's why some ferrets turn violent when they are adults.
"They'll see a hand coming just like a dog and what do they want to do? They want to bite it," said Silverstein.
Experts recommend researching any pet you plan to own so you can give them proper care and understand anything can happen with any animal.
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