Genie The So Called "Wild Child" and Abused/Neglected Ferrets


**WARNING: VERY LONG READ**


    Hi everyone. In this type up I am going to share a link with you to a video on youtube about a girl who was found in 1970 strapped to a potty chair in her room in a home just outside Los Angeles. She had been abused and neglected for nearly 12 years, trapped in this room usually strapped to that chair, and beaten by her father if she made any sounds. Because of that she didn't learn language. I am going to try to relate what happened to this poor girl with abused and neglected ferrets. I think there must be some similarities to be found. So, here is my attempt to do so.


    When 12 year old Genie, that is not her real name of course, was discovered she was found strapped to the potty chair I told you about and in filthy conditions. She was unable to speak as she never learned language due to the neglect and abuse she suffered. Apparently this horrible man was also abusing the mother and the woman was terrified to do anything that would might save her and her daughter. The man escaped punishment here on earth by man by committing suicide after Genie was rescued and he knew he would face imprisonment and would likely be ostracized by society if he ever got out of prison in the distant future. I personally believe that he will one day have to answer to God for what he did to Genie, but I really don't want to get into what he may deserve as my feelings about people who commit horrible crimes is very unconventional and apparently unacceptable to some here in the US, as I believe even the worst person is capable of redemption. But that is kind of besides the point, as I think the only one who can truly know just how evil this man is and know what kind of punishment he deserves is God. Anyhow, Genie was put in the ward of the state and drew many types of scientists from around the US and from around the world. Everyone from linguists, to psychologists, to neurologists, came to California to study Genie and try to help her. The National Institute for Mental Health funded the studies that took place. As a very strange coincidence barely a week had passed before a movie called "The Wild Child" opened in theaters in the US about a scientist who worked with the only other case ever found in civilization of someone making past the age of 8 with no significant contact with people and never learning even the basics of language. In that case it was a boy who was found in France in the 18th century if I remember correctly, and the scientist who worked with him did so for years trying to get him to the point where he understood language. Although the boy was very good at learning vocabulary and even learning what many sentences meant, the boy never really could grasp the basics of grammar and syntax. This seemed to lend some credence to a recent theory in psychology that stated that if someone is to learn language it needs to happen before reaching puberty or they will never learn it. Studies with Genie found a similar situation. She could learn new words with little trouble, but never could put them together in an intelligent way to express what she was trying to convey. Studies of brain wave patterns done on Genie as she slept seemed to indicate that there was some kind of dysfunction characteristic of mental retardation. All of the scientists and counselors continued working with Genie, and although she did show them that people in such a situation are capable of a little more than scientists theorized, she never went as far with learning language as everyone was hoping she would. As the scientists worked with Genie there was always the realization and ever present concern of what was going to happen to Genie when the money coming in for the research stopped. Everyone did their best, but that fateful day did eventually come. After it was all over Genie was put back in the custody of her mother after she was acquitted of charges in court. Her mother brought a lawsuit against the state and the scientists pointing out that more concern was given to scientific study of Genie, than care for Genie. I don't know if that lawsuit succeed or not. After a little over a year with her mother Genie was taken from her mother, why I can not remember, and put in a series of foster homes where she suffered further abuse. Genie is now 56 years old and if I am not mistaken she is now in an institution for disabled adults. She is once again speechless, and probably has not uttered a word for years now, maybe even for over a decade. Genie's case, and what happened with the boy in France in the 18th century is often referred to as the "forbidden experiment." It is a type of experiment many feel is not right or justified no mater how much the data taken may illuminate what we know and do not know about human development. But I think one thing no one can deny is that what happened to Genie was horrible and we need to never forget the lessons learned from her and her case so as to ensure nothing like it ever happens again. And as important as those lessons are, I feel it is almost as important that Genie herself never be forgotten.


    I am now going to to do my best to relate what happened with Genie to abuse and neglect of ferrets. Unfortunately, abuse and neglect is something many ferrets face when they are bought by people on impulse. I have been thinking about starting a petition to the US Congress for some time, and getting as many signatures as possible, that would put yearly limits on how many ferrets large breeders such as Marshall Farms can breed. If there are already laws in place limiting the number of ferrets breeders can breed a year I really think the number needs to be lowered. I think such laws would help to reduce the number of ferrets that find themselves in homes where they are abused or neglected because the people buying them did not know what they were getting into and reduce the numbers of ferrets that are abandoned by people for similar reasons. I do know that such laws would put ferrets out of the reach of some, or maybe even a lot, of people who would make great ferret owners because the price of ferrets in pet stores would likely sky rocket as a result of those laws. I just really hope the ferret community would step up in those cases by putting people in touch with ferret shelters where they could adopt a ferret for much cheaper, helping with transportation to get the ferrets to these people, and maybe even helping a little with initial cost. Anyhow, many ferrets who have been abused and/or neglected for a long time often become distrustful of people. Without proper socialization they become weary of humans. And many ferrets who are abused or neglected also develop behaviors such as hoarding food, and in some cases attacking other ferrets that come near the food, because they never know where, or when, their next meal will be coming from. Because of the lack of socialization, or abuse, in extreme cases some ferrets may even bite people out of fear, sometimes to the point of drawing blood. A ferret that has been neglected or abused for years may require a lot of effort and time by a new owner to get them to the point where they will trust even one person, and that one person may have to accept that their ferret will not be comfortable enough around humans to be handled by other people. Also, they may have to keep the ferret segregated from other ferrets because of food aggression issues. But I urge ferret owners in this boat to spend a good long time working to get their ferret comfortable not only with them but other people and other ferrets as well. If after a long time of such work, maybe even a couple of years, they find that either the ferret will not accept other people or can not be trusted not to display aggression towards other ferrets, they might have to accept it and just give that poor furbaby all the love and attention they can themselves. When dealing with a ferret that has been abused or neglected for a long time I think the most important thing is to take it very slow in the beginning. Give them their own space away from other animals where they can feel secure. Make sure they always have plenty of food and water. They may do things for some time like stash food away in various places, but usually as time passes they learn they can depend on you to feed them and stashing away food is not necessary. But be patient. When you first start out with such a ferret don't rush the socialization. Introduce yourself slowly to the ferret. Spend about half an hour with him/her, then give them about an hour or so of time to themselves, and then another half an hour of contact with you, and so on. Gradually increase the amount of time spent with the ferret over time. The pace as which you increase the together time can be hard to judge, but just do your best to asses the ferrets personality and try to determine about how badly the ferret had been neglected or abused and for how long. This will help you judge how quickly you should introduce yourself to the ferret. But know that it is going to take time to become comfortable with you for the ferret and to learn to trust you. As you spend time with the neglected ferret talk softly to him/her, make slow movements when around him/her and when trying to handle them. It may be awkward, but I also suggest doing things like laying flat on the floor on the ferret's level and talking to him/her softly from that level. If at first the ferret hisses and hides from you, don't lose hope. It just may take some time is all. Continue talking softly to the ferret, and move slowly when around him/her. Also, bring treats to give to the ferret. I suggest things like N-Bones, and especially ferretone, as I have never met a ferret that didn't like ferretone. Offer the treats to them as you talk softly to them. They may not take the treats at first, but don't give up. Just put the treat aside for about 10 or 15 minutes and then try again. As time goes by if you do all of these things more than likely the ferret will learn to trust you and even bond with you. Depending on the severity of neglect and abuse they suffered they may not bond with other people, or even may not even accept others, and may not be able to be left around other ferrets unsupervised because of things like food aggression. If that is the case it is very unfortunate, but you may have to accept it. The important thing is that they learn to trust at least one person and find happiness. I hope this advice has been rewarding to read and may be it will one day come in handy for someone who has just taken on an abused or neglected ferret.


    I found this poem on a website dedicated to ferrets and it really made my heart ache. It is about a ferret who was severely neglected and abused and who sadly was not found and rescued in time. I share it with you now.

"Bandit"

Listless, and lying,
Fur matted and dull
"Bandit" lay crying,
Heart shattered, a shell.


Left in his cage,
All day and all night,
His life was such
That more food gave a fright!


His water was empty
Food bowl overturned
He filt kinda dizzy,
His stomach still churned.


Once he was loved
A long time ago
Felt young hands stroking,
That maded his heart glow!


Now he felt nothing,
No more was life fun.
His heart was empty
Now he had no-one.


His cage had felt big,
For it was just a bed.
No runs in the house now,
He may as well be dead.


He watched as his 'owner'
Walked past to the van,
Now left in the garage,
He rarely saw 'man.'


He slept all the time,
No toys in the cage.
If he'd had the heart,
He would be enraged!


Bandit lay crying,
Spine clearly shown,
Bandit lay dying,
His life overthrown.


One day he was taken.
Moved out of his cell,
He was badly shaken,
Now in for more hell!


Jaws latched on tight
A reaction of fear,
A hand gently stroked,
Too late now to care.


In his new cage,
Belly now tight,
Bandit's short life
Ended that night.


He died with some comfort,
Soft bedding and food
His water now filled,
(So much it was lewd!)


Bandit died knowing
That someone did care
Died with a heart
Full of love that was shared.


For those that no longer
Can care for their charges
Their lives are being begged for
By Bandit, and others


Before it's too late
(As it was with poor Bandit)
Go, take that baby,
To a shelter, do hand it


Do one final thing
For the love they have shown you
And give them a chance
To show others love, too.



By Sam Young, New Zealand


    I remember first learning about Genie, the so called "Wild Child", in sociology class when I was a freshman at Tallahassee Community College in north Florida. My foster mom and I watched the program on her one day the link below points to. After watching it I nearly cried. Here is the link to the youtube video of the NOVA special I mentioned at the beginning of this email.

NOVA: Genie (Secrets of The Wild Child)

    I also nearly cried after reading the poem about Bandit. In both Genie's and Bandit's case help came too late to be of the kind of help everyone would like to have seen. Genie required a long time of socialization before she got to the point where she would trust others and bond with people, and such is the case with many abused and neglected ferrets. Very sadly, Genie was abused and neglected later in life leading to her becoming speechless again, and in a way that is similar to some abused/neglected ferrets cases where the help comes too late and they never really never learn to trust people again. I think it is very important that we never forget what happened to Genie and Bandit. Not only to help prevent it from happening again, but because memories of the two should be with us forever. May your memories never be lost Genie and Bandit, and you two always be remembered. I thank you very much for reading what I have written. God bless and *Dook Dook*.


Author: Benjamin Barret aka vindy