A ferret may, in the long run, be better company and less of a problem, but sexist-ly speaking, you won't ever coerce a ferret to take out the garbage or change a flat tire. Need a box of books or a piece of furniture moved from one corner to the other? You'll have better luck getting a man to do that. And in keeping with the season, if you're taken with a cold or the flu, a man may be persuaded to prepare some consomme and bring it to the sick bed, whereas a ferret - well, you get the drift. Of course, there's always a trade-off. It depends on your priorities....