THE FERRET

Origin

• In 3000BC, ferrets were first domesticated by the Egyptians. Domestic ferrets were bred with the European polecat and in the 10th century this form of ferret was introduced to Europe for working / hunting.

• They are still used for hunting purposes in England although it is now illegal in many countries, including America. In some states in America there is a ban on keeping ferrets.

Life expectancy

• Up to 10 years.

Temperament / Behaviour

• They are clean and easy to litter train.

• They are very inquisitive and playful and can be quite mischievous.

• Most of the ferrets that come into the centre come in as strays, therefore there is a good chance that they were being used for hunting and were lost. This still makes them good pets as many of them would have been handled from a young age and would be used to the company of other ferrets.

• A few of the ferrets that come into the centre can be a little nippy although it is possible to train them not to nip. When one ferret greets another they will normally nip them gently on the scuff so this is only natural behaviour.

• If a ferrets bites and it means it, it will sink its teeth into the bone and not let go. For this reason children must be well supervised when handling a ferret.

Company

• Ferrets shouldn't be kept on their own unless you can provide attention almost all of the time. As long as they are neutered they will happily live in pairs or groups of any sex.

Mixing / Introducing

• We neuter all of the ferrets that we re-home at the centre so introducing is relatively easy. There are many reasons why ferrets should be neutered including the following: two un-neutered males will often scrap to assert dominance, and when females come into season they will often stay in season until they have been mated and this can cause serious health problems.

• Neutering helps reduce the strong smell that ferrets have, and can make the ferret calmer.

• Ferrets should be introduced to one another on neutral territory, preferably quite a large area with objects for them to investigate. Ferrets will try to establish their dominance when they first meet one another and will often drag each other around by the scruff. This can be quite frightening to watch but as long as the skin isn't broken this isn't anything to worry about. When they seem to be getting on okay they can be tried together in the run / exercise area. If they are still okay together it is normally safe to let them spend the night together.

• Ferrets can quickly do a lot of damage to one another so it is useful to have a bucket of water ready to throw over them so you can distract their attention and separate them.

Diet

• What we feed: A complete Ferret food e.g. James Wellbeloved Ferret complete.

• Treats: Fresh fruit and vegetables, eggs raw or hard-boiled (if left in their shells it will occupy them for hours), cat meat, toast. They will often try most things but will easily become overweight so be careful.

• Do not feed:   Bread and milk as the main diet! Cat food should also not be fed as the main diet because it doesn't contain enough protein. It is much better for the ferret’s teeth if biscuit makes up the main part of the diet.

Accommodation

• There are many different ways in which a ferret can be kept (they also make good house pets if taught not to bite cables). The following points should be checked when assessing accommodation:

• Protection from the weather: Ferrets do not cope well with extreme weather conditions

• Stimulation: Ferrets are very active. They need an area to play and exercise. Ideally they need access to this area when you are not there. In the exercise area they need lots of tubes and things to climb on. It can often be good idea to create two levels to give them more space. They love to explore so treats or their main diet can be hidden amongst their toys so they can search for them.

• Hygiene: Ferrets are clean animals and need to be able to toilet away from             their bedding and food area. They can easily be taught to use a litter tray. We             give our ferrets a blanket for bedding and this needs to be washed weekly. Ferrets will often also enjoy a bath.

• If a hutch and run situation is used the following minimum sizes should apply: Minimum hutch size: 100cm x 50cm x 40cm.            Minimum run size: 150cm x 150cm x 50cm. These sizes are assuming that the ferrets will have access to the run for most of the day. Ideally the hutch should be attached to the run. An old aviary makes an ideal home for a pair of ferrets as it large enough for you to go in with them and spend time with them in an area where you know that they are safe and cannot do themselves any harm. If shelves are put into the aviary they are great climbers and will be able to make better use of the space. It also means that they can have access to more space day and night as a sleeping box can be placed in the aviary and if you litter train them as well they will be very easy to keep clean. They often become more rewarding as pet if they are given more space and more things to do  because they can express themselves better.

Maintenance

• Food and water must be changed daily.

• Faeces and urine removed daily.

• A thorough clean out weekly.

• They are intelligent animals and ideally should be handled daily.

• We have an adoption charge of £20 for our ferrets and this includes neutering, vaccinating an identi chipping.

• As with all our animals we do a pre-home visit.

IN CASES OF CRUELTY, NEGLECT OR IN AN EMERGENCY TEL: 0300 1234 999 (24 HOUR)