I’ve had a ferret since I was a kid, I’ve had cats and dogs too, but the ferret was always so much smarter!
With a dog, you buy a bed, bowl and leash, feed him, play with him and walk him regularly and he’s a friend for life.
Similar with a cat. Buy a bowl, cat food and litter, put a cat flap on the back door to give him access to the outside world where he likes to roam and hunt and you have a very happy pet but a ferret… wow!
You know, the ferret has been around for at least 2,500 years, though what appears to be ferret remains date back to 1500 B.C.
It is believed that they were generally bred to hunt rabbits and the like and in some places still are, but in this modern world it is more popular as a domesticated pet.
A male Ferret is a Hob (although if he has been neutered he is now known as a Gib), a female is a Jill (although when she has had a litter she becomes a Dam) but if she is spayed then she becomes a Sprite, a young or baby ferret is a Kit and a group of Ferrets is known as a Business.
The male is much larger than the female, which must be remembered when buying the first. They can grow up to 20 inches long and have a 5-inch tail that can occasionally get in the way. They come in a selection of colors; black, white, brown, or mixed fur and, while fairly light, can weigh up to 4 pounds (or even more if you don’t follow a proper diet), which can fill your pocket with bags if you carry it with you. you a lot.
So what can you expect from your Ferret?
Well, they spend up to 18 hours a day sleeping, usually divided into two shifts, but during the 6 hours they are awake, be careful! They are very active and curious when awake and must be released from their cage during these periods in order to exercise.
They will be interested in their surroundings and will actively encourage interaction with humans to the extent that they like to play hide and seek; Look, I told you they were fun pets.
They also like to go for walks, so once they’ve had all their shots, buy a harness and take him for a walk down the street; they really enjoy being the center of attention.
Although they can become a real nuisance by regularly marking their feeding territory with urine and droppings, training a ferret to use a litter box is not only feasible, but now common practice; it just takes a little work and a lot of patience.
Their natural instincts are still very strong, and as stated above, they are very, very curious. They will be seen nesting and hoarding, especially food.
They will also carry objects they have become attached to to out-of-the-way places, however they do not have strong seeking instincts.
So if your ferret does go out into the wild, the chances of it finding its way back home are pretty remote, and its chances of survival even less.
Ferrets can be very funny pets, especially when they do some kind of war dance. When excited, ferrets jump up and down, and when really excited they perform a succession of lateral hops that are often accompanied by a soft cluck (sometimes known as Dooking). Seeing the ferret hopping around frantically while singing the ‘dooking song’ may alarm new owners who may think their new pet is having a seizure or gone completely crazy, but that is not the case.
These actions show that the ferret is very happy and you should join him as this can be a precursor to a game of chasing, fighting and jumping. But a word of warning, during these times the ferret can be very accident prone and while performing the war dance they have been known to throw themselves from side to side quite violently – I remember my ferret, Bertie, throwing himself into the water. tv screen and then quickly disappeared when my dad yelled at it, luckily nothing was broken and my dad was still able to watch the news without having to rebuild the set.
Ferrets have a sweet tooth, which isn’t exactly good for them. The high sugar content of foods like bananas, raisins, and sweet fruit in general, has been linked to insulinoma (cancer) and other diseases, so while you may “love” giving your pet some treats , could be doing more damage. excellent
Ferrets are carnivores, which means they like meat. There are a fair number of commercial food products that can be purchased or even created, but they must be at least 32% meat. This will provide the protein and fat required for a ferret’s metabolism. Don’t feed him adult cat or dog food, that’s definitely a no-no!
Providing edible ferret chew toys to young ferrets generally reduces the risk that they will chew on inappropriate objects.
Domestic ferrets are susceptible to various diseases. These include cancers that affect the adrenal glands, pancreas, and other internal organs, and most importantly, the lymphatic system.
As the saying goes, a Ferret is for life, not just for Christmas and normally has a lifespan of 7-10 years. So remember, if you’re going to have a pet ferret, it’s going to be around for a while.