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Named after the Latin word for thief, furonem, ferrets
are among the most popular of household pets today. Like cats, they can be both
curious and friendly, and with some effort they can be trained. They're very social
animals and prefer to be in groups. Often, humans are a part of that social group.
Ferrets have been domesticated pets for as long as 2,500 years. They were a favorite
among royalty in the late Middle Ages. As members of the large weasel family they
are cousins to 65 different species, including badgers, otters, ermine mink and,
of course, weasels.
They're sleek, they have short fur and they come in a variety colors, including
varying shades of black, brown, and white. Males
are typically around 18 inches and 2.5 lbs, females are generally slightly smaller.
Their latin name is appropriate since ferrets will often take toys, food or other
small objects and hide them. No one has a definitive answer on why, but like squirrels
and other small mammals it probably derives from the need to hoard food. That behavior
helps them feed through lean times, especially winter.
Often mistakenly believed to have an unpleasant odor, they do give off a natural
musky smell from their scent glands glands. Those glands are often removed by commercial
ferret vendors, but the odor is just as often a buildup of smells from improper
care. Many pet stores and some ferret owners will simply put a few ferrets in a
cage with food and water, sometimes with a litter box, and then forget about it
for days. But ferrets, unlike cats, require a little more care than that to keep
the odors down and keep the ferret in optimal health.
They're prone to a number of
diseases if they don't have a
proper diet. That diet
should consist of foods that are high in protein and fat, such as fresh chicken
or commercial ferret food with around 38% meat-based protein and 15% fat. For the
first few years after ferrets became popular household pets, owners would feed them
wet or dry cat food. But that diet is best for cats, not ferrets. If fresh meat,
which is the ferrets natural diet, isn't an option then a carefully balanced commercial
ferret pet food is preferable.
Ferrets, like dogs, are intelligent animals and can be trained to perform a number
of amusing, and sometimes useful, tasks. Ferrets were used in the preparation of
recent royal ceremonies to string cable through conduits. That task is a natural
for these slender hunters who for centuries have been used to hunt rabbits in their
holes. Possibly descended from (and often bred with) polecats, they can be unintentionally
fierce.
They sleep for 18 hours a day, but when awake are very active and love to play-bite.
They've often been observed engaging in something owners have dubbed a 'war dance'.
The ferrets stand up on their hind legs and jerk their heads while they move sideways.
Fun, loyal, cute and smart. Now that's the kind of pet everyone should have.
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