The ferrets or mustela putorius furo is a mammal that is considered to have been domesticated at least 2,500 years ago. It is known that Caesar Augustus sent ferrets or mongooses to the Balearic Islands to control rabbit pests in 6 B. C.
Later on, the ferret was used to hunt lagomorphs as they slid into their burrows without problems. In some countries such as Australia it is still practiced in the face of the great plagues of rabbits that the country suffers from time to time.
Finally the ferret has become a fantastic pet as they are very lively and extremely curious animals. It is an incredible animal that will surprise anyone who wishes to adopt one.
Physical appearance
There is a great variety of ferrets that are visually different due to their size, color or complexion. They can also be distinguished by the size of the hair.
We must consider that the size can vary depending on the sex and that is that a female ferret is usually 30% smaller than the male. It is considered an adult from 9 or 10 months, at which time we can already identify its size as:
- Wiped or small – They weigh between 400 and 500 grams.
- Standard or medium – They usually weigh between 500 grams and 1 kilogram.
- Bull or large - They weigh up to 2.5 kilograms.
The ferret can show infinity of colors and there are no two alike ferrets in the world. Among them we find shades such as white, champagne, black, chocolate, cinnamon or tricolor. In addition, there are also some very specific patterns such as the Standard, Siamese, Marbling, Uniform, Gloves, Flare, Bib, Tip or Panda.
The hairsize will be different in winter than in summer. Basically we find hair differences according to their height, for example, we will find in the Wiped variety a short and extremely soft hair, called velvet. The Standard has angora-type hair, the longest a ferret can have. Finally, the Bull has short hair that is pleasant to the touch.
Behaviour
These are very social animals that generally accept other members of their own species and even cats without any problem. They love to play and sleep with each other to keep warm and the fact is that the ferret hates loneliness and will feel very lucky to have another member of the family to spend time with.
It is also not a problem to have a ferret alone, although we must be aware of offering it games, affection and attention every day.
Although many myths surround the aggressive behavior of the ferret, the truth is that for more than 15 years breeders have selected the most docile and calm specimens to procreate. That means that the majority of ferrets that are up for adoption are not aggressive Even so, if we decide that the ferret will be the ideal pet for our children, we must monitor the behavior of both for a while.
The child cannot consider the ferret as a cuddly toy and they cannot squeeze and bother him whenever he wants. They are sensitive and small animals that, when faced with a physical threat, will act by twisting or scratching with a certain force.
They are intelligent and curious animals that will be restless throughout the day and have great energy. This is offset by the 14 to 18 hours a day he spends sleeping.
Feeding
The ferret requires a different diet than the pets we are used to. It is a small carnivorous mammal with high protein needs. For this reason, their food base will be meat and only from time to time can we offer them fish. We will never offer you cat food.
In the market we will find a variety of specific feed and the fact is that the ferret is a much more common pet than we think. In general, they are usually based on extruded chicken, a treatment that facilitates digestion. It is not recommended that the cereal content be high.
Like dogs and cats, there are also specific feeds for each stage of their life, the junior feed, for example, has more fat or calcium while the adult type is more of a maintenance and reinforcement feed.
Finally we will talk about the awards, very important to improve our relationship with the ferret and make him understand the actions he performs correctly. They should not be abused, but we can offer them a certain amount per day, for example, when they urinate in the relevant place. Everything must be in a very positive way that will help the well-being of our new pet.
We will be careful if hamsters or rabbits live in the house, they can become targets of the ferret. We will also never give you raisins, sugar, chocolate, butter or peanuts.
Precautions
If we are thinking of adopting a ferret we must exercise care when it is out of its cage because it is easy for them to slip in closets and various spaces found throughout the home.
Remember that they don't know the danger of biting a cable, fiddling with a folding chair, etc. Their curiosity is such that they could end up injured or seriously harmed if the optimal security measures are not taken for them.
Care
As we have mentioned, the ferret is a very curious pet that will need us to make some small adaptations in our home before adopting it. We will monitor small places where you can get stuck, we will always close the garbage and we will monitor any appliance within reach making it always safe.
If you wonder about the day-to-day life of a ferret and its activity, you may have asked yourself this question “Should the ferret be locked or can it be freefor our home?” Well, it is best to keep it in its cage while we are away from home, in this way we will prevent an accident from happening while we are away. On the other hand, and in our presence, it is very important for the ferret to run freely around the home while we offer it love and attention.
His skin produces a layer of fat that insulates and protects him, for this reason it is not recommended to bathe him more than once every two weeks since then it would begin to produce a greater segregation of his glands which It would increase your body odour. We must use specific products for the breed and if we cannot find them, shampoo for kittens.
He alth
Just like a dog, cat or rabbit, a ferret needs to visit the vet on a regular basis. From your youth you will need to receive your relevant vaccinations, against distemper or rabies for example. Getting vaccinated is very important as it prevents these diseases.
It is also important to think about castration, a supportive practice that allows us to improve your he alth, a decrease in a possible aggressiveness and the appearance of diseases derived from heat such as anemia.
They have some odoriferous glands next to the anus that they use to mark territory, although they can also secrete them when excited or in a state of panic. The lack of these makes you more prone to rectal prolapse and even other ailments. In any case, we must know that removing them does not make the possible smell disappear, it will only be possible after castration.
Here is a list of the most common ferret diseases:
- Adrenal disease: This is an overgrowth of the adrenal glands. We can identify it by hair loss, greater aggressiveness and in the case of females a growth of the vulva. In these cases, the veterinarian must make a diagnosis and will probably proceed to remove the affected glands.
- Insulinoma: Or pancreatic cancer. It is difficult to identify because it is a disease that makes the animal lethargic, present drooling or foam at the mouth as well as seizures in more serious cases.
- Viral diseases: They can suffer from apizootic catarrhal enteritis (an inflammation of the lining of the intestine) which presents with strong, colored diarrhoea. green. It can be treated. We also find the Aleutian disease which mainly affects the immune system and is very difficult to detect.
Curiosities
- In Spain it is forbidden to hunt these small mammals and it is only allowed in certain autonomous communities if there is a plague of rabbits. In addition, a permit from the Council of said community is required. It is also essential that all ferrets have the identification chip and the vaccinations in order. From here we emphasize the importance of receiving the rabies vaccine, a vaccine that surprisingly is not mandatory but would mean the immediate sacrifice of the pet if the disease is detected.
- In Chile we find a SAG regulation that controls the possession and reproduction of this mammal.
- USA does not restrict ferret ownership except in California, Hawaii and care such as New York, Washington DC, Beaumont and Bloomington.
- In México a marketing permit is requested if one wants to dedicate himself to the breeding of ferrets that is approved by the Ministry of the Environment Environment and Natural Resources.
- In Australia a license is required to keep any ferret except in Queensland and the Northern Territory, where it is prohibited.
- It is prohibited to sell, distribute or breed ferrets in New Zealand.
