Fun pets to keep (Ferrets)

Member Name: bucksfizz66

Product:	Ferrets
Date:	13/06/09 (35 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A great pet for working people as they are kept in hutches during the day.

Disadvantages: Can smell if not looked after

Ferrets are part of the mustelid or weasel family, their origins are unknown but it is believed they originated in North Africa and were bought to this country by the Normans, along with the rabbit. Traditionally used to hunt rabbits and rats ferrets have got somewhat of a bad reputation for being smelly and biting.

Ferrets are socialable animals and should be kept in pairs at least. They are playful, inquisitive and full of energy throughout their lives, ferrets live on average 6 - 8 years.

If ferrets are handled and kept in clean living accomadation then they don't bite or smell. I have kept 4 ferrets and was never bitten apart from the odd nip before I had tamed them. I would recommend that you start of with young kits (the young are called kits, females are jills and males are hobs) about 8 weeks old, you can then handle the ferret and after a couple of days handling there should be no problems with biting. One method is to force your index finger into the ferrets mouth, the ferret finds this unpleasant and learns not to bite. If you are bitten then ferrets can hold on like a vice, it is advised to put the ferret on something, if it is in the air it won't let go as it wouldn't know how far it would fall. Then pinch the ferrets back foot, this makes it open it's mouth. The signs of a potential: look out for are the hairs standing up on the tail like a bottle brush, this means the ferret is excited or angry and is more likely to bite so if you see this then give the ferret a minute to calm down.

Ferrets are clean animals, they always go to the same corner to go to the toilet well away from there sleeping quarters. They should be cleaned out 2 - 3 times a week. I kept mine in hutches and preferred to use wheat straw in the run and the bedding area, barley straw was abit dusty and hay was to warm for the sleeping quarters and often caused condensation inside the hutch, however these are just my observations. Shredded paper would be good in the run area although I am not sure it would be warm enough in the sleeping area in winter. Ferrets do take food and store it within the sleeping quarters, be aware of this as if left will attract flies and will go off and smell.

Ferrets are carnivoures and should be fed on meat, the traditional food of bread and milk gives the ferrets diarrhoea, which is why they have a reputation of being smelly. There are dried foods especially for ferrets, these are good in the summer when flies can be a problem when feeding fresh meat. I fed dried food in the moring and fresh meat or tinned cat food in the evening.

I would recommend having jills spayed unless you intend to breed from them. When a jill comes on heat the vulva swells and remains like this until they are mated, if they are not mated then they stay like this for months and are likely to pick up infections which can be fatal. If you would like to breed from them in the future then a way round this is to use a vasectomised hob (sometimes called a hoblet, a hoble is a castrated hob) as he will mate with the jill to bring her off heat but she won't have any young.

I would recommend buying your ferrets direct from a breeder rather than a pet shop as you will be able to see the mum and judge how well she is looked after. If you are not happy then walk away.

I would recommend ferrets as pets.

Summary: A great pet