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This is an article I wrote a couple of years ago for a
magazine that was published. I thought it would be fitting
for our web site. - submitted by Millie Sanders
Just what
is a ferret
A ferret is a one to three pound ball of energy, which plays
almost up to the day it dies. In a pet store, they steal hearts where many
are bought without people finding out what they are or how to take care of them.
What a ferret is NOT
The first and most important thing is a ferret is not a caged
animal such as gerbils or hamsters. They don't do well in cages for days
on end. They are super intelligent and to be locked in a cage with nothing
new to explore or play with will change their whole personality..........just
because they sell fancy cages, doesn't mean a ferret has to stay in it all the
time anymore than a person who has a fancy home has to stay in it all the time.
Ferrets have personalities. They are little thinking machines
that figure things out. Example: A dog will jump up and down wanting
to get to something he can't reach - a ferret is going to do that once or twice,
then look around the room, figure out if he gets on that stool, he can get
on the arm of the chair to the back, from there on the shelf that goes to
the chest and from there.........With a mind like that, how cruel to keep
them caged all the time. Now when company comes or people are in and out
the doors that is when they should be caged for their own protection. To
cage them while you are gone is safer too, they will sleep until you get home
but then it should be a fun time for all.
What a
ferret needsA ferret needs love and companionship. They do their fair share
of both. They are funny, they are stress relievers, they are cute, they
make you laugh when you just don't want to, and they warm your heart. To
do your share, they must have at least 4 hours of out time a day, easily broken
up into different segments, as they don't play 4 hours straight. They
sleep a lot and thus make good pets for people who work. But they do
expect and demand your attention; you were put here for that purpose. A ferret
proofed room (if a ferret can get its head through, the rest of its body goes
with it ) with toys and things to explore will keep your ferret friendly and
healthy. But better than that is to learn games to play with them and they
get so tickled at you, you will laugh with them.
A caged ferret who is not allowed out will entertain
himself by turning potty boxes upside down, dig in food dishes and water bowls,
bite the cage and a lot of other stuff to gain attention, biting you is one of
them, anything for your attention. Some also become over hyper when they finally
do come out. Others will instead withdraw, get stressed out and become sick.
They know depression big time, if their heart hurts, they certainly are not good
companions. One, which is allowed out a lot, will soon stop most of
those bad habits and put all his energy into entertaining you.
Some of
the fun things ferrets do with their people: chase and be chased, they
love it if you drag a towel around where they can jump on and off and/or ride
around the room. Oh and to be thrown in a paper bag, rolled around,
and then dumped out, they'll leap for joy, circle you and jump back into the
bag for you to do it again. Fun things they do with other ferrets: they
wrestle and roll across the room, they race each other in tunnels, they
steal together - if one can't drag something off, then two get together in
team work and then they steal from each other, hilarious to watch them raid each
others hidey box. Can you really keep a ferret in a cage all the time with
that type of personality?
Ferrets know when you are upset and may come perch on you to
stare at you trying to figure out what is wrong..........but they can't stop
playing long enough to cuddle cause they are very busy; very, very busy.
Thus they start their fun and games and you will feel yourself getting into the
mood too. Their toys need to be rotated so they have something they THINK is
new, thus keeping the boredom from seeping in. They know when you are
carrying in sacks of stuff, beware it is supposed to go through their "customs"
before going into a room they can't go into. They love purses cause there
is all sorts of fun things to drag out, either run off with or go in for another
choice, so you do have to watch where you leave it laying around. And you
certainly don't want to end up in a restaurant and find you have carried a
ferret in with you. Personally, its a good idea to hang a birdbath
dish from the ceiling to put all the TV remote controls in because it is one of
their favorite toys, those little rubber buttons are delicious. If you want to
drink while you watch TV, get glasses with tops on for ferrets check to see what
is in the glass, best way to do that is to tip the glass over and let it all run
out. Refer to their above weight and then the weight of what is in the glass
and see which you think remains standing after their inspection.
Ferrets
are grand little animals and can bring out the protectiveness in you like no
other animal seems to do. Yet they are not for everyone, as they always
need interaction with humans. Do not adopt a ferret if you can't give your
heart and time to them. They become very bonded and it is very
painful when you become bored and give them away. It's heartbreaking to
them. They have a life span of 6 to 8 years and they do a lot of
interacting in that time. It's not fair to play with them when they are
new to you, then let them live in a cage and finally when they get old, give
them away. You are cheating them and yourself of a really good time.
But if you do find you have made a mistake in obtaining a ferret, remember there
are good people out here who will give them the home they need. That is
what we are here for, to help find homes for ferrets.
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