THINKING OF GETTING A FERRET.
Let us first dispel some of the Myths of this very misunderstood Animal.
Ferrets do not bite without a good reason i.e FEAR, PAIN, HUNGER, being TEASED or ILL.
They rely mostly on their noses as they are quite short sighted. Even apparent harden biters can, with careful handling love and
attention, be reformed into trust worthy lovely non biting pets.
Handling a ferret regularly is just as important as providing it with
clean living quarters and the right food. Ferrets are not a natural British wild animal but a domesticated breed like cats and dogs etc, therefore they do not cope very well in the wild. Also contrary to beliefs, Ferrets cannot live a healthy life on just bread and milk. There are now several brands of complete dry food on the market, but primarily they are meat eaters .
FERRETS AND POLECAT
The pure ferret is white with ruby eyes or some people say red as the
polecat is black with a very distinctive mask with a black nose and
black eyes. All other colours have come from the breeding through the
years. Do not mistake a polecat ferret with a wild polecat even though
they look the same, one is domesticated the other is a wild animal and
are found in Wales and the surrounding counties.
Do they smell
All Animal have a personal scent. A Ferret is at its strongest during the breeding season, males being the most potent. They also have a scent gland located in the anal canal which produces an oily musk, this is used in self defence and the reason for the Ferrets name Mustella Putorius, meaning Smelly Weasel. Unlike most small mammals they live quite a long time {5 to 10 years } or more.
Ferrets as Pets
They are a very playful characters even when they are old, very clean they will always use one place for going to the toilet and will use a litter tray. They will Groom themselves and each other do not need bathing unless the have fleas, they also love to be played with every day. They are very curious and inquisitive, can climb get into very small places, and need a lot of human contact. They are not a pet to put in a cage and ignore. You can also take them for a walk on a lead and harness if you wish, but do not them run loose in the park as they may not come back when called.
HEATSTROKE
The Ferret has no means of lowering it own body heat {They do not
sweat or pant}, so in the summer must not be kept in the full sun, and must have access to plenty of fresh water.
The signs of
heatstroke are distress and high temperature, coupled with the ferret may
collapse and go into a coma. To help get the temperature down, place the
ferret in a shaded and cool area. Then soak your ferret with cool water
and if possible use a fan to help the waters cooling affects, repeat
until you can see it temperature is down. Give your ferret a drink of
water and if you are not sure of your ferrets condition take it to your
vet. When the weather is hot try to spray your ferrets with a water
sprayer that you get for plants. Heatstroke can easily be avoided by putting
their hutches in the shade, or face your hutch in the direction
of the sun coming up in the morning, and it will be behind in the
afternoon this will help. Also make sure if you have them in a travelling
box keep them shaded from the sun try to spray with cold water
regularly, and never leave them shut in your car for any length of time.
DIARRHOEA
This may be a sign of a disease, but it may be caused by what your
ferrets has eaten, food which is off, or a sudden change of diet or some
sort of allergy starve for 24hr and dose them with kaolin solution but
make sure that they have plenty of fresh water. If symptoms persists
take a sample to your vet.
BITES
All bites can be a problem but if not serious can be treated at home,
either with warm salt water or hibby scub if it is only minor. If it is
more serious take it to a vet.
FLU
Ferrets can catch the flu from you also colds, so if you have either
try not to get to close to your ferret. The illness responds to good
nursing within a few days. If any complications go to a vet.
DISTEMPER
This can be caught from dogs, either directly or indirectly. Signs
of this are running eyes and gummed up lids, catarrh, a rash under the
chin, lack of appetite, sore and swollen feet and maybe diarrhoea.It is
difficult to treat and is very contagious to ferrets.You can get them
vaccinated against it ask your vet about it.
ABSCESS
These can develop after any bites or wounds, if it does your vet
will treat it with antibiotics and lance it to thoroughly drain it.
The next step is to sort out a cage either in doors or out side, Sex of Ferret(s) plus colours
Your Ferret will need a cage with other requirements. These include security, strict hygiene, plenty of living and exercise space. If possible plenty of shade {ferrets suffer from heatstroke with too much sun }. Fresh water and food each day your Ferret is entirely dependent on you so please take these requirements into consideration when you take on your Ferret or Ferrets. The basic Ferret cage should consist of a sleeping compartment which should be dark with access for the Ferret by a small hole about 4/5in. The exercise and dining area should have as much space as possible to exercise in.
A Ferret's home can never be too big, but it can be too small. There should be a toilet area well away from the sleeping area.
The minimum cage for one Ferret should be no smaller than 48x24x24 inches (1200 x 600 x 600 mm) but even better if you have a two tire cage. For two Ferrets 60x24x 24 inches (1500 x 600 x 600 mm)
You can also build your own, which we call a Ferret Court, if you have the space. You can buy a second hand shed and make it into a Ferret court, or a large aviary type cage, but it must be made fully weatherproof.Don,t forget lots of pipes for them to run and play in plus some toy,s.
Before you decide to buy your Ferret or Ferrets
You should think long and hard, ferrets can live up to 10 years, plus we had one that lived till he was 18yr old, So your ferrets will require a lot of attention for every day of their lives. They will need feeding and cleaning every day. Then you have vet bills. all this cost money so you should consider all this and be sure you can supply all of your Ferrets needs for its entire life.
But after all this the pleasure and sheer fun that Ferrets can give you far outweigh the work and effort needed and I can heartily recommend them to those who put in the effort to take care of all their needs,
WHAT DOES A JUDGE LOOK FOR WHEN JUDGING FERRETS.
GENERAL APPEARANCE
In the summer months ferrets should be slim & sleek, ribs and bones should not be showing and their coat should be soft and shiny. Winter time the ferrets should well covered with a nice layer of fat.
However, they should not be overweight to the point where their tummies are like a rugby ball as this can put a lot of pressure on their back bone and may damage the spine. Their coats should be thick and fluffy. Your ferret should be free from fleas & lice. The judge will also look to see if your ferret is alert and wants to investigate its surroundings, also friendly and well handled as this is particularly important when judging kits. Ferrets have a natural odour and this should be present, they should not smell of shampoo. Points will be awarded for size, coat and attitude.
TEETH AND GUMS
Teeth must be white and free from tartar, most ferrets just fed on biscuits may suffer more of a build of tartar their back teeth. This can be prevented by giving them food containing fur and feather [rabbit or pigeon, day old chicks or mince meat with added bone meal] or you can clean their teeth with a babies tooth brush & paste. Gums must be pink, if red and sore a trip to the vet is required.
EARS AND EYES
Only the outer of the ear should be cleaned, never put anything down the inner ear as this may damage the ear drum. The best way to clean a ferrets ear is to wipe them with a good quality baby wipe, making sure you get into folds. Cleaning the ears gives you a chance to check for ear mites which are small white lice. Ferrets eyes should be clear and bright with no discharge.
FEET AND CLAWS
This is something that a lot of people get wrong. Feet need to be clean and free from sores. Claws only need to be cut back if they start to over grow, if a ferrets foot is flat on the floor the claws should just be touching the floor. Too many people cut the claws too short, taking them up almost to the toe which can lead to an infection in the toes.
So when putting your ferrets in a show it is always best to check their feet and clip their claws a week in advance so that the claws have time to re-point. Checking for fleas, ticks and lice should be done regularly but clean their ears and check for lice again at the show. Feet should be checked on a daily basis. Teeth should also be checked and cleaned on a regular basis ensuring tartar is minimal.
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