What a ferret is

What a Ferret is:


The ferret is a domestic mammal of the type Mustela putorius furo. Domestic ferrets typically have brown, black, white, or mixed fur, are predators, have an average length of approximately 20 inches (51 cm) including a 5 inch (13 cm) tail, weigh about 1.5-4 pounds (0.8-2 kg) (males are typically substantially larger than the females),[1] and have a natural lifespan of 7 to 10 years.[2][3][4]

Several other small, elongated carnivorous mammals belonging to the family Mustelidae (weasels) also have the word "ferret" in their common names, including an endangered species, the Black-footed Ferret. The ferret is a very close relative of the polecat, but it is as yet unclear whether it is a domesticated form of the European Polecat, the Steppe Polecat, or some hybrid of the two.

The history of the ferret's domestication is uncertain, like that of most other domestic animals. It is very likely that ferrets have been domesticated for at least 2,500 years, but it is not certain for what purpose the ferret was originally domesticated. They are still used for hunting rabbits in some parts of the world today, but increasingly they are being kept simply as pets.

Being so closely related to polecats, ferrets are quite easily able to hybridize with them, and this has occasionally resulted in feral colonies of ferret polecat hybrids that have been perceived to have caused damage to native fauna, perhaps most notably in New Zealand. As a result, some parts of the world have imposed restrictions on the keeping of ferrets.

Ferret as a pet

A ferret for a pet:


In the United States, ferrets were relatively rare pets until the 1980s. Dr. Wendy Winstead, a veterinarian and former folk singer who had her first ferret in 1969, sold ferrets to a number of celebrities including Dick Smothers and David Carradine while making television appearances on programs such as the David Letterman Show with ferrets in the 1980s,[17] writing books and promoting them until her death in the 1990s from cancer. A government study by the California State Bird and Mammal Conservation Program found that by 1996, approximately 800,000 or so domestic ferrets were likely being kept as pets in the United States.[18]

Exercise & Health care

Exercise:
Ferrets love exercise (playtime) they need lots of stuff like toys to keep them entertained, they also need supervised playtime out of there cage to keep them happy, but make sure they are never left alone outside of there cage because they can escape through just about anything. Some very good ferret toys are found around the house:

-Paper Bags

-Tennis Balls or Baseballs

-String

-Pop Bottles

-Tubes

There are so many things a ferret would love to play with but before you allow your ferret to play with something ask yourself is this safe? do i care if this gets destroyed? And can this hurt my ferret in anyway?



Healthcare:

Like on the Guinea pigs page if you think your ferret has a problem then go see a vet.

Brushing & nail care

Brushing & Nail care;
Ferrets do not need allot of brushing but every now and again they will enjoy one.

They need there nails to be trimmed this can be one of the most uncomfortable things because overgrown nails can cause discomfort and even pain, do not attempt cutting there nails without proper instruction on how to do so for it can hurt your ferret.

Food & Water

Food & Water:
There are so many food to choose from so no matter what one you choose make sure that it is high in protein because of how active ferrets are they need plenty of protein, some ferrets will over eat so you may want to remove the food over night. You need to have a secure food dish because ferrets are heavy enough to spill and knock them around you need to have pretty much everything attached properly and securely. You should have a secure water bottle and refill it constantly because ferrets drink allot. You can give your ferrets treats occasionally because if you give them treats too often they will get addicted and that is all they will eat.