Like cats and dogs, ferrets are extremely intelligent pet animals.Along with polecats, stoats, and ermines, ferrets also belong to the weasel family. Their domestication began around 2,500 years ago. The term ‘ferret’ comes from the Latin term ‘furittus’, which means ’little thief’, certainly alluding to ferrets’ penchant for hiding tiny objects.Ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) were formerly employed to hunt and kill rabbits and rodents. Ferrets are most fun and active during the morning and the evening. Kits are baby ferrets under the age of one year and a group of ferrets is generally referred to as a fesnyng. Kits are known be born with white fur and then develop their mature color around three weeks of age.Domestic ferrets have been employed to manage rabbits ever since ancient Rome, and this practice is being practiced in Europe and Australia presently. Even as ferrets are employed as working animals to manage rabbits and rodents, they are also kept as pets in the United States, Australia, mainland Europe, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Japan. Ferrets are sometimes employed as experimental animals in scientific research and were once utilized in the fur industry. Ferrets are naturals at going down holes to hunt rodents and rabbits out from burrows due to their slender physique and inquisitive temperament. That’s where the phrase ‘ferret out’ comes from. Ferrets were frequently utilized in the American west to defend grain stockpiles from small rodents. They became fashionable popular pets in the ’80s and ’90s and there are generally various interesting reasons for it.After reading all things that you need to watch out for before owning a ferret, do check what is a group of ferrets called and why do ferrets stink?Why are ferrets good pets for children?They are known as one of the most playful, inquisitive, intelligent, and affectionate creatures on Earth and as a result, they have the potential to make very good pets. While ferrets as pets are not for everybody, they make an excellent pet for active and indulgent owners.If you are thinking about introducing a ferret into your house and are concerned if they would get along with a family that includes children, the answer to that is yes, ferrets make excellent pets for children. Ferret owners can vouch that ferrets are very curious, amusing, fun, and smart, and they may instill a feeling of responsibility in your young ones. Considering their tiny size, ferrets are extremely lively and inquisitive. Current or former owners can tell you that ferrets like messing around and engaging in various pranks. They keep children amused and might even improve their mood in many ways. One more reason ferrets make excellent pets is because they are naturally social, loving, and playful. Aside from that, ferrets are extremely devoted to their caregivers and always want their affection and attention. They’re also quite clever. In particular, ferrets like hard puzzles and activities, and play with toys that are equally fascinating to children. Also, ferrets, like a cat, can be conditioned to use a litter box. Hence, don’t be concerned if you have a child in the house; a ferret will not be a nuisance. They don’t occupy much room. They could indeed, in fact, readily fit into a small to medium-sized enclosure. But they will need to be let out of the cage for activity and play. Furthermore, ferrets are mostly quiet, so your child will not be constantly disturbed. Ferrets, in fact, remain quiet and sleep for the majority of the day.Meanwhile, certain very distinct limitations must be established. Ferrets can be picky about how they are held, making them a little unsafe as pets for little children.Can a child handle a ferret the right way?It is critical to teach your children about ferrets before purchasing one for their playtime. Ferrets may live in the same house as small children, but there are some factors to consider if you have children and want to add a ferret to your family. Ferrets are simple to handle comfortably owing to their size, but they can be hurt if handled too violently. Always watch them while they are around children. Small children should interact with ferrets at floor level.Ferrets are one-of-a-kind animals, and tending for one differs from tending for other popular home pets. Because of the ferret’s unique body shape, even handling one differs from holding common animals like a dog or a cat. These creatures are long and slender, so you should always hold their bodies or else you risk injuring the ferret. According to ferret owners, young children should engage with ferrets at ground level by sitting down on a couch or on the floor with a ferret treat or reward in their lap. Your ferret will most certainly jump into your child’s lap and accept the food or treats. After your ferret has been accustomed to being handled by a child, he or she can be lifted up and caressed. Teach your young ones to avoid straining the ferret’s back when handling it. Ferrets are relatively lengthy for their total size. Their backs are extended, and if the back extends out while you’re carrying your ferret, it will be unpleasant at best and perhaps dangerous at worst. When handling the ferret, one must hold its chest. You may demonstrate to your child how to do this by placing a hand beneath the chest or around the back of the neck and curling your fingers over it to offer support below the chest.What are the problems with keeping ferrets as pets?Humans and ferrets share a long history together, beginning with ferrets being used as a hunting tool to drive out rabbits and eventually becoming pets that live in our houses. Yet, ferrets as a pet have special demands, and meeting those needs is crucial in keeping them strong and healthy. They might sometimes be very problematic to keep as pets because of the following reasons.Most people dislike the scent of ferrets. The scent isn’t repulsive to pet lovers, but it is rather potent. Most ferret owners describe it as musky, but the closest analogy is the scent of intense artificial chocolate. A male usually has a stronger odor than a female, unless they are neutered. Neutered ferrets have a softer odor.They have a lot of feces. Ferrets excrete at least 10 times each day! You simply cannot stop them from going since their digestive systems are so short. Not all ferrets can be litter-trained, and despite the training, many of them would still go outside the litter tray. Prepare yourself to wipe up mishaps on a frequent basis and keep litter trays as tidy as necessary because a filthy tray will not be utilized by your ferret. But the irony is, you will also need to put some excrement on trays every time you cleanse them, or else the ferret could confuse it for a bed.One has to be quite cautious while choosing an appropriate pet ferret. Often ferret owners find it quite hard to educate them not to bite the human hand once they start biting it. If you remove your hands, the ferret might understand that it can do what it wants, which is to push you away, although its purpose was to actually play.Another point to be noted is that ferrets require a great deal of playing. Caging them for extended periods of time is inhumane, just as it would be terrible to confine a dog. Ferrets are full of energy and are much more cognitive than rodents, with roughly the same intellect as a dog as well as a cat. They definitely have a great deal of energy that has to be used in order to play every day.How long do pet ferrets live?The average lifetime of a dog or a cat can be determined by almost any animal enthusiast, but the subject becomes a bit trickier when it concerns ferrets. However, anyone thinking about getting a ferret should have a good idea of how long the cheerful animal will be in their life.Even for a vet, it’s difficult to answer this question compared to answering questions related to the lifespan of numerous common pets like dogs. There are books that claim pet ferrets may live for 10 years, but that is no longer the case, according to L. Vanessa Gruden, executive director of the Ferret Association of Connecticut. As per Gruden, the current American ferret’s lifetime is significantly lower than that of its ’80s predecessor, when the species, which is native to Europe, first acquired prominence in America. Therefore, healthy pet ferrets can live for up to 10 years if properly cared for. Their typical lifetime, however, is about six years.Do ferrets get along with other pets?Whilst interspecies friendships are not impossible, they are the exception, and it is typically regarded as hazardous to keep your ferret unattended with some other species like dogs or cats.Ferrets should not to be kept with other species in general, and while there are also exceptions, those wonderful photos of ferrets frolicking with their feline best buddy do not depict how ferrets behave with different pets. Ferrets are carnivorous predators, so keep them away from mice, rabbits, rats, and other small pets which can turn into their food. While ferrets sleep for long durations and can socialize successfully if they are monitored, the risk is always present. Larger pets like cats are frequently taken aback by how highly aggressive a ferret is while ferrets are unaware of their modest stature and will approach a cat, causing the cat to flinch and flee to reconsider the situation. When it comes to dogs, they sometimes handle ferrets like squeaky toys, and owing to their size advantage, even mild play can inflict significant harm to your ferret.How can you make your new ferret feel like part of the family?The first step that you should take as a ferret owner to make your new ferret feel like part of the family is properly training it. Ferrets are highly affectionate, clever, and love to play. Ferrets can be trained quickly and effectively. Most significantly, ferrets like being the center of attention. So, treat your ferret like a baby by loving and petting it.There are a few things to keep in mind as an owner when you embrace a ferret as a part of your family. Feed high-protein food to your new pet ferret regularly. Just meat and protein should be its diet. Make sure your ferret’s cage has enough area for the ferret to walk around in since it can become claustrophobic in too tiny a cage. Remember to groom your ferret by combing it to extract loose fur which ferrets shed twice a year. To eliminate unpleasant odors and fleas from your ferret’s body, it must be bathed with vet-prescribed ferret shampoo. Apart from that, cleaning its teeth and clipping its nails is essential. Remember to vaccinate your ferret to protect it from illnesses such as rabies. Schedule a health examination with the vet every 6-12 months because ferrets are extremely fragile animals that require your undivided care and attention.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for are ferrets good pets then take a look at are ferrets illegal in California, or ferret facts.
Like cats and dogs, ferrets are extremely intelligent pet animals.
