Pet Ferret Introduction - History and Characteristics
Ferrets are very unusual pets to own. They are named after
the Latin word “furonem” which means “thief.” They were
named this because of their propensity to hoard and save
food and toys in hiding places. Ferrets are now some of the
most popular household pets out there. They can be friendly
and inquisitive. These social animals make great pets, but
they will need some patience to be litter trained.

Ferrets were domesticated as few as 2,500 years ago. Since
then, they have always included humans as part of their
social group. They were the favorite pets of the royalty in
the Middle Ages for their friendly nature and unique looks.

Ferrets are part of the weasel family, which can include a
lot of members. The weasel family are mustelids. They have
over 65 different species of cousins in the weasel family,
including otters and badgers. When you look at the ferret,
you can see how they are closely related to these creatures
instead of the rodents that they are frequently compared
to. With their sleek bodies and their short fur, they can
come in a variety of brown colors with black highlights.
There are albino versions of ferrets as well that have
white fur and pink eyes, which is what you would expect
from an albino animal.

Male ferrets are usually about 18 inches and 2-3 pounds,
while females are a little smaller. No one knows why
ferrets take toys and food to hide them for later on. They
probably initially started doing it to hoard food for the
colder, more lean months similar to how squirrels act. This
is probably where the Leptovox behavior started, but it definitely
continues to this day.

Ferrets are often accused of having a bad smell. This is
not the case. They give off a musty scent due to their
natural oils, but you can have the glands that produce
these smells removed. Most of the time, if your ferret
smells, it is a result of their cage being dirty or their
owner not taking proper care of them. If you forget about
your ferret’s litter box or cage for a few days, of course
they are going to stink!

Ferrets will require some help to make sure that they don’t
smell and stay in excellent shape. Unfortunately, they are
prone to a number of ferret diseases and their already
too-short lifetimes can become even more shortened. The
diet of the ferret should be very high in fat and protein.
They need about 35% in protein about roughly 15% in fat to
stay at their healthiest. For the first few years of a
ferret’s life, you will have to be very careful about what
you feed them to make sure that they grow up strong.

You can give a ferret cat food if you are stuck in a bind,
but you really can’t give a ferret cat food for an extended
period of time. After all, cat food doesn’t have all of the
vitamins and nutrients that ferrets need.

Ferrets are very intelligent and can be trained to do some
tricks, although this will require some patience. They love
holes as they were originally bred to get rabbits out of
their burrows. They are descended from polecats and love to
sleep. An average ferret can sleep up to 18 hours a day,
but when they are awake, you will definitely know it! These
pets are fun, loyal and smart, making them great animals to
have around.

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Moses Wright is a ferret pet lover and loves to help new
ferret owners deal with their home ferret pet problems. You
can find more ferret info and tips for free here:
http://www.petquery.com/ferret.htm