Ferrets For Dummies (eBook)

Kim Schilling (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2021 | 3. Auflage
John Wiley & Sons (Verlag)
978-1-119-72085-0 (ISBN)

Infos

Everything you need to know about your playful new pet 

Thinking of getting a ferret? It's not unusual-millions of people worldwide keep ferrets as pets, and they've been domesticated for around 2,500 years! While they're quiet for a lot of the day (catching up on important beauty sleep), when they're awake, they're lively, affectionate, and curious-and require lots of quality interaction with their humans. And that's why a happy ferret is a well-trained one, whose owner knows everything there is to know about its needs!  

Ferrets For Dummies, 3rd Edition is here to make sure you become just that kind of owner, fully equipped to give your little friend the best possible home. It's packed with practical information on feeding, housing, health, medical care, and much more. You'll also find the latest on diet, dental hygiene, common ailments, and how to build an enjoyable and engaging environment for your smart, energetic new pet. There's even a section on how to get to know your ferret properly (spotting those little mood swings) and how to introduce it to play well with friends and family. 

• Make sure a ferret's the pet for you 
• Ferret-proof your home 
• Keep a clean house 
• Find the right vet 

Whether you have a jill (female), a hob (male), or a full 'business' of ferrets (several), Ferrets For Dummies helps you ferret out whatever you need to know-and ensure that your fuzzy new pal is a healthy, happy member of the household.

 

Autor

Kim Schilling is the founder of Animals for Awareness, a non-profit USDA licensed sanctuary dedicated to the needs of exotic and wild animals. When she discovered domesticated ferrets some 30 years ago, she never looked back. Kim wrote both previous editions of this book and has shared her home with as many as 20 ferrets at once.

Textauszug

Chapter 1

What You Need to Know About Ferrets

IN THIS CHAPTER

Reviewing the description of a ferret

Listing the basic ferret info, from color to odor

Understanding the fuzzy’s exercise needs

Addressing the financial and legal matters that ferrets bring

Incorporating the ferret into your home

Introducing your fuzzy to other kids and pets

To the undiscerning eye, she looks a little rat-like. But she acts and moves more like a cat. Sometimes, she fools you and becomes quite dog-like. She resembles some animals you see roaming your backyard or other curious critters featured on a nature television show. And at some point, you’ll witness some people in a pet store pointing at a cage full of them, inquiring, “Good heavens, what in the world are those? Opossums?” I think not!

The lovable animal I refer to is the ferret, of course. She belongs to a colorful clan of creatures and often gets mistaken for different animals. In this chapter, I tell you all about the ferret’s vast family, his close and distant relatives, and his interesting history. (And for you technical readers, I throw in all sorts of Latin lingo that may confuse even the professionals out there.)

SPEAKING FERRET LATIN

The ferret’s scientific name as of press time, preferred mostly by North-American scientists, is Mustela putorius furo. This name exists because of the beliefs concerning the function and nature of the ferret. For those of you who don’t speak Ferret Latin, Mustela means “weasel” or “mouse killer.” Putorius is derived from the Latin word putoris, meaning “stench,” and furo is derived from the Latin word furis, meaning “thief.” The word ferret itself is derived from the Latin word furonem, which also means “thief.” Put all this together and you have one little “stinky mouse-killing thief.” Although the historical ferret may have lived up to this dubious title, today’s ferret is more often than not a cuddly little furball. For all practical purposes, I fondly refer to my ferrets as Ferretus majorus pleasorus in the comfort of my nonscientific home!

Some scientists who agree with me are now challenging the beliefs about ferrets — particularly some of the DNA evidence, as used in some paternity tests. The white coats doing most of the ancestral and DNA research are Europeans who prefer to call the ferret Mustela furo. Currently, several papers exist that support Mustela furo. The scientific name of our domestic ferret may very well change in the near future.

And before you actually run out and get your new family member, you must consider all the things your ferret will require of you — space, safety, and so on — so I cover these things here as well. After all, how can you promise to be a good mom or dad to your fuzzy if you don’t even know what goes into good ferret parenting? Taking an honest look at the requirements can mean the difference between living happily with a new family member and taking on a major, unwelcome chore.

First Question: What Is a Ferret?

Although ferrets may look rodent-like with their long, pointed snouts and ticklish whiskers (see Figure 1-1), they’re not rodents at all. Ferrets come from the order Carnivora, which simply means “meat or flesh eating.” This order encompasses a huge group of animals, from Fifi the common lap dog to the mighty African lion. Within the order Carnivora, ferrets belong to the family Mustelidae, which they proudly share with such bold critters as the badger, wolverine, pine marten, and otters. Included in that family are both domesticated ferrets and ferret-like wild animals such as the weasel, European polecat, steppe polecat, black-footed ferret, and mink.

FIGURE 1-1: They may look like rodents, but ferrets are actually carnivores.

The word ferret is appropriately derived from the Latin word Furonem, which means “thief.” As a new ferret owner, you’ll quickly realize just how thieving your new family member can be. As cute as this endearing trait may be at times, it has its downsides. It once took me over a day to find all the contents of my purse, which I foolishly left open in the presence of roving ferrets.

Many ferret owners call their pets a variety of nicknames. Some of the names that I use throughout this book are fuzzy, carpet shark, snorkeler, furball, and fuzzbutt. I know that many more terms of endearment exist out there. Don’t get confused!

Giving the Ferret a Physical: Examining Fuzzy Characteristics

Before you bring a new fuzzy home or in the early stages of your ferret parenthood, you need to become familiar with a ferret’s physical inventory. When I say physical, I pretty much mean all the general stuff regarding a ferret’s physical characteristics, from his paws and claws to his weight and remarkable (and not-so-remarkable) senses.

Take a look at Figure 1-2 if you really want to get down to the bones, literally, of examining a ferret’s physical makeup! For information on ferret coats and colors, see Chapter 2.

FIGURE 1-2: A ferret’s skeleton, displaying the ferret’s long spine.

In the following sections, I introduce you to the physical characteristics of the ferret. My version of a ferret physical also covers other tidbits you should know, like color combos and life span, because knowing how to accessorize your fuzzy and how long you’ll be caring for him is important.

Looking at the life span of a fuzzy

Since publishing the second edition of Ferrets For Dummies in 2007, I would have expected the six-to-eight-year life span of ferrets to have increased, yet I find it has stayed the same or even decreased slightly. Although I’ve still heard many stories of ferrets that have lived for up to nine or ten years, barring any unforeseen mishaps, my belief remains that a ferret’s environment — his caging, disease, stress (including overcrowding), diet, and so on — plays a role in his short life span. As ferret owners discover more about the ferret and realize how important husbandry and the reduction of stress are, they might possibly see that increase in ferret life span within their own lifetime.

For now, though, you can only do your best to make your ferret’s quality of life top-notch. At 1 year old, your fuzzy is considered full grown. At 3 to 4, he’s considered middle-aged, and at 5 to 6 years of age, he’s considered a geriatric, or an old fert! At this time, she may begin to slowly lose weight and start encountering debilitating illnesses. This is when things get tough and you’re faced with difficult choices (see Chapter 17 for advice on saying goodbye to your fuzzy).

As heartbreaking as it is, ferrets are prone to many diseases and may be genetically or medically flawed. Like most companion pets, whose life spans are short compared to humans, ferrets’ lives are compacted into only six to eight oh-so-short years. The average human has 65 to 70 years to experience what a ferret experiences in under a decade. The ferret is an amazing trooper with a tremendous fight for life, and you can certainly do your part to help. See Chapters 15 and 16 for more on the conditions that can afflict your fuzzy and for tips on how to care for him.

In this corner, weighing in at …

A carpet shark’s size makes him an ideal pet for both the apartment dweller and the homeowner. As is the case with some mammal species, unneutered male ferrets typically measure up to two times larger than females — called sexual dimorphism. There is a notable weight difference in the head and torso, where the male is wider and less dainty.

A typical altered female ferret weighs between a slim ¾ of a pound (0.3 kg) and a whopping 2½ pounds (1.1 kg) — and that’s a big girl. Neutered males normally weigh 2 to 3½ pounds (0.9 to 1.6 kg), and unaltered males may weigh in at 4 to 6 pounds (1.8 to 2.7 kg) or more. In tape-measure terms, without the tail, female ferrets are between 13 and 14 inches (33 and 35.5 cm) long, and males generally measure between 15 and 16 inches (38 and 40.6 cm). A ferret’s tail is 3 to 4 inches (7.6 to 10 cm) long. See Figure 1-3.

FIGURE 1-3: Male ferrets are bulkier, with the location of the penis resembling belly buttons. Females are smaller and have vulval openings near the anus.

Ferrets are kind of like humans in that they tend to bulk up in the winter. Sometimes ferrets gain 40 percent of their weight at this time of the year and then lose it in the spring (as do humans, right?). This isn’t always the rule, though; some ferrets always seem skinny, and others are belly draggers all year round. Could it have something to do with health and/or exercise? Better check it out. (Parts 3 and 4 of this book cover various issues related to exercise and health.)

Getting to the point about claws and teeth

On each of a ferret’s soft paws is a set of five non-retractable claws or nails designed for digging and grasping. Nature...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 5.2.2021
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Sachbuch/Ratgeber ► Natur / Technik ► Natur / Ökologie
• Themenwelt: Sachbuch/Ratgeber ► Natur / Technik ► Tiere / Tierhaltung
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften
• Schlagworte: buying a ferret • dummies guide to ferrets • ferret babies • ferret behavior • ferret care • ferret clubs • ferret environment • ferret health • ferret history • ferret hygiene • ferrets for beginners </p> • ferrets for children • ferrets for dummies • ferret shows • ferret toys • ferret vaccinations • Frettchen • Haustierhaltung / Sonstige Tiere • licensing a ferret • lifestyle • lifestyles • <p>Pet ferret • Pet Care / Other Animals
• ISBN-10: 1-119-72085-0 / 1119720850
• ISBN-13: 978-1-119-72085-0 / 9781119720850