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Pet Ferret Introduction - History and Characteristics

By Moses Wright

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Published: 17Oct2007
Word count: 590
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Ferrets are very unique 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 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.

Moses Wright is a ferret pet lover. He sets up a site to help fellow pet owners with their home pet problems. He also provides more ferret health care problems, breed facts and supplies information on his site.

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