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Advice comes in many forms - books -dvds - Rescue Centres - Vets - Owners - Friends - but nothing will prepare you for the joy of having these beautiful
animals for your own.If you have never had ferrets but would like to,there is no better way to make your mind up than spending time with experienced owners and their ferrets.
Keeping ferrets is nothing like keeping a cat or a dog so do make sure you learn as much as you can about them before you even think about buying or adopting.
We have met hundreds of owners over the years - some have kept ferrets for 40 years and say "they are still learning"so that speaks for itself.None of us are experts
and personally we hate the word expert,as we all learn something new every day and every time we talk to other ferret owners.
If you live in the Coventry area and would like to spend time with the M.F.W ferrets - PLEASE fax/phone or e-mail to make arangements.
The book we recommend for all new and experienced owners is "The Complete Book of Ferrets" by Val Porter and Nicholas Brown that can be found in some
libraries.
First time owners are advised to adopt ferrets of 1 yr old onwards that have been neutered. Kits can be off putting due to the fact they WILL nip in play. The older
ferret is calmer and you will gain experience easier. You can always adopt kits later,once you have gained your confidence.
Like with any animal adopting ferrets is a serious business and we here at M.F.W take it very seriously indeed.If treated properly ferrets are very happy,playful and
loving creatures with a life span of 7-10 years,some have been known to live as long as 14 years.
We always encourage new owners to adopt at least two ferrets so they have their own kind to play with.If the owners work then the ferrets have each other when the
owners are not around. Occasionally we have a ferret into the rescue that will not under any circumstances go any where near another ferret but is quite happy to be with humans.In these cases we are quite happy to let a single ferret go to a new home also if an owner wants another ferret to join his existing group.
We do not encourage owners who intend to keep their ferrets in a 2 x 2 hutch at the bottom of the garden,to live a boring and un-eventful life without love.
If you adopt from us you will be asked to fill in an adoption form.If you adopt a kit you will be expected to have it neutered/spayed at 6 months.If you adopt a
neutered/spayed ferret you will be expected to pay the neutering fee. 2009 prices are £24 hob-£29 jill. |
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As with all pets that are taken into the home where young children are, precautions should be taken.
Never leave a ferret roaming in a room alone with a baby or young toddler but this rule applies with any animal.
I have read time and time again the words DO NOT LET A CHILD UNDER THE AGE OF 10YEARS ETC.have a ferret as a pet.This would apply if the child were not to
be supervised as with any pet.
Our youngest member is 4yrs old.
If ferrets are taken on as pets then all the family needs to get to know them how else will a child learn to deal with them.
I have to say that all our members with young children have taught their children well and all of them have learnt, that we don't handle the ferrets when we have
been eating nice things because the ferrets will smell their fingers and think they can have a chew.They know they must wash their hands before and after handling their pets.All the youngsters help clean their pets and know this is an essential part of keeping their pets free from germs.
Children should be taught from a very early age about keeping pets they are after all, the future owners and teachers.
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Young Hal Chesterfield when he was
4yrs old and his ferrets.Hal has 6 house ferrets and a super Mum and Dad, who introduced the ferrets to Hal when he was a few days old. Supervision at all times is most important. |
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Most ferret lovers and Rescue Centres like ours are totally against breeding. Because so many sick, starving, unwanted and un-handled kits are brought in to
us each year.
Jills (females) can have up to 15 kits, some of which die due to her inability to feed them all. So many owners breed indiscriminately without a thought of the
welfare of the kits when they are passed on to new homes. Some people breed just for gain of a few measly pounds.
On the other hand, some people breed for re-stocking of working ferrets and make sure the kits they are not going to keep go to good homes.
If you do have, ferrets PLEASE do the ferret world a favour and have them spayed/castrated at 6 months old. Your hob (male) will not stink and if he is an
albino, he will become very white. Hobs are less aggressive and of course will not want to escape during the mating season (late Feb-July/August). Many hobs that have been neutered have been found to have an undescended testicle that sits high up in the body. If this is not removed, it can turn cancerous.
Jills (females) will not develop aplastic anaemia (bone marrow disease) and die very young. Jills are in season for around 6 months and in this time, if she is
left she can develop all sorts of infections that can threaten her life.
Remember a few pounds spent are a small price to pay to keep your pets healthy.
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