A ferret is fur life
..not just fur Christmas, so think carefully before buying one as a pet, says expert
THEY’VE appeared in Hollywood movies and are owned by A-list stars. But ferret-fanciers have been urged to remember that the tiny creatures are for life and not just for Christmas. The call from the Scottish Ferret Club came after it was revealed that dozens of the pets have been abandoned across Scotland. When it comes to finding an unusual pet, ferrets tick many boxes. They don’t need much feeding, learn very quickly and sleep up to 18 hours a day. Famous owners include Jonathan Ross, Paris Hilton and even Madonna. Ferrets have starred in Harry Potter films and shared a bath with Jeff Bridges in The Big Lebowski. One brave ferret saved Arnold Schwarzenegger’s bacon in Kindergarten Cop.
But some prospective owners fail to realise that there are a few downsides. Until ferrets are neutered, they can give off a musky odour and they can bite unless trained properly.
Fiona Kemp, secretary of the Scottish Ferret Club, said: “The majority of abandoned ferrets are found as strays, wandering into people’s gardens looking for shelter.
“Some come from gamekeepers who have lost a ferret down a rabbit burrow and had to leave them as they won’t come back out.
“Others escape from hutches or people deliberately let them out of hutches just for nastiness.”
Fiona revealed the SSPCA rehomed 135 ferrets this year and added: “Any ferret can be a good ferret, it’s really down to the owner on how they train it and look after it. They can be the most loving pet.” Visit www.scottishferrets.co.uk or www.scottishspca.org.