Influx of ferrets at centre

The Scottish SPCA is appealing to the public to find homes for overlooked ferrets in their care after an influx of the animals at their centres.

The charity’s Lanarkshire animal rescue and rehoming centre in Hamilton has cared for 27 ferrets in 2022 alone.

And Scotland’s animal welfare charity is currently caring for more than 60 of the animals across their nine animal rescue and rehoming centres.

Scottish SPCA deputy head of field operations, Graeme Innes, said: “We are currently caring for more ferrets than usual across all our centres.

“Sadly, these animals are consistently overlooked for rehoming and tend to stay in our care for a long time. It’s a shame as they can make fantastic pets in the right homes.

“We’re not sure what’s driving the increase in ferrets coming in to our care. It could be that people didn’t want them any more when the reality of owning one of these animals set in.

“Although they are great for adult homes, or homes with older teenagers, they’re not really suitable as children’s pets as they can nip.

“They also need a lot of enrichment and exercise as they’re highly social, intelligent creatures who love interacting with their owners. They shouldn’t just be left in a cage and forgotten about.

“However, if you’re willing to put the time and effort in to caring for them they can be incredibly rewarding animals to own. They’re very inquisitive and cheeky and will definitely bring a lot of fun in to their new owners’ lives.”

The charity’s centre receptions are open 1pm until 4pm daily and you can pop in with any questions you might have about adopting one of these animals.