Question:
I've been reading your column for quite a long time and don't remember reading anything about ferrets. I was hoping you could let your readers in on a little secret: Ferrets do, indeed, make ideal pets as long as you follow a few very simple rules.-- Ferrets are not supposed to be kept in cages 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and only played with for a few minutes now and then, no matter how large a cage you provide for them. They still know it's a cage. You wouldn't keep your dog or cat in a cage that way, and ferrets are more like these animals than they are like rabbits and guinea pigs. The best solution for everyone involved is to place their cage in the room where you and your family spend most of the time. This room should also be "ferret-proofed" exactly as if you were baby-proofing it.-- When you are home, your ferret should be out of the cage and allowed to live with and react to you. You might want to attach a bell to their collar so that you don't step on them and so that they're easier to find
D.S., Bethesda, Md Jan 09, 2005
Answer:
I occasionally receive letters from people with ferrets, and your advice will be helpful to those who have them and (as is so often the case with various species kept as pets) are not providing optimal care. A lack of understanding often results in much animal suffering.Some people believe that pet-store ferrets are a wild species, but they are not related to the American black-footed ferret (which is now almost extinct thanks to wildlife- and habitat-destroying non-sustainable cattle ranching activities and other misguided land uses). They were domesticated in Europe centuries ago, but, being carnivorous, must be given rabies vaccinations that, until recently, were not approved for use in ferrets, hence their ownership was prohibited by certain local health authorities.CANINE OBESITY NEEDS ATTENTIONDogs are prone to obesity when fed primarily canned foods and snacks that are highly palatable, especially when they have been neutered. Like their human counterparts, there is an obesity epidemic in American dog
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