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1. About Ferrets
What are ferrets? Do they make good pets?
Ferrets, Mustela furo (sometimes called Mustela putorius furo), are domestic
animals, cousins of weasels, skunks and otters. They are not rodents;
taxonomically they're in between cats and dogs, a little closer to dogs. They
are not wild animals. It's not entirely clear when they were domesticated, but
it was a long time ago, perhaps two or three thousand years. If a pet ferret got
free it would probably not survive long; it would die of dehydration or
starvation within a few days.
They are friendly and make excellent pets. If you've never met one before,
the easiest way to think of them is somewhere between cats and dogs in
personality, but a lot smaller. Some are cuddly, others more independent; they
vary a lot, just like other pets. They are very playful, and they don't lose
much of that playfulness as they get older. They are also very intelligent,
inquisitive and remarkably determined, which is part of their charm but can also
be a bit of a bother. They do know and love you, though for some of them it can
take a few months to bond.
Ferrets can be trained to use a litter box and to do tricks, and most of them
love to go places with you, riding on a shoulder or in a bag. They sleep a lot,
and they don't particularly mind staying in small places (a cage, for instance,
or a shoulder bag) temporarily, although they need to run around and play for at
least a couple of hours a day. A "single" ferret won't be terribly
lonely, but the fun of watching two or three playing together is easily worth
the small extra trouble. Barring accidents, ferrets typically live six to ten
years.
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