Friday Fun Facts About Ferrets

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I’ve never had a ferret for a pet but know many people who have. They seem to be good pets for the most part. One person I used to work with brought his ferret to work. They were a little fragrant as I remember.

Perhaps it was just his.

We if you have had a ferret for a pet or just wondered if you might want to bring one home here are a few facts that might help in your decision.

Fun Facts About Ferrets

Ferrets are part of the weasel family along with minks, otters, badgers, polecats and sables.
They are also related to the skunk family and can give off an odorous smell when excited or afraid. Some owners have them de-scented. Not sure if that hurts or not.
Ferret is from the Latin word fur meaning “little thief.” They love to steal and hide things.
Ferrets are the only members of the weasel family that have been domesticated to become household pets.
A ferret’s sleep is known as “ferret dead sleep.” They sleep 15-20 hours a day in four-hour blocks and experience high amounts of REM sleep.
Ferrets were domesticated thousands of years ago to flush rabbits, rats and mice from their holes. Giving us the expression, “ferreting out.”
The black-footed ferret was thought to be extinct but was recently rediscovered in America.
Ferrets can be trained to use a litter box but it takes a little longer than cats.
It’s illegal to own a ferret in California, Hawaii, New York, and Washington, DC. Some communities in other states also prohibit ownership.
There are about 5-7 million pet ferrets in the US.
Why am I writing about ferrets? A group of ferrets is known as a “business.”
The ferret is the most popular companion mammal in the US behind the dog and cat.
They are more closely related to cats and dogs than rodents
The ferret’s lifespan averages about 6-10 year with some living to 15 years old.
Ferrets are colorful. You can pick from sable, chocolate, cream, cinnamon, silver, or albino. All are born white then reach their adult color about 3 months of age.
Ferrets are born both deaf and blind and begin to see and hear after about a month.

Some Final Thoughts

So are you ready for a ferret? Or are you still a dog and/or cat person. The jury is still out for me. I doubt a ferret would be well received by our current animal population of three dogs, a cat and two birds.

I guess if we are unlucky enough to attract rabbits, mice or rats I guess we will have to consider a ferret. What about you? Ferret in your future? Comments below.