Butch the Ferret

On the 10th of July 1997 we added a new member to our family from the Ferret Welfare Society.Go to"Ferret Welfare Society" We got a Sable Male 1 year old Ferret whom we named "Butch"!!!... He was named that because the first time I picked him up at the home where we got him from, he threw his head around & dug his teeth into my fingers & under my finger nails. EVERYONE gave him a flick on his nose, which is the way they get a flogging. Tony was sure from then on that we should get the female. But she is Albino & didn't have the distinct markings as Butch & wasn't half as lively or interested in us as Butch. So we got the male for $75 desexed & vaccinated. It took us ages to build a great 2 roomed cage for him out of wood for the sides & fly screen mesh for the top. The mesh is very strong & we doubled it up for extra protection. He uses his litter fine & has been eating OK. But his nipping & bitting has been going on still.

Ferret Facts

Ferret's are not a wild animal they are a domestic animal. The only wild ferrets are the black footed ferrets in North America. The black footed ferret is an endangered species,and it is not closley related to the domestic ferret. The scientific name for the ferret is Mustela Furo, it is a member of the weasel family, they are related to skunks, polecats, minks and otters.They are not rodents and they are closer to the dog then they are to the cat.Ferrets were brought to Australia on ships that used them to control the rodents on board.I read somewhere that ferret means "little fur thief". Ferrets were once used by hunters to flush animals from their dens. Using ferrets for hunting is no longer practiced in this country, but there are still some places in the world where they are.

There are many varieties of ferrets to choose from.Albino ferrets were the original color.Now we have the sable,which is a little like a racoon, silver, chocolate, butterscotch and cinnamon. Some ferrets have different color patterns. There is the badger, which has a white streak on it's head.Panda's who have a white head. Siamese have dark tail and legs.Then there are mitts who have white feet. The males are called Hobs, and the females are jills. Male kits are gibs and female kits are sprites. Males can average from 2 to 5 pounds, the female usually half of that.When they are 6 to 7 months of age they are considered adults.

The ferret's eyesight is not the best, but they have really good hearing and sense of smell. Although they sleep alot they should get out to play at least four hours a day. Ferrets have a very high metabolisim and should be fed three to four times a day,I guess it depends on your pet. Ferrets Love to go places. You would be suprised at how many people do not know what a ferret is!

Check out this great Ferret Site:Go to"Ferret Site"

The Birds

We have two birds. One called Fruits 3 (as he is the third Budgie we have had), & a Lovebird called Hydro. We have had Fruits3 for one year on the 30/6/97. The longest we have ever had a bird. Heres a Budgie site:Go to"English Budgies" We love Dolphins & believe them to be spiritual, healing & at the same mind level as good hearted human beings. Check out this Dolphin site:Go to"Dolphins"

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