Pets can come in many forms, shapes and sizes. We mostly associate dogs and cats when we think of pets, but these days it seems that more and more different types of animals are becoming common as domestic pets. The “Ferret” is amongst this group of Nu-wave-pets, and believe it or not, are very cute little creatures.
A little history for you on the Ferret. The friendly-furry-ferret is a domesticated form of the “European Polecat” And comes from the same family as the weasel. Now if you have a pet ferret you don’t have to worry too much about exercising your little friend, as they spend 14-18 hours a day asleep. The best time to catch them active is around Dusk and Dawn. They are known to be social animals, unlike their Polecat cousins who are a solitary animal, and are quite happy living in colonies.
Ferrets have a scent gland that, like the skunk, can release the scent when they are frightened or startled, but unlike the Skunk, the scent dissipates quite quickly and isn’t as pungent. Most ferrets sold on the US have had the scent glands removed for the comfort of their owners, though most other counties don’t allow the de-scenting as they see it as unnecessary.
When these cute little critters get excited they perform a little jig that sees them hopping, leaping and bumping into things in a frenzied performance called the “Weasel War Dance”. Now this behavior is nothing but an invitation to play, and usually has the animal making a soft clucking noise, or as it is referred to “Dooking”
In our clip below, the ferret has just given birth and was eager to show its human what she had done. This proud mum wasn’t going to take no for an answer and kept pulling her dads hand to get him to go to her nesting box. Ferrets have on average a 42-day gestation period, so our furry little friend had been waiting some time to show off her new born babies to dad.
It is not known how exactly how long Ferrets have been domesticated, but it is widely believed to be around 2500 years. They have an average lifespan of 7 – 10 years so if you are thinking of getting one of these cute little creatures you will be in for the long haul. These animals are still used for hunting rabbits in some parts of the world, but are now mostly domestic pets. As long ago as 1996, it was estimated that there were over 800,000 Ferrets being kept as pets in the US alone.
Click on the link below, to watch these frolicking-funny-ferret-follies unfold as she insists that her dad see the good thing she has done. You can’t help but have a huge smile on your face as you witness this proud mom’s insistent behavior.
