eHow launches Android app: Get the best of eHow on the go.
Owning ferrets is illegal in many American states and Canadian provinces. Other places will allow you to own a pet ferret, but only if your pet has been spayed or neutered. It is legal to own or breed ferrets in most of Europe. Because of the damage they can do to native wildlife, breeding ferrets is illegal in Australia, New Zealand... more »
Despite popular misconception, ferrets do not instinctively know what food is good for them and what is bad. They will eat anything they can get a hold of. Fortunately, there are many fine commercially made ferret food and treats available. But some human foods can be used as treats or as part of a balanced ferret diet. more »
Ferrets have digestive tracts that are too short to digest or even soften vegetable material. Ferrets can get perforated bowels from eating raw vegetables or even hard fruits, such as apples. Therefore, they need a mostly meat diet. EverythingFerret.com defines a high-protein diet as one that includes 34 percent protein. more »
Ferrets are a different and fun-loving pet choice. But because ferrets are illegal in some states and rare in others, a lack of information about them is usually the norm. Owners might be a little confused about the proper care of their pets, especially in the area of proper feeding and nutrition. more »
Also called adrenal neoplasia, adrenal disease is one of the most common medical problems in ferrets, particularly if they are over two years old. This disease causes tumors to grow on the adrenal glands located on the ferret's kidneys. It can be lethal, but often just makes a ferret miserable. more »
Ferrets were rare pets until 30 years ago when celebrities started keeping them. Ferrets are...
Puppies may be cuter, kittens may be cuddlier, but nothing could be quite so impressive as...
Ferrets are members of the Mustelidae family, which is composed of the weasel, ermine, skunk, badger, wolverine, otter and various other... more »
Ferrets are ultradian animals'they have short bursts of activity separated by hours of rest. They can adapt their schedules to yours so they'll... more »
You must feed, clean up after and exercise ferrets just as you do children. Ferrets live an average of 7 to 8 years. They have a great sense of... more »
Ferrets are bright and fun-loving animals and can be taught to obey simple commands. You can train a ferret far more readily than you can a cat or... more »
Do you have baby ferrets that need to be weened? Are you unsure what steps are involved and what type of food they should eat while making the... more »
The ferret is a domestic mammal of the type Mustela putorius furo. Ferrets are sexually dimorphic predators with males being substantially larger than females. They typically have brown, black, white, or mixed fur, have an average length of approximately 20 inches (51 cm) including a 5 inch (13 cm) tail, weigh about }}, and have a natural lifespan of 7 to 10 years.
Several other small, elongated carnivorous mammals belonging to the family Mustelidae (weasels) also have the word ferret in their common names, including an endangered species, the Black-footed Ferret. The ferret is a very close relative of the polecat, but it is as yet unclear whether it is a domesticated form of the European Polecat, the Steppe Polecat, or some hybrid of the two.
The history of the ferrets domestication is uncertain, like that of most other domestic animals. It is very likely that ferrets have been domesticated for at least 2,500 years. They are still used for hunting rabbits in some parts of the world today, but increasingly they are being kept simply as pets.
Being so closely related to polecats, ferrets are quite easily able to hybridize with them, and this has occasionally resulted in feral colonies of ferret polecat hybrids that have been perceived to have caused damage to native fauna, perhaps most notably in New Zealand. As a result, some parts of the world have imposed restrictions on the keeping of ferrets.
History
Like most domestic animals, the original reason for ferrets domestication by human beings is uncertain but it may have involved hunting. It was most likely domesticated from the European polecat (Mustela putorius), though it is also possible that ferrets are descendants of the Steppe polecat (Mustela eversmannii), or some hybridization thereof.Lewington (2007), p. 6. Analysis of mitochondrial DNA suggests that ferrets were domesticated around 2,500 years ago, although what appear to be ferret remains have read more at » http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferret
Connect with people who share your interest by joining one of our Groups:
How to Cement a Dental Crown Without the Dentist
What Is Semi-Formal Dress?
How to Decorate Halloween Cupcakes
How to Be Prepared for a Plumbing Emergency
How to Stop a Shopaholic
How to Put Together a Designer Clothing Collection - Tips from Project Runway
Wonders of the World
Copyright © 1999-2009 eHow, Inc. Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the eHow Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. en-US Portions of this page are modifications based on work created and shared by Google and used according to terms described in the Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution License.
