Ferrets: A Different Kind of Pocket Pet
Group started to provide homes and information about ferrets
by Teresa Mallam
Free Press
Ferrets are not everyone's idea of a perfect pet. However, Teresa Cavanaugh and Shalina Edge are big-time ferret fans eager to point out their finer features.
The two women - they met online because of their interest in ferrets - have owned ferrets for several years and enjoyed them. So now they want to set the record straight about their furry friends.
"People seem to think they bite (she says they just 'nibble' and they're mean," said Edge, lifting Cola out of her cloth purse.
"People also think they stink," said Cavanaugh, who brought along Violet and Flower to the Free Press interview.
"They think they're rodents - they're not - and want to keep them in cages but actually they like to get out and explore. It's their nature. They have to be watched, though, because they wouldn't survive in the wild.
"Many people don't realize that ferrets are - and as far as anyone knows - have always been domestic animals who depend on the kindness of humans to survive. You rarely, if ever, see stray ferrets because they cannot live on their own."
Cages are needed for ferrets when owners are not home, however, because they can get into lots of mischief on their own. Neat freaks probably would not make ideal ferret owners.
"Ferrets are really quite comical to watch, their antics are hilarious," says Edge.
"They actually bounce when they're playing around. People who like everything in its place probably wouldn't do well with ferrets - they like to steal stuff from around the house. They have these little stashes."
Cavanaugh agrees.
"Owning a ferret is like having a very bright toddler in your house. They're curious and they get into everything."
Every ferret is different and has its own personality, likes and dislikes, she said. Violet loves small stuffies. Flower likes rubber and hoards cat food and Timbits. Cavanaugh has learned that - like children - ferrets thrive on toys, attention, affection and lots of stimulation.
The two women have started a group called Ferrets North Information and Rescue Society. They hope to be able to help out abused, neglected and abandoned ferrets, link ferret enthusiasts and share diet tips, health issues and pictures of their ferret friends.
Often the pair scan newspapers for ferrets people want to get rid of and take them in until good homes can be found.
"We want to have a mobile shelter where we can provide abandoned ferrets with a safe place," said Edge.
"The rescue idea started because people tend to ditch ferrets when they grow tired of them. We started a blog and did our research and we're looking for foster homes for ferrets."
Ferrets North is aimed at increasing public awareness about domestic ferrets in Prince George and, as they grow, northern British Columbia.
For more information about the society, visit www.ferretsnorth.org.
Article in Cutbanks Magazine. January 2010.
Helping out Northern ferrets
By Tyler Clarke, editor
Ferrets, local animal rights activist Shalina Edge asserts, should only be adopted or purchased from pet stores if the owner is 100 per cent certain it’s the right animal for them. Judging from the way Edge’s own ferrets got into just about everything during the span of her interview with Cutbanks, from a gift bag to the lining of the couch, they can be quite the personable and difficult creatures.
“They’re like a kitten or puppy, because they never grow up,” Edge stated, adding that they typically remain at a high level of hyperactivity and inquisitiveness throughout their lives. “They get into everything all of the time… Most of the time people get them and realize, oh my God, I can’t handle this… They don’t realize these aren’t like guinea pigs.”
It is the public’s ignorance about what owning a ferret actually entails that has resulted in approximately 50 per cent of ferrets purchased from pet stores being given away or sold within only six months. With their difficult manageability and other factors, such as the fact that the SPCA has no standard of care for them, that many ferrets become neglected or abused by their owners. So was born Ferrets North, Edge’s ferret rescue organization.
Edge first got a ferret as a kid, and instantly fell in love with the stage but cute cat-like creature. Now she has five of them, all of whom rescued from different situations.
Ferrets North recently rescued a few ferrets from a home in 100 Mile House, all of which neglected and mistreated. One even had its face kicked in, resulting in a fractured skull, broken teeth, and other medical problems. The owners, Edge said, weren’t charged with animal abuse.
“The SPCA has no standard of care, they don’t, and can’t, do much,” Edge stated sadly.
Edge even noticed a problem in ferrets within Prince George – with the pet store Total Pet. At Total Pet, there’s no support whatsoever, and if someone’s interested in purchasing a ferret they simply sell them, with no questions asked.
“Either the staff doesn’t are or don’t know anything about them,” Edge said.
In order to combat the 50 per cent turnover rate in ferrets, Petland, as a nice contrast, has people sit through an hour-long presentation on ferrets before they’re allowed to purchase one. They also have a year-long agreement that if the owner decides the ferret isn’t for them they’re allowed to return the ferret for a refund, which should prevent the ferret from becoming neglected.
Ferrets can also be adopted as they become available through Ferrets North for an adoption fee of $75 – less than the between $175 and $250 to purchase one from a pet store.
Ferrets North also accepts donations, and has a $20 membership fee for people interested in becoming a member and attending Annual General Meetings, and having a say in what the organization does.
For more on the organization and on caring for ferrets, the organization has two websites, their blog at http://blog.ferretsnorth.org and their official website, http://www.ferretsnorth.org.
Ferrets North in Cutbanks Magazine
Ferret Fun Day in the Prince George Citizen. April 2010.
Radio Interview on CBC Daybreak North. April 15, 2010.
Radio Interview on Kathi's Creature Corner. June 2010.
Subscribe to the Ferrets North Blog
