Ten Common Ferret Myths and Misconceptions

In This Chapter

•  Debunking incorrect views of the ferret’s nature and history
•  Clearing the air in terms of diseases and hygiene tendencies
•  Telling the truth about the ferret’s eating and sleeping habits

What kind of ferret book would this be if I didn’t dedicate at least one chapter to beating the tar out of common ferret myths and misconceptions? Not a complete one. Why do little fuzzies often get unfairly judged? Well, you always seem to see at least one or two poor groups of animals out there getting a bad rap. Although some ferret misconceptions are way out in left field, I suppose one or two have a little merit. (I emphasize little because the misconceptions are usually little things that people blow way out of proportion and attach to the entire business of ferrets.) All pets have their ups and downs, their pros and cons — just like people. But to stereotype an entire group of animals based on a few misconceptions is just plain irresponsible.

The following sections present ten misconceptions commonly associated with ferrets; and, for the sake of thoroughness, I’ll give you reasons why they aren’t true!

Ferrets Are Rodents

You think ferrets are rodents? Get out of here. Ferrets are much cuter. Contrary to popular belief, not all small, furry animals are rodents. Ferrets are relatives of polecats, actually. Ferrets are carnivores, and most carnivores like to eat rodents. Most ferrets, however, are too busy sleeping or playing to care! (Head to Chapter Understanding What Ferrets Are (And Aren’t) for more on the ferret’s history.)

Ferrets Are Wild, Dangerous Animals

Some uninformed folks think that ferrets are wild, dangerous animals. Sure. And pigs can fly. Occasionally, ferrets get wild with excitement during play-time. And the most dangerous thing about them is that you may pull a muscle when laughing as you watch them do ferret things. Except in Hawaii, where ferrets are classified as wild animals, and in California (boo, hiss), ferrets legally meet the definition of domestic: They’re fond of home life and house-hold affairs. (I like that definition — too bad they don’t cook!) Ferrets are tame and fit for domestic life. They’ve adapted or have been bred to live with and be of use to man. (For more on the laws concerning ferrets, check out Chapter Ferrets and the Law: Licensing and Other Issues.)

In fact, ferrets can’t survive on their own; they require human assistance. Like dogs and cats (which have more bite incidents than ferrets ever will), all domestic fuzzies have their moments. They can have bad days and need timeouts. In the majority of cases, however, a well-treated ferret is a very, very loving and trusting ferret (to find out how to deal with an abused ferret, see Chapter Dealing with the Behaviorally Challenged Ferret).

Feral Ferrets Will Take Over!

A feral ferret is one that reverts back to its natural state of wild behavior and can successfully live and reproduce in the wild. Many people fear that escapee ferrets will form feral colonies and destroy native wildlife. This fear is unfounded and virtually impossible for several reasons:

• The majority of would-be escapees in the United States are already neutered or spayed.
• Unless some little old lady is leaving piles of ferret food under her bushes and the ferrets actually get a chance to snarf down the food before other animals steal it, escapee ferrets frequently die of starvation. Olfactory imprinting on kibble makes it unlikely that ferrets can recognize enough food to survive.
• There is no natural niche for escapee ferrets to fill in the wild. Most environments already have efficient predators filling all the possible niches. A domestic ferret let loose in North America’s wild would be low on the food chain. (To see how difficult it is to reintroduce even wild ferrets — like black-footed ferrets — into nature and have them establish viable colonies, read Chapter Understanding What Ferrets Are (And Aren’t).)

Technical Stuff

New Zealand has the only established feral colony of ferrets, and these ferrets were purposely conditioned and introduced to control the rabbit population (another of many introduced species). New Zealand had no other predators when the ferret was introduced, and the colony of ferrets successfully maintains itself on other prey animals (which they’ve been conditioned to eat).

Ferrets Are Vicious Biters

I won’t kid you by saying that ferrets never bite. They can bite for many reasons (see Chapter Dealing with the Behaviorally Challenged Ferret to get the full rundown). But the vast majority of ferrets aren’t vicious biters. Comparatively speaking, ferrets are safer than dogs and cats in terms of inflicting injury or the likelihood of causing death with an attack. Some ferrets are more temperamental than others, and these buggers may need more patience.

Like most domestic animals, the more love you give, the more you receive. Ferrets need daily handling and loving care (see Chapter Enrichment: Yours and Your Ferret’s). This daily attention reduces the possibility of biting, which can happen because of fear or overstimulation in a rarely handled fuzzy. Even the toughest ferrets can be turned around with proper handling, time, and patience.

Ferrets Pose a Serious Rabies Risk

Believe it or not, ferrets are extremely resistant to the rabies virus. I know of no documented case of a human contracting rabies from a ferret. Studies have indicated that ferrets may not even pass the virus through their saliva, via a bite, and they note that the amount of rabies virus found in the saliva of an infected ferret is negligible. And the pet community saw less than a handful of reported rabies cases in domestic ferrets in the 20th century. Although some states are still paranoid and automatically impose the “off with its head” sentence to a misunderstood biting or scratching ferret, most states have come out of the fog and issue quarantine sentences instead. Hooray for the smart states! (For more on ferret laws, refer to Chapter Ferrets and the Law: Licensing and Other Issues.)

Remember

Still, all ferrets can and should receive their annual rabies vaccination, which is formulated especially for ferrets, just to be safe (see Chapter Setting Up Your Ferret’s Health Plan: Vets and First-Aid Kits for more on vaccinations).

A Ferret’s Stink Will Never Go Away

All ferrets have scent glands, from which they can on rare occasions emit a foul odor, next to their heinies. Unneutered, non-descented males are the worst smell offenders. However, most ferrets are descented and altered at a young age — at least in the United States. In other countries, descenting is considered animal abuse, so you have to deal with the occasional poof.

Basically, the stink of a ferret depends on your attentiveness as a ferret mom or dad. Descented ferrets can stay odorless for quite some time, but skin glands produce a smell over time as well. You need to bathe your ferret as she approaches the borderline of tolerable stink — but no more than once every few months or so.

Tip

And even better than routine bathing is providing your ferret with a tub of clean potting soil to dig in (see Chapter Enrichment: Yours and Your Ferret’s). The soil will absorb the excess oil on her skin and leave her smelling quite fresh!

A poor diet can cause your ferret to smell a little muskier than a ferret on a high-protein, low-ash diet (see Chapter Filling Your Ferret’s Belly). Make sure that you feed your fuzzy a high-quality diet. Also, bad teeth and dirty ears are two more causes of stink, so take care of your fuzzy’s grooming and get her regular veterinary checkups (Chapter Cleaning Time: Not All Ferret Fun and Games covers grooming basics).

Remember

Although I always push altering in ferrets, I don’t think descenting is necessary in order for you to live with your ferret. A ferret usually lets loose an odor when she’s scared, overstimulated, or aggressive (the three Fs: Fear, Fun, Fight). Unlike with the skunk, a ferret’s smell dissipates rapidly. And believe it or not, some people actually enjoy the smell of ferret and skunk spray. Manufacturers have even bottled the skunk smell and marketed it with good results! Go figure.

Ferrets Can Catch the Common Cold

No! No! No! Ferrets can’t catch the common cold. Colds are caused by rhinoviruses, which are species-specific. Fortunately, they don’t attack ferrets.

Remember

On the other hand, ferrets can catch influenza A, the flu virus humans are all too familiar with. They can also catch bacterial respiratory and sinus infections, which they can pass back to you. Take extra care when handling your ferret when you or she has the flu.

Ferrets Were Domesticated in Egypt

The notion that ferrets were domesticated in Egypt is about two-and-a-half centuries old and began with a reference to Libyan ferrets made by Roman romantic authors Strabo and Pliny. Linnaeus used this reference to state that ferrets were native to Africa. The rest is history — or, should I say, mis-history. To add insult to injury, one author claimed to have a hieroglyph that depicted a ferret. Although the author never produced or published the hieroglyph, the claims were used to assert that not only were ferrets domesticated in Egypt, but also domesticated prior to cats. This unproven idea spread like wildfire and the ferret community ran with it because of the desperate need to prove domestication in ferret-free states (see Chapter Ferrets and the Law: Licensing and Other Issues).

Technical Stuff

According to author Bob Church, as published in John Lewington’s Ferret Husbandry, Medicine and Surgery, 2nd Edition (Saunders/Elsevier Limited), “There are no zooarchaeological reports, genetics studies, theological support, historical documents, hieroglyphs or biogeographical or ecological evidence that document the presence of either the ferret or polecat in Egypt during the window of domestication. Such ruminations are conjectural suppositions, which, through repetition and decades of reprinting, have taken on a ‘truthfulness of familiarity’ or ‘common knowledge.’ Unfortunately, these suppositions are regarded as factual by many in the ferret community despite a singular lack of substantive evidence.”

You can also take into consideration the Egyptian culture, where mummifying was common practice. The Egyptian people mummified mammals, birds, reptiles, and even eggs. In the long list of animals excavated, not one is a ferret or polecat. Not a single bone or body of a ferret or polecat has ever turned up during archeological excavations in or around Egypt. Consider also the eco-logical conditions of Egypt and the ferret’s inability to withstand heat and go long periods without water. In fact, no place in the world with ecological conditions like Egypt houses ferrets or polecats. (For more on the history of the ferret, check out Chapter Understanding What Ferrets Are (And Aren’t).)

Ferrets Sleep 20+ Hours per Day

Ferrets aren’t quite the lazy bums that people claim they are — not if they’re happy and healthy, that is! A ferret caged all day may sleep 18–20 hours, but she’s likely to be bored and depressed. Like their polecat relatives, healthy, free-roaming ferrets with little cage time should sleep only 15–18 hours a day.

Remember

Your ferret should be out and about four hours a day at the very least. If she isn’t used to getting exercise, she may become sluggish and she’ll constantly look for a place to just curl up and sleep away. Get your ferret out to play (see Chapter Enrichment: Yours and Your Ferret’s)!

Ferrets Need to Have Food Available at All Times

Most fuzzies don’t need a constant food flow. Only ferrets that are insulinomic need to have food available at all times! Personally, I believe people put too much emphasis on making sure the ferret has food at all times. Fuzzies wouldn’t have a free buffet in the wild, so why do people think domestication is any different? Physiologically, ferrets are designed to go considerable periods of time without food (well, it’s a little more complicated than that).

Remember

Ferret owners influence how often their ferrets need to eat, because ferrets adapt their eating cycles to what they’re being fed. For example, if you feed your ferret a kibble that’s high in carbs, blood-sugar fluctuations can drive your ferret to eat more often — perhaps as often as every four to five hours. A very poor diet can drive her to eat even more often, perhaps every three to four hours. However, giving your fuzzy a diet that’s high in fat- and meat-based protein can leave her satisfied much longer — perhaps as long as eight to ten hours.

Tip

I feed my ferrets mice, Wysong Archetype freeze-dried diet, and/or some high-quality kibble twice a day. I leave them with no food overnight. And they’re all healthy, muscular, and happy! (For more on giving your fuzzy the proper diet, chomp your way over to Chapter Filling Your Ferret’s Belly.)

by Kim Schilling