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ENLARGE
Lisa Watson, our guest writer this week, had a booth at our Bark in the Park for one of the local rescue groups. She runs Wind & Willows Ferret Rescue here in Fallon. She can be reached at fallonferts@yahoo.com for more information. Here is what she has to say about ferrets as pets:
Ferrets can be wonderful, energetic and intelligent animals and make great pets, but they are not for everyone! Ferrets are very high-maintenance pets in terms of interaction and emotional sophistication; they are very demanding animals when awake and cannot be ignored; they are very intelligent and unbelievably inquisitive, which results in tremendous mischievousness and a great potential for misfortune. Their small size, high metabolism, longish life span, tendency to major illnesses and strong personality make them more than a handful for any human.
Ferrets change the way you live your life. They change you, your interests, what you do with your time, things you consider important, things you do for fun and other priority shifts.
Ferrets are NOT wild animals. They are domesticated animals like cats and dogs. However, unlike cats and dogs, ferrets cannot survive on their own, period. Ferrets are as dependent on you as two-year-old children are.
When ferrets are sold or become adopted, 98 percent of the time they are already spayed/neutered and de-scented. They will still have a bit of an odor – just no “poofing” capability. Males have a “belly-button” mid-abdomen and, once grown, are generally much larger than females. Temperament is pretty equal on both sexes, and they show no gender preference with playmates. Most ferrets will be best friends with anyone or anything that will love them back.
As mentioned, ferrets are very intelligent animals. They can get depressed and stressed if caged for too long. This can lead to illnesses such as ulcers and other gastrointestinal problems (plus it is just isn't nice). Hold your ferret often and give him or her lots of affection. Ferrets are social animals (like dogs) and need interaction with others for good mental and physical health. Ferrets need to be vaccinated and checked by a ferret-knowledgeable vet at least annually.
Ferrets are strict carnivores (meat eaters). They are usually fed ferret kibble. For a ferret, you cannot buy the cheapest food on the market. It can cause major problems down the line. Never feed foods that contain dried fruits and vegetables.
Ferret shelters such as ours here in Fallon are in existence because there are times when ferret owners find that they can no longer provide a suitable home for their ferrets or feel overwhelmed by the care and responsibilities as a new ferret owner. We understand that sometimes circumstances can occur that place owners in a situation where they can no longer provide that perfect home. We applaud owners for coming to us for help, rather than turning to irresponsible decisions such as euthanasia or turning a ferret loose. (Ferrets cannot survive out of human captivity. Never release a ferret outdoors if you cannot keep it!)
The Animal Rescue Site is awarding grants to eligible Petfinder.com member rescue organizations, and Wind & Willows Ferret Rescue needs your vote (for information about our rescue, check us out at http://www.freewebs.com/fallonferts). There will be a winner in every state as well as other grants. The Petfinder.com rescue organization with the most votes will win. Clicking and voting are free, with no registration required.
All that you need is our name, Wind & Willows Ferret Rescue, and the state (Nevada); you don't need the city or anything else, but they do seem to have a thing about the exact name of the shelter, and you do have to verify your vote on the next page that comes up or it doesn't count.
Please visit http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces?siteId=3&;link=ctg_ars_shelterchallenge_from_home_sidetabs to learn more. It's free and only takes a moment of your time. Thanks so much for helping us out!
Jennifer Williamson, a resident of Churchill County, is president of CAPS.
Ferrets can be wonderful, energetic and intelligent animals and make great pets, but they are not for everyone! Ferrets are very high-maintenance pets in terms of interaction and emotional sophistication; they are very demanding animals when awake and cannot be ignored; they are very intelligent and unbelievably inquisitive, which results in tremendous mischievousness and a great potential for misfortune. Their small size, high metabolism, longish life span, tendency to major illnesses and strong personality make them more than a handful for any human.
Ferrets change the way you live your life. They change you, your interests, what you do with your time, things you consider important, things you do for fun and other priority shifts.
Ferrets are NOT wild animals. They are domesticated animals like cats and dogs. However, unlike cats and dogs, ferrets cannot survive on their own, period. Ferrets are as dependent on you as two-year-old children are.
When ferrets are sold or become adopted, 98 percent of the time they are already spayed/neutered and de-scented. They will still have a bit of an odor – just no “poofing” capability. Males have a “belly-button” mid-abdomen and, once grown, are generally much larger than females. Temperament is pretty equal on both sexes, and they show no gender preference with playmates. Most ferrets will be best friends with anyone or anything that will love them back.
As mentioned, ferrets are very intelligent animals. They can get depressed and stressed if caged for too long. This can lead to illnesses such as ulcers and other gastrointestinal problems (plus it is just isn't nice). Hold your ferret often and give him or her lots of affection. Ferrets are social animals (like dogs) and need interaction with others for good mental and physical health. Ferrets need to be vaccinated and checked by a ferret-knowledgeable vet at least annually.
Ferrets are strict carnivores (meat eaters). They are usually fed ferret kibble. For a ferret, you cannot buy the cheapest food on the market. It can cause major problems down the line. Never feed foods that contain dried fruits and vegetables.
Ferret shelters such as ours here in Fallon are in existence because there are times when ferret owners find that they can no longer provide a suitable home for their ferrets or feel overwhelmed by the care and responsibilities as a new ferret owner. We understand that sometimes circumstances can occur that place owners in a situation where they can no longer provide that perfect home. We applaud owners for coming to us for help, rather than turning to irresponsible decisions such as euthanasia or turning a ferret loose. (Ferrets cannot survive out of human captivity. Never release a ferret outdoors if you cannot keep it!)
The Animal Rescue Site is awarding grants to eligible Petfinder.com member rescue organizations, and Wind & Willows Ferret Rescue needs your vote (for information about our rescue, check us out at http://www.freewebs.com/fallonferts). There will be a winner in every state as well as other grants. The Petfinder.com rescue organization with the most votes will win. Clicking and voting are free, with no registration required.
All that you need is our name, Wind & Willows Ferret Rescue, and the state (Nevada); you don't need the city or anything else, but they do seem to have a thing about the exact name of the shelter, and you do have to verify your vote on the next page that comes up or it doesn't count.
Please visit http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces?siteId=3&;link=ctg_ars_shelterchallenge_from_home_sidetabs to learn more. It's free and only takes a moment of your time. Thanks so much for helping us out!
Jennifer Williamson, a resident of Churchill County, is president of CAPS.
