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ATTENTION:

FERRETS AS PETS

 

Please call us if you are looking to add a ferret to your home. Did you know we have many, many rescue ferrets needing new homes? When looking to add a ferret to your home you need to be aware of a few very important things when buying a ferret.

• Ferret kits should be at a minimum of ten weeks before they leave their mother, 12 weeks is better. If they leave their mother before this age they are missing a crucial part of their socialisation & may develop behavioural issues.

• Ferret kits MUST be fed a proper diet, this can not be emphasised enough!!! So many kits have a disease called rickets due to lack of proper nutrition, this disease leads to bone deformity, breaks & fractures in the bones and sometimes an unnecessary death if the problem is not rectified. Please ensure the person who has bred your kit is feeding a high quality kitten biscuit (this won’t be from a supermarket), fresh meats, lactose free milk, egg yolk and a calcium supplement

• The kits housing should be fairly clean (let’s be honest, ferrets are messy critters) there should be fresh water & food, the cage should be dry and the ferrets should have bedding that is fabric based - not pine shavings! Kits need food available all the time.

• Kits should be robust and ambulatory; they should be playful, clean and dry with no discharges from the genital areas, eyes or nose. Ears should be clean and the coat fluffy and soft. They should be able to walk and bounce around; they should be interested in all of their surroundings

• A price of $150.00 should include a vaccination for your ferret at 12 weeks of age - if the breeder is charging more than this, with no vaccination, reconsider buying from the breeder. There is no such thing as a "rare" colour... a ferret is still a ferret despite its eye colour or coat pattern.

• Your breeder should be able to tell you when the kits where born, who their parents are and what lines they are from - due to the small gene pool of ferrets in WA inbreeding is rampant - back yard ferret breeders often breed brother & sister together.

• Make sure you see both parents and any other ferrets that are owned by the breeder - ensure you see the housing they are kept in and leave with a list of their current diet.

• Consider doing a hands on with some ferrets if you have not had much experience with them - this will make sure of your ability to handle ferrets and will help you to make the decision if they really are for you.

Please be very aware that ferrets are costly to keep, are destructive & messy, they don’t live long lives and encounter many diseases during their short time with us - if you can get past all this then a ferret may be a pet for you -they are bundles of joy and are great pets.

SUMMER HEAT WARNING!

During the summer months here in WA, our temperatures can reach in excess of 40 degrees. Ferrets suffer heat stress in temperatures in the high 20’s, so it is very likely that our summer heat will kill your ferret if you do not take precautions. If you are unsure of ways to keep your ferret cool, then please give our Ferret Rescue Coordinator, Jo, a call. She will be glad to advise on ways to provide a cool environment for your ferret.