Austin Animal Clinic

All about Ferrets

Ferrets are domestic mammals with typically brown, black, white, or mixed fur. They grow to about 20 inches in length, including their 5” long tail. The owner of a ferret can expect their pet or hunting companion to live for 7 to 10 years.

The ferret is a very close relative of the polecat. No one is quite sure whether the ferret is a domesticated version of the European polecat, the Steppe polecat, and a hybrid of the two. Because they are such close cousins, ferrets and polecats have been known to hybridize and create colonies that destroy native fauna. For this reason, owning ferrets is restricted in many areas.

It is believed that the ferret was originally domesticated roughly 2,500 years ago. No one is quite sure why the ferret was domesticated but they were later used to hunt rabbits and other rodents. In some areas, like the United Kingdom, ferrets are still used to hunt rabbits. The majority of the time, they are kept as pets though.

When hunting with a ferret, it is called ferreting. The ferret’s long, lean body and curious nature make them well equipped for getting down holes and chasing rodents like rabbits from their burrows. Since rabbits are a “plague species” in the United Kingdom, ferrets are still used for this purpose.

In the United States, ferrets were rare as pets until the 1980s. These little guys will sleep 14 to 18 hours a day. Fortunately, they are not nocturnal, they are crepuscular. Being crepuscular means that ferrets are most active at dawn and dusk. They will want to be let out of their cage or home to run around and get some exercise and then go back to sleep.

For more information concerning caring for your ferret, contact your Austin veterinarian.