|
| |
Ferrets as pets
Ferrets sleeping in a pileFerrets are energetic, curious, and always interested
in their surroundings. They actively solicit play with their owners.
Ferrets tend to be very nippy as kits, requiring patience and persistence in
handling. Nipping is the act of biting in a playful manner reminiscent of mock
fighting and sparring; young ferrets are also more prone to chewing and
teething. Older ferrets tend to chew far less frequently and, when trained
correctly, almost never nip a human hand. Younger inexperienced ferrets have a
tendency to nip and bite harder, which may irritate an owner who does not
understand ferret behavior. For this reason, some young ferrets end up
neglected, when owner's patience runs out and the ferret is abandoned to its
cage.
Ferret life-span can vary widely, but usually falls between six and ten years,
though in rare cases ferrets can live into their early teens.
The popularity of ferrets as pets in the USA, beginning in the 1970s, has been
attributed to Dr. Wendy Winstead, a veterinarian and former folk singer who sold
ferrets to a number of celebrities and made many TV appearances with her own
ferrets.
| |
|
