Ferrets require a good deal of commitment and responsibility. Many people do not realize the care and commitment a ferret requires until it is too late. They think they can simply let it loose once they tire of it, or they think an animal shelter can provide it a home.

Our disposable society has created a new commodity: the disposable ferret. Over the years the homeless ferret population has skyrocketed due to the following reasons: lack of commitment on the part of the pet owner, the belief that ferrets are disposable, the misconception that ferret shelters can take care of all unwanted ferrets and overstocking pet stores with baby ferrets for the uneducated pet buyer for the ease of an impulse purchase.

People may buy a ferret for several reasons: They want company, they want a cute baby ferret kit, it would be nice for the children, or they get a ferret as a present. The novelty of a ferret quickly wears off once the owner realizes the ferret requires commitment - food, water, shots, time, medical care, and attention.

Once an owner doesn't want the ferret they may think they can simply let it loose. Ferrets left in the street to fend for themselves have a life expectancy of less than a week. They will die of starvation, overexposure, be killed by another animal or get hit by a car. Ferrets are domestic animals; they are used to being taken care of and their survival instincts are poor. On their own, they are not able to survive.

The truth is that for every twenty ferrets in need of a home, there is only one person willing to adopt. The rest will be sent to animal shelters and will ultimately be destroyed. Because of the overcrowding at local animal shelters and because most have no clue how to care properly for a ferret, ferrets that are brought in are usually destroyed. This has lead to home based ferret shelters.

The biggest problem with home based ferret shelters is that the shelter moms and dads are human. They all at one time or another get sick, tired (or sick and tired), burned out, or have families issues to deal with. Sometimes it's just getting older. In reality they are all only one illness, family crisis or accident away from becoming a headline.

How many ferrets does your local ferret shelter have? How many dead ones are in their freezer waiting for the spring thaw to be buried or to have enough to take a bulk amount to the local crematorium? How many shelters are run by just one person? What happens if that person is in an accident on the way home or breaks a leg or gets cancer?

Replace the word shelter above for ferretry and shelter operator to ferret breeder. Replace shelter with ferret owner with many ferrets. How close are you to becoming a headline???

Ferret owners, breeders and shelter operators need to keep in touch with each other. Everyone needs to have a plan and that plan needs to be kept up to date. Planning for the unexpected will help to keep you from becoming the next headline.

Vickie McKimmey

Just a Business of Ferrets
www.jbferret.com
American Ferret Association
Director of Shows and Special Events
www.ferret.org
Author of Ferrets: An Animal Planet Pet Care Library Series Book