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Ten Traits Every Ferret
Owner Must Have
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1.
A Sense of Humor
The need for humor is illustrated by
the following example: Imagine coming home after a hard day
at work, and sitting down on the couch with a glass of your
favorite beverage. Along comes a furry creature who wants to
stick his head, not just his mouth, but his whole head - into
your drink and dive down to the bottom. This is a scene for
comedy. |
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2. Patience
Lots and lots of this. Big time. |
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3. Consistency
Experts constantly compare ferrets to
children; specifically to toddlers. Consistency, an essential
trait for those contending with a two-year-old, is also fundamental
to the success of the ferret parent. If you want a child to
behave in a certain way, you establish the rules and then stick
with them. It's the same with a ferret. |
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4. Time
If you can't spend at least an hour
or two a day playing with your ferret, it's unfair to adopt
one, since they thrive on attention.
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5. Stamina
You must be prepared for a very energetic,
demanding animal. Ferrets are not like a cat who yawns and stays
put for five hours, or who can be plopped out the door for an
evening. Ferrets never leave their childhood, in a sense, explains
Susan Roberts. Puppies and kittens are great, but when they
start getting older, it's never quite the same. But ferrets
never outgrow that puppy or kitten stage. All their lives they're
still crazy and stupid and having a great time. They have a
lot of energy: a little bit psychotic, almost. |
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6. Agility
You open the refrigerator door, and
BAM, the ferret is in like a shot. You don't want your ferrets
behind a certain door? They'll hide until you open that door
and then make a mad dash for it. Ferrets are small and quick,
and may not be the ideal pet for the less agile individual. |
7. Honesty
Your ferret won't just steal your possessions,
you know. Indeed, the ferret is a true equal-opportunity bandito,
whose daring and skill may lead the weak-willed into temptation.
Says Mary Field, One evening a friend of ours who was visiting
left her handbag on the floor for a while. The next day, when
we were inspecting Furry's hiding place for food scraps, we
found several five-dollar bills he had taken from our friend's
purse. We returned the cash the next day with a lot of red-faced
explanations. Of course, that routine could have been very profitable
for us if we had allowed it to continue. |
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8.
Imagination
A ferret owner needs imagination, chiefly
because the animal has so much of it. Also, ferrets are easily
bored. New games, toys, and activities have to be provided for
them, or they will constantly be looking for attention from
their owners. When ferrets are bored they flop down, flatten
themselves out on the floor, and stare up at you. |
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9. Accounts
in all the Best Toy Stores
Ferrets love toys, and usually have
quite a lot of them. For one thing, as mentioned earlier, they
usually stash their prized possessions in some secret place.
Ferrets love dog squeaky toys, cat toys, baby crib toys, all
kinds of toys. (Give your ferrets toys made of hard rubber or
plastic only. If a toy is made of soft rubber or plastic, ferrets
tend to tear off and swallow pieces of them, and can easily
choke or suffer fatal intestinal blockages.) You can buy a ferret
a million toys, however, and, still, for many of them, their
favorites remain the paper bag, the old pair of blue jeans (ferrets
like to run in and out of the legs), the aluminum pie plate
(nice and noisy), and the bedsheet you use to pull them across
the floor. |
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10.
Love and Affection
As much as any animal alive, the playful,
affectionate, and sometimes foolish ferret loves and needs
its owner. They have their own playthings, but as soon as
they see you coming, they'll come running over, dancing about
your feet, waiting to be picked up and loved, waiting for
you to get on the floor and play. You're in a terrible mood,
and you look down and you've got these little clowns bouncing
around your feet. They really do inspire you to live in the
moment and enjoy life a little bit more. They just make you
smile.
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