I'm sorry about maybe being one of those ferret people. I'm really not trying to make this thread about ferrets but I can't help but defend them as a species.
I like to think of myself as realistic and admit there are bad apples but not all ferrets ferocious or killers. Like any animal they have individual personalities and temperaments. To be honest it's like saying all dogs are killers or ferocious because some are. Most people aren't familiar with ferrets; their knowledge is mainly based on negative stories, some true like what happened here and some not. Once I had a very sweet ferret that I felt very comfortable letting my 3 yo niece hold. I turned for a second and the next thing I know she's holding it up by the tail. The ferret just hung there doing nothing. She didn't even move let alone try to bite my niece.
Also ferrets are in the same family as weasles but are not weasles. The reason I'm bringing this up is because of what seem like some direct correlations. Dogs are much closer to wolves in relation. Like someone mentioned ferrets were domesticated from the European polecat which they can also interbreed with. The hybrids created are more wild than the ferret just as dog/wolf hybrids.
There are some states and cities where it's illegal to own a domestic ferret. Most of these places list them as wild animals. They believe that ferrets could to start colonies in the wild and indigenous wildlife would be threatened but there is nothing backing it up. I have never heard of this ever happening. All the ferrets I've known, and believe me I've known plenty, wouldn't have the slightest idea how to survive in the wild. Their lives are usually eat, drink, sleep, and play and play and play as long as they have competent owners that is.
I will mention that ferrets are outlawed in New Zealand because they do have wild ferrets colonies created by owners who got tired of their pets one way or another. But these are actually ferret/polecat hybrids which have all the polecat instincts and not considered domestic. Because of idiotic owners these hybrids are killing the native kiwis and indangering them. I don't blame New Zealand for doing this. Who knows how many more hybrids would be disguised as a domestic ferret if there were that many hybrids to begin with.
I want to apologise to @mlmanjoney for putting this post in her thread. I want her to know that by writing this I am definitely not belittling her loss. If a ferret got to my chickens I would also be devastated and angry. I love my chickens and consider them part of my family and there is no excuse for what happened. I just felt I needed to defend the species as a whole. God bless her and I hope she never has to go through anything like this again.
I like to think of myself as realistic and admit there are bad apples but not all ferrets ferocious or killers. Like any animal they have individual personalities and temperaments. To be honest it's like saying all dogs are killers or ferocious because some are. Most people aren't familiar with ferrets; their knowledge is mainly based on negative stories, some true like what happened here and some not. Once I had a very sweet ferret that I felt very comfortable letting my 3 yo niece hold. I turned for a second and the next thing I know she's holding it up by the tail. The ferret just hung there doing nothing. She didn't even move let alone try to bite my niece.
Also ferrets are in the same family as weasles but are not weasles. The reason I'm bringing this up is because of what seem like some direct correlations. Dogs are much closer to wolves in relation. Like someone mentioned ferrets were domesticated from the European polecat which they can also interbreed with. The hybrids created are more wild than the ferret just as dog/wolf hybrids.
There are some states and cities where it's illegal to own a domestic ferret. Most of these places list them as wild animals. They believe that ferrets could to start colonies in the wild and indigenous wildlife would be threatened but there is nothing backing it up. I have never heard of this ever happening. All the ferrets I've known, and believe me I've known plenty, wouldn't have the slightest idea how to survive in the wild. Their lives are usually eat, drink, sleep, and play and play and play as long as they have competent owners that is.
I will mention that ferrets are outlawed in New Zealand because they do have wild ferrets colonies created by owners who got tired of their pets one way or another. But these are actually ferret/polecat hybrids which have all the polecat instincts and not considered domestic. Because of idiotic owners these hybrids are killing the native kiwis and indangering them. I don't blame New Zealand for doing this. Who knows how many more hybrids would be disguised as a domestic ferret if there were that many hybrids to begin with.
I want to apologise to @mlmanjoney for putting this post in her thread. I want her to know that by writing this I am definitely not belittling her loss. If a ferret got to my chickens I would also be devastated and angry. I love my chickens and consider them part of my family and there is no excuse for what happened. I just felt I needed to defend the species as a whole. God bless her and I hope she never has to go through anything like this again.
