During earlier times ferrets were used to hunt down, or dig out rabbits from their burrows. But nowadays they are mostly kept as pets. If you are thinking of buying a ferret, you should buy one from reputable shelters or breeders or from the Humane Society.
Before taking your ferret home, make sure that your ferret has been given the necessary vaccinations. It is also a good idea to consult a local veterinarian for information on common ferret diseases and their cure. Ferrets live roughly for about 7 to 10 years. A ferret costs around $75 to $120, depending on its age and from where you buy.
Contrary to common belief, ferrets can be trained effectively though it may not be as easy as training cats or dogs. Training ferrets to learn the rules of the house will be a gradual process. The best way to reward a ferret for positive behavior is by giving it food. For behaviors that are not acceptable, paying no attention to the ferret or confining it in the cage will work wonders. As ferrets move around a lot, they tend to mess up the rooms. Nipping is also a major problem associated with ferrets. Nevertheless they can be trained to use the litter and not to nip.
Good ferret care is important for raising a healthy and happy ferret. Frequent interaction with their owners help ferrets get used to their new homes. It is also a good idea to spend a lot of time with your new pet ferret especially during the early days of domesticating. Ferrets that are used to playing with people since their baby days tend to be more friendly and playful. Though ferrets sleep almost 15 to 16 hours a day, they are very active the rest of the time and love to play with toys and frolic around.
Ferrets are carnivores by nature and require a diet rich in animal protein and low in fiber. Ferrets were generally given cat or dog dry foods before, but nowadays specially packed ferret foods are available in pet shops. Totally Ferret, Ferrotone and Zupreem are the most common ferret food brands among ferret owners.
A variety of ferret accessories are now also available on the market, which include toys, cages and other innovative items. Large cages should be bought complete with floors, stairs and tunnels. If you have enough space in your backyard, you can also make a natural abode for your pet, including hammocks, hanging bunks, cozy beds and custom litters.
Talk to any doggy person and they'll sing the praises of these awesome animals. Utterly devoted to their master, they ask so little and yet give so much. I could write pages propounding the good points of the humble canine, I could explain why a heap of people prefer the companionship of a dog rather than a fellow human being or how a dog can replace a lost loved one. But that's for another day, instead my story is about one very special dog, my dog, Murphy.
We've had a pet dog in the family just about all of my life. There have been Greyhounds (Blackie and Bill Teal), a Great Dane (Toddy), a Bassett Hound (Bertie of course) and a Springer Spaniel (Bill). Each one left a massive void at the time of their departing and on each occasion we vowed never to have another dog, it was just too traumatic to say goodbye.
The year was 1993, the pain of Bill Springer's death some 12 months previously had eased and the subject of looking for a new puppy was mooted in the household. Of course everyone was enthusiastic about the idea, who can resist a puppy dog ?. My sister had a copy of a magazine with lots of information on just about every breed of dog available, their traits anf habits, their temperament etc plus a list of breeders. Even before looking through the book I had some strong feelings about what type of dog I wanted to look at. Medium sized, neither small nor big. Short haired, I hadn't the time nor the inclination to groom my dog for an hour a day. Perhaps a gundog, not that I'm into hunting but I definitely prefer that style of dog to the herding or terrier type and I'm certainly not into the "my dog's harder than your dog" breeds such as Staffies and Rottweilers, so beloved by certain sections of our society. Browsing through the publication I noticed this amazing chestnut coloured breed that attracted my attention. I'd never heard of the Hungarian Vizsla and wasn't sure that such dogs could be found here in England. I phoned one of the breeders mentioned in the book and had a long chat, enquiring about the suitability of the breed as a family pet and their general characteristics. The breeder was enthusiastic and suggested that I might like to go along to a huge dog show to be held in Windsor in a couple of weeks time. It was a tremendous show with dogs of every shape and size and there was a class just for Vizsla's. The rest, as they say, is history. I fell in love with the Hungarian Vizsla breed and wanted one !!.
Wanting one was entirely different to actually finding one for sale. There was but a handful of breeders in the UK, the web and email were only a glint in the eye of a bunch of geeks, so it was all down to the telephone or the postal service. All existing litters had been sold and several of the breeders seemed unwilling to let a puppy go as simply a pet dog. They seemed to prefer owners who wanted to compete in dog shows or working dog trials with their Vizslas. I guess that they were trying to carve out a reputation for the dogs they had at stud and selling pups as pets wasn't on the agenda. The long wait began. There was no shortage of Labradors, Spaniels and German Shepherds but my choice was made, and my next dog was to be a Hungarian Vizsla.
The man that I had originally talked to and had then met at the Windsor dog show was Peter Harper and his "Pitswarren" Vizslas had a tremendous record in the show ring. His champion dog, Pitswarren Levi, had won more awards than any other Vizsla in the UK. On one of my frequent calls to Peter, he mentioned that he and his wife had kept a bitch and a dog from the last litter for show dogs. These pups were now 4 months old they had decided to only keep one, so would I be interested in a 4 month old boy dog. I was in Andover as quickly as 4 wheels could carry me. I was introduced to "Pitswarren Murphy Himself" and of course he was sweet and lovely and wonderful and soft and everything else that a puppy should be. As is normal with most reputable breeders, I was told to come back in a weeks time and I could pick him up. During that week the Harper's phoned twice and there were another couple of silent calls. I'm sure that each time it was just the breeders checking to make sure that we were who we said we were, and that the pup wasn't about to be left alone all day whilst everyone went to work. We must have passed that examination because exactly seven days later we were able to pick up Murphy, our very own Vizsla puppy.
He's now fourteen years old, and sadly he's coming to the end of his time on Earth. He is, and has been, the best dog in the World. He's my best friend and has been my constant companion and I really hope that we've given him as much love and affection as he has so freely given to us.
Both Susan Jan & Terry Cod are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Susan Jan has sinced written about articles on various topics from Data Recovery, Travel Insurance and Watches Reviews. For a more in-depth look at ferrets drop by Susan's sites and. Susan Jan's top article generates over 135000 views. to your Favourites.
Terry Cod has sinced written about articles on various topics from Vacation, Mortgage Insurance and Pets. This article was created by Trevor Dace. He has many years of experience working as a claims adjuster with UK insurance companies. His website