When I graduated from veterinary school and started my career in 1976
I didn’t know anyone who kept a ferret for a pet much less had I ever
seen one other than in pictures. My only experience with them was in an
undergraduate ethology class where I watched a 30-minute video of the
behavior of the European polecat, and I wrote a paper on the subject. I had
seen and taken care of just about every other kind of “nontraditional” pet in
my life, but a real live ferret was yet to be seen.
I saw my first pet ferret patient in 1978, at the small animal practice where I
was employed in the Chicago suburbs. By 1980, I started a strictly exotic
animal veterinary practice, and gradually these funny, wiggly little critters
called ferrets entered my life in gradually increasing numbers, and the fascination
began. There were few veterinarians I knew of at the time whos knew
much about ferrets; even my colleagues in the United Kingdom, where ferrets
had been used for centuries, knew very little about the diseases I was seeing
here in the United States. James Fox’s first edition of his book Biology and
Diseases of the Ferret would not be published until 1988, so we had little
science-based reference material on which to rely.
Thinking about getting a ferret? Want to make sure you’re giving the ferret you already have the best possible care? Ferrets For Dummies helps you decide whether a ferret is for you and give your little fellah a healthy, happy home. It’s packed with practical information on feeding, housing, health maintenance, and medical care.
This friendly, plain-English guide gives you the authoritative information you need in a cut-to-the-chase, quick-reference format. You’ll find the latest on appropriate diets for ferrets, dental hygiene, common ferret diseases and infections, and designing and establishing an enjoyable and enriching environment for both your ferret and yourself. You’ll also get solid tips about how to get to know your ferret and introduce it to other family members and how and when to give your ferret and his cage a good cleaning. Discover how to:
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Choose the perfect ferret
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Ferret-proof your house
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Handle ferret first-aid
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Make foods your ferret will love
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Deal with behavior issues
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Select terrific ferret toys
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Interpret your ferret’s actions
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Find the best vet for your ferret
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Travel with your ferret
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Make sure your little friend doesn’t get bored
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Decide whether to breed your ferret
Complete with helpful lists of ferret myths and misconceptions as well as recipes for meals your ferret will gobble up, Ferrets For Dummies is the resource you need to keep your ferret happy and healthy for years to come.
