The American Pet Product Association (PAPA) is a leading not-for-profit trade association, and according to a survey conducted in 2011 , 62% of households own a pet, and out of this percentage 46. Million were dogs “American Pet Products Association”, 1998-2012). Cats came in as the runner-up choice for a pet with 38. 9 million, but what if the best characteristics of a dog and a cat could be combined in one exotic pet? WSDL the outcome have changed if the public knew this was possible? After owning more than four cats and four dogs, I would definitely consider this alternative option now that I am on a mission to find the next pet for my children. During my search in many pet shops I stumbled around a ferret, and its glowing character captivated my attention, leaving me with the desire to learn more about them.
While I watched him play with his cage mate, discharging his energy with such Joy, I was convinced that waiting to take home a pet would be best at that moment. I left the pet shop empty handed that night, but with a plan in mind. Armed with patience and determination, I knew a bookstore would be my next stop to feed my curiosity. My patience and findings were unbelievable. Even though it is not consider one of the top pet choices, ferrets make better house pet than dogs because they are safer around the family, require less maintenance, and easily adapt to owner’s needs.
First, ferrets are not only an exotic animal, but they also make a fee pet to have in the interior of a home and around family members. For the majority of the day they can be kept inside a cage, except when the owner lets them run around freely. Just as humans are not designed to remain in a small space and need affection from others, ferrets need exercise and time to socialize with their owners or other members of the household. Because of their small size, ferrets are handled easier than dogs or other larger animals.
Kim Schilling is the founder and director of Animals for Awareness, a sanctuary for unwanted and abandoned exotic animals and has over 20 years of experience managing ferrets. According to Schilling (2007), typically altered females weigh no more than 2 h pounds and neutered males weigh no more than 3 h pounds; therefore their force is not enough to knock a child over. Children are able to enjoy interacting with their pet ferret, and slight supervision is required from adults during this bonding time.
Their play time is minimal, can be performed indoors, and one hour sessions (up to 4 times daily) will be sufficient to keep them content and healthy. Chewing toys is a normal activity, but at least a Delete Trot tense creatures wall not cause as much nard as one AT a dog. Under an article written by Michael Lynch about the banning of ferrets in California, he explains “According to data from the Journal of Veterinary Medicine, dogs are more than 200 times more likely to inflict a serious bite than ferrets” (Lynch, 1996, Para. 10).
A ferret’s Jaw is small in comparison to other carnivores, and their bites will cause minor, if any, damage. The fear of animals carrying rabies is one to be considered; however, the good news is that rabies is not much of a concern with ferrets. “Zero reports have been made of a ferret transmitting rabies to a human, and only a handful of cases of ferrets carrying rabies have ever been document” (Schilling, 2007, p. 43). In addition, ferrets that contract rabies quickly die, but effective vaccines exist to prevent this from happening.
Either way, regular visits to the veterinarian are highly recommended to monitor and assess their health. Second, ferrets require far less maintenance than dogs, which is a big plus for an owner with a busy lifestyle. It is not easy caring for a pet when an owner has other responsibilities, when a Job demands constant traveling, or routines are frequently changing. A ferret on a kibble (dry food) diet does not require a set feeding time, and owner must only ensure that there is enough of it to carry them through the day. Ferrets are not overstates, consuming only the amount of food to satisfy their hunger (Schilling, 2007).
Fresh water is vital, so a self-dispensing water bottle must be set inside the cage where it can be easily accessed; owner only needs to monitor level and quality in case replacement is needed. Surprisingly, ferrets can be trained to use a litter box instead of going outdoors to take care of business. Their natural instinct rives them to pick one corner which they go back to for disposal, making the cleaning process less complex. Since they are inside their living quarters for most of the day, the likelihood of running into an unpleasant surprise is rare.
Ferrets can happily remain indoors as long as they have space to drain their energy. Not having challenging chores to complete, for example walking a dog several times a day creates an extraordinary opportunity for the elderly to own a pet. Another point in their favor is how inexpensive their play time is because toys can be built with ordinary objects: cartoon boxes, socks, plastic bottles, and containers. They are happy running after a tennis ball, or simply chasing their owner around the house for a few minutes.
Last, it is remarkable how ferrets can effortlessly be integrated into their owner’s living arrangements. They change their sleeping patterns to fit that of their owner, making them neither nocturnal nor diurnal. In fact, “a healthy caged ferret will sleep 18-20 hours a day’ (Schilling, 2007, p. 15) waking up during the times someone is available to interact with them. In the same way, traveling is not an issue for those individuals whose Job demands them to be away from home for a few days. A cage can be easily taken apart and assembled to fit in a small room, turning ferrets into a highly portable companion.
Unlike big dogs that require large vehicles or trucks for transportation to even a short destination (e. G. Veterinarian visit), a ferret’s size makes it ideal to fit in a small carrier which fits in Just about any vehicle. Now, for those cases that a sitter is not an option but a must, thanks to their friendly personalities finding one will not be a difficult task. The American Ferret Association (FAA) was founded on January 1, 1991 whose main goals are: promoting domestic ret as a companion animal, to protect them against harm or mistreatment and to provoke accurate International auto veterinarians and/or resources.
