Here’s what our blurb says:

Twelve-year-old Danny McGuire loves his pet ferret, Oliver – but Danny’s parents don’t. They also think he should do more of the things “normal boys” do.

Still, Danny manages to remain fairly cheerful and keep his grades up. Oliver consoles him, his mountain-bike rides bring him solace, and his best friend Mike offers some hard-won advice.  It all works out, for the most part, until . . . things go terribly wrong.

But, then, it pays to remember that a rescue ferret can sometimes “rescue” a bad situation.

Strictly speaking “Danny and Oliver: A Ferret-Rescue Tale” is a children’s story. But it is also a story that, we think, will please ferret lovers of all ages.

The absolute essential ferret supplies and accessories you’ll need are:

• A wire mesh cage with at least two square feet of floor space per ferret.
• Pet carrier. Your ferret will need to see a veterinarian at least once a year and probably more often in that critical first year. You’ll need a sturdy pet carrier to transport your fuzzy.
• Ferret bedding. Because ferrets love to burrow and snuggle up when they sleep, they need cozy bedding. Whether it’s an old blanket or t-shirt or a swinging hammock, comfort is the key here.
• Ferret food. Whether it’s canned, dry, or even whole prey, it’s best if you choose food specifically intended for ferrets so that it meets their needs for a high-protein, high-fat, low-fiber diet.
• Food and water containers. These should be heavy and durable to resist tipping. Many ferret owners prefer to use non-drip water bottles.
• Litter box and non-clumping, dust-free litter. Remember that ferrets love to dig, so choose a corner-fitting box with high sides. Non-clumping litter is essential to protect ferret health as the clumping variety can play havoc with the digestive system.
• Hygiene items. Shampoo, brushes, combs, nail clippers, toothbrushes, toothpaste, ear washes, vitamins, and supplements are every bit as important for your ferret as they are for your own health.
• Harness and leash. Your ferret needs to be out of the cage for several hours each day. One way to keep her busy is to take her for a walk in the great outdoors. The harness and leash will help her explore the world safely.
• Protective devices. Pet gates, electrical-outlet covers, door latches, and similar products are frequently overlooked by new owners, but they are essential for keeping your ferret (and your belongings) safe.
• Ferret toys. While many new owners consider pet toys frivolous items, they are necessary for keeping your ferret entertained and active – and away from your stuff. (Pet ferrets are incorrigible thieves.)

These are the essential ferret supplies and ferret accessories. Soon, we’ll talk about the best places to get said supplies.

If you’ve seen those articles that detail how much it costs to own a ferret, keep in mind that they usually list the top-of-the-line models of each item. As with most things in life, there are ways to get ferret supplies at fairly low cost – yes, even for free.

Ferret Toys possesses two main virtues. It’s not too long, and it contains some ideas and plans for homemade toys for pet ferrets. Here’s how the blurb goes:

We ferret owners are all a little “crazy” when it comes to our fuzzy kids. Just as we do for our human children, we want the best, most-stimulating toys we can afford for our pet ferrets. But how do we wade through the thousands of choices and the many manufacturers. And where is the best place to get ferret toys? And what about homemade toys?

These are the questions this little book will answer. You will find out:

• How to choose ferret toys wisely, both ferret-wise and money-wise
• How to choose toys that will engage your ferret’s senses and keep him active and interested
• How to know whether a toy is safe for your ferret
• The top ferret-toy manufacturers
• The best places to buy ferret toys
• How to create inexpensive and fun homemade ferret toys (with step-by-step directions)
• How to take care of your ferret’s toys so they will last longer and be safer

Our aim is to simplify – and make less expensive -  the daunting task of choosing and making the best toys for your pet ferrets . . . with Ferret Toys.

• Ferrets are crepuscular creatures. (Crepuscular is a Latin word meaning “twilight.”) And this means that ferrets are naturally most active near dawn and dusk – when it is neither bright daylight nor fully dark.
• The Latin word furittus, which means “little thief,” gives us the name “ferret.” This is a fitting name because pet ferrets love to steal shoes and small items of clothing and hide them under beds and dressers.
• Mitochondrial  DNA analysis indicates that ferrets were domesticated about 2, 500 years ago. Some people claim that the ancient Egyptians were the first to domesticate ferrets, but there really isn’t any good evidence to support the claim.
• There are colonies of feral ferrets in remote areas of New Zealand and on the Shetland Islands.
• Keeping ferrets as pets didn’t really take off in the US until the 1980s.
• It is legal to keep ferrets as pets in Brazil only if they have been implanted with an identifying microchip and are sterilized.
• The sideways hopping and jumping that you see your fuzzies engage in when they want to play is sometimes called the “weasel war dance.”

Find out more about this curious critter called a ferret here and here.

Below you will find a list of the essential ferret supplies and a few links to some good resources for information about pet ferrets.

New owners are sometimes surprised by the number and variety of ferret supplies they need. Ferrets are not like goldfish or pet rocks. You will likely need to make a significant outlay to get everything you need to keep your ferret healthy and happy.

The essential ferret supplies you’ll need are:

• Quality ferret cage. A wire-mesh cage with at least two square feet of floor space per ferret.
• Pet carrier. Your ferret will need to see a veterinarian at least once a year and probably more often in that critical first year. You’ll need a sturdy pet carrier to transport your fuzzy.
• Ferret bedding. Because ferrets love to burrow and to snuggle up when they sleep, they need cozy bedding. Whether it’s an old blanket or a swinging hammock or a hanging pirate-ship bed, comfort is the key here.
• Ferret food. Whether it’s canned, dry, or even whole prey, the food you choose must be specifically intended for ferrets so that it meets their needs for a high-protein, high-fat, low-fiber diet.
• Food and water containers. These should be heavy and durable to resist tipping. Many ferret owners prefer to use non-drip water bottles.
• Litter box and non-clumping litter. Remember that ferrets love to dig, so choose a corner-fitting box with high sides (and be sure to secure it to the cage). Non-clumping – and dust-free – litter is essential to protect ferret health as the clumping variety can play havoc with the digestive system.
• Hygiene items. Shampoo, brushes, combs, nail clippers, toothbrushes, toothpaste, ear washes, vitamins, and supplements are every bit as important for your ferret as they are for your own health.
• Harness and leash. A ferret needs to be out of the cage for several hours each day. One way to keep your fuzzy busy is to take him for a walk in the great outdoors. Just make sure to use a ferret harness and NOT a collar to avoid any possibility of escape or choking.

One of the best ferret sites I have come across is All About Ferrets. There, you’ll find plenty of articles about ferret care, an active forum, and an interesting blog.

As for ferret books, the two I recommend (so far) are Ferrets for Dummies and Getting Started with Pet Ferrets (of course).

Kim Schilling’s Ferrets for Dummies has most of the basic information new and long-time ferret owners would need to make sure their pet ferrets are healthy and happy. A strength of this book is the wealth of ferret health information. Schilling does a good job detailing ferret health issues, as well as possible prevention and treatments. She also provides a lot of good advice on choosing a vet.

Getting Started with Pet Ferrets is our book on ferret adoption, ferret care, and ferret health. It is designed for fairly new ferret owners and attempts to fill in many of the blanks and weak spots you will find in other ferret books. It also contains a useful ferret-preparedness checklist – to help you make sure you home is ferret ready and ferret safe before you bring you first fuzzy home to live with you.

If you know of other good ferret resources (sites, books, videos), just leave a comment or send an email and let us know.

Most movies that have dogs and cats in them provide the names of the canine and feline actors in the credits. Of course, most people don’t feel toward fuzzies the way we obsessed ferret owners do.

Anyway, here is a very short list of famous ferret names:

• Podo and Kodo – from the movie Beast Master
• Pan – from the movie The Golden Compass
• Rodolfo – from the movie Along Came Polly
• Jasper – from the movie Jake and Jasper

I also found out the names of Paris Hilton’s ferrets – Dolce and Gabbana. I don’t think she has them anymore, though, because it is illegal to keep pet ferrets in California.

My favorite famous ferret name I saved for last . . . and that is . . . Rikki Tikki Tavi! That is the name of my albino ferret. It is taken from the children’s story “Rikki Tikki Tavi” written by Rudyard Kipling.

Find out much more about adopting and naming pet ferrets here.

Playtime is fun, of course, but it can also be educational. You can use playtime to teach your ferret many useful skills. Start by teaching it to come when called. It’s really easy, especially if you make the effort to say the ferret’s name often when you’re playing together: (“Hi Fuzzball!” “You like that, Fuzzball?” “What are you doing there, Fuzzball?”)

Soon, you’ll be able to call its name while offering a treat. (“Hey Fuzzball! Look what I have for you!”) Of course, give the treat when it comes promptly. Keep repeating this game until it has learned to associate its name with a treat. Start to withhold the treat if it seems to ignore you. Your ferret will soon get the idea that it’s better to come quickly.

Teaching your ferret to come when called makes it easier to stop bad behavior.  Say its name and a firm “No!” when it nips or bites or starts to dig somewhere it shouldn’t.

Once your pet responds its name, you can start teaching it to walk on a leash.  (See below.)

These are just some of the basic skills ferrets can learn. You’re sure to develop your own games and ferret skills over time so you’ll enjoy your pet even more.

For the more important behaviors (using the litter box, bite prevention, leash training), it’s best to start as soon as possible. Habits (both bad and good ones) start at a young age and are more easily learned or broken early.

No matter what you are trying to train your ferret to do, remember to be patient. You had to learn to crawl before you could walk. Your ferret will likewise have to learn step by step.

You also need to be consistent. Remember Pavlov’s dogs from your high-school psychology class (the ones who eventually learned to salivate at the ringing of a bell)? Your ferrets can also be conditioned to do certain things at specific times of the day. They can also be conditioned away from bad behaviors (for example, associating biting with an inevitable firm slap on the backside and a loud “NO!”), as long as they receive the same consequences EVERY time the bad behavior happens.

Consistency also helps in understanding your ferret’s personality. For instance, litter training works best when you know your ferret’s toileting pattern. Likewise, if your ferret tends to nip when you are playing a certain way, you’ll know to be watchful for it and take steps to prevent it.

Be kind also. In your rush to make your ferret the most talented animal on the block, it’s easy to be impatient. Unfortunately, your ferret will sense that impatience by your harsh tones and behavior, which will make it less willing to learn. As the saying goes, you’ll collect more flies with honey than with vinegar.

It’s also kinder to ease up on training if your ferret seems tired or sick. If it seems to be acting unusually, check to see if it has been injured or is ill. If not, then consider whether there has been any major changes in your ferret’s life lately (new member of the family, new home, missing family member).There’s no sense in putting a ferret through its paces if it is not up to it. Tomorrow is another day, after all.

Make it fun – for both of you. Remember when you were in school? Which teachers did you like best? They were probably the ones who made learning a game. Your ferret is no different. Make the learning process fun for your ferret by offering treats and by taking time out for play time together. You’re likely to find you are having more fun teaching your ferret.

If you are having trouble with any aspect of training, don’t go it alone. Look for expert help wherever you can find it. There are plenty of ferret websites that offer great tips. Your veterinarian will also have many resources, as will ferret organizations, pet stores, and animal-rescue groups. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel.

We hope it’s obvious that you should never resort to abusing your ferret when you are training it. It’s never right to give more than a firm-but-very-gentle swat on the behind. It’s never right to withhold food, water, or medicines or to confine your ferret to a cage for lengthy periods as punishment.

Leash Training
Taking your ferret for a walk is fun. Your ferret will have fun exploring the great outdoors, and you’ll get a chance to meet new people who are curious about your fuzzy. First, though, you’ll need to get your ferret used to wearing a harness.

To do so, have your ferret come to you and sit on your lap while you get the harness on. Harnesses and leashes are available at most pet-supply stores. You may need to try several styles to find the right one for your ferret, but generally leather collars and H-style harnesses work the best for ferrets. Plastic ones can be chewed through too easily, and stretchy ones can quickly become misshapen and useless.

At first, the ferret may balk at wearing such an ungainly contraption, but if you offer a favorite toy or treat when it’s wearing the harness, it will soon become second nature.

Once the ferret seems accustomed to the harness, you can attach the leash. Hold on to the leash and walk a few steps forward. Offer the treat and let the ferret come to you.  Walk a few more steps and offer another treat. Keep this up, and your ferret will soon be very eager for a daily walk (or run).

Never leave your ferret harnessed, leashed, or tied to a pole untended. It will try to escape and could be an easy mark for predators.

Don’t let the leash get tangled in tall grass, shrubs, or other obstacles.

If your ferret gets away from you, do your best to find it quickly. Ferrets have been domesticated for so long they could not survive long in the wild on their own.

Getting Started with Pet Ferrets is a book designed to aid new ferret owners with the basics of ferret care and ferret training.

I have watched The Lord of the Rings at least a thousand times, and I never noticed it. There is a ferret in The Fellowship of the Ring. You get to see the little fuzzy (actually, only its head) for just a couple of seconds.

It’s at the part where Frodo, Sam, Pippin, and Merry are at the Prancing Pony, when Frodo is talking to the innkeeper about seeing Gandalf. The innkeeper tells Frodo he hasn’t seen Gandalf, and then you see hobbits talking with one another. Right after that, you will see a man with a ferret sticking his head out of the man’s coat, and the man is feeding the ferret something.

Like I said, I have watched that movie a thousand times and never caught that part. That just shows that I need to pay more attention to the movies I watch.

I can tell you that the little fuzzy has no name in the movie.

As I was researching this famous ferret in The Lord of the Rings, I also came across a few more movies with our favorite actors (little fuzzies, of course). Here are some of the famous ferret actors I came across:

• Kindergarten Cop – The fuzzy actor had no name. But he did save Arnold in the movie.
• Beast Master – The famous ferrets’ names in this movie are Podo and Kodo.
• The Golden Compass – The fuzzy’s name in this one is Pan. I think this is a very cute movie.
• Along Came Polly – The famous fuzzy character’s name is Rodolfo.
• Harry Potter – Mad Eye Moody (who is actually Barty Crouch, Jr.) turns Draco Malfoy into a ferret in The Goblet of Fire. Also, at the end of The Deathly Hallows, Part 2, Harry’s and Jenny’s son, Albus, has a ferret in a bird cage.
• Ace Ventura: Pet Detective – I could not find the names of these famous fuzzies, so I assume they were not named.
• The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – As we know now there is a famous ferret in this movie.

These are just a few of the movies that have famous fuzzy actors in them. And again a great big “I’m so sorry for giving the wrong information about the ferret in The Lord of the Rings!”

Ferrets make great pets, but, as we’ve mentioned before, pet ferrets are fairly high-maintenance critters. Part of that maintenance involves frequent vet visits because ferrets are prone to several health issues. It is very important, then, that you choose a vet who is knowledgeable about, experienced in, and equipped for proper ferret care.

Here, for example, is what happened the first time Karen took her fuzzy kids, Rikki and Possum, to the vet.

We called a trusted vet we had used several times before with our dogs and cats and made an appointment. But when we (and Karen’s woozles) arrived at the vet’s office, we didn’t get to see Dr. M. Instead, we saw a young woman who was just six months out of vet school.

Now, she was friendly, easy to talk to, and generally knowledgeable about veterinarian matters, and she was a pleasure to deal with. But she had very little experience with ferrets – which she was up front about. This brand-new vet couldn’t answer many of our questions about ferret health. So Rikki and Possum got a general exam and their vaccinations and no more. We went home to research answers to our questions on ferret care and ferret health on our own.

In Ferrets for Dummies (which we consult often) Kim Schilling emphasizes the need to ask a lot of questions before you choose a vet – and not to just assume they know about ferret care, as we did. Schilling says: “Questions are your best tools. A good, professional veterinarian and staff will recognize your valid concerns and won’t hesitate to answer your questions as completely as possible.”

Schilling recommends that you ask at least a few basic questions before choosing a vet so that you can find out:

• How long the vet has been practicing ferret medicine and how many pet ferrets he or she generally treats in typical day, week, or month
• The vet’s experience with diagnosing and treating common ferret diseases
• Whether the clinic stocks plenty of ferret vaccinations (e.g., USDA-approved rabies vaccine)
• Fees for check-ups, examinations, and vaccinations
• Whether the facility is equipped to house (overnight or even longer) ferrets that may require hospitalization
• The vet’s level of experience in handling both routine surgeries (such as spaying and neutering) and more involved surgeries (such as tumor removal and adrenal-related surgeries)
• What kind of continuing education the vet uses to stay abreast of recent developments in ferret medicine and the latest in surgical techniques

So, choose a vet for you fuzzy kids wisely. You wouldn’t take your other children to just any old doctor, would you?

For more information on ferret health and ferret care, see Getting Started with Pet Ferrets.

I don’t know if this person is house sitting every other weekend or whether there is some other reason why she changes houses. But if it was me, Rikki and Possum would definitely go along with me. It would be a hassle at first, of course. But if you think about it, it really wouldn’t be all that different from taking your human baby with you wherever you go.

So here’s what I would do.

First, I would find a large bag like a diaper bag. Then, I would round up the following items:

• Extra food and water dishes
• A large container for their food
• Plenty of toys
• A couple of hammocks
• GoodBye Odor (which, to me, is almost as important as their food)
• Vitamins
• Various other items that may be needed, such as harnesses and leashes

I would also make sure I had a very large fuzzy-kid carrier to keep Rikki and Possum in while I am mobile. You certainly don’t want anything to happen to your fuzzies while you are driving or otherwise transporting them.

If you have your own vehicle or if someone picks you up in their car, I would suggest purchasing and using a collapsible ferret cage that you can take down and re-assemble in minutes. That way, you’ll have a cage you can easily pack up and transport and which, on arriving, you can keep your ferrets in while sleeping or while they are sleeping. This will keep your woozles safe when you are unable to give them your full attention.

You can find such ferret cages on the Amazon and Marshall sites, as well as in a Doctors Foster and Smith catalogue. Honestly, though, I don’t know much about these cages. The Folding Mansion looks as though it could serve the purpose, but I don’t like the fact that the shelves and ramps are made out of wire. If I got one of these, I would purchase covers for the wire shelves and ramps. If you don’t do this, your ferrets could get a foot caught in the grills or wire, which could lead to a broken leg or even something more serious.

Another possibility is an exercise pen. I would just make sure I had a mat or cover for it. Got to keep our little woozles safe!

So definitely take your babies with you! It may seem like you’re moving every time you go back and forth between houses, but your ferrets are worth the effort.

Our book on ferret care has a section packed with tips on traveling with ferrets.