| It was the middle of the night when I | | | | years. Friendly, furry and forever |
| heard noises in the kitchen, something | | | | curious, they can make ideal pets, but |
| or someone was moving around and my | | | | just like a dog, you'll need to make a |
| wife's worried expression said... it was | | | | commitment and have patience with your |
| my duty to check it out. I crept in | | | | albino ferret. Whether you choose an |
| quietly, not knowing whether I'd find a | | | | adult ferret (there are many in shelters |
| burglar or a large rat, neither a | | | | needing a home) or a baby (called a kit) |
| comforting thought at 2am. Flicking on | | | | with a cute cuddly face, you can expect |
| the light I jumped into the room | | | | them to live (if properly cared for) |
| shouting... "Arghhh"! The noise | | | | about 7 to 8 years becoming part of the |
| stopped, but the room was empty. I | | | | family. |
| stood in my PJs wondering if we'd | | | | My daughter's ferret is albino with pure |
| imagined the noise. | | | | white fur and pink eyes; this isn't a |
| It was only a moment before the noise | | | | defect, simply the genetic makeup. All |
| began again; it seemed to be coming from | | | | baby ferrets (kits) have white fur at |
| a drawer near the kitchen counter. | | | | birth with their respective coloring |
| Having no idea what I'd find I eased | | | | showing as they approach 4 weeks, |
| open the drawer, prepared to give | | | | albinos remaining pure white and sables |
| whatever was inside a good whack. A | | | | gradually adopting their adult coloring. |
| furry twitching nose and two pink eyes | | | | The albino gene is recessive, so |
| brought a smile, easing any fears; it | | | | breeding an albino and a sable will |
| was my daughter's albino ferret. | | | | never produce a white ferret with dark |
| Casper, my daughter's name for her | | | | eyes. Males, called hobs, will grow to |
| albino ferret friend, was busy living up | | | | an average of 17 to 24 inches weighing |
| to his scientific name, Mustela putorius | | | | about 3 to 5 pounds. Females, called |
| furo which translates loosely to "stinky | | | | jills, average 12 to 16 inches and weigh |
| little thief". | | | | approximately 1 to 3 pounds. |
| HISTORY FACTOID: Mustela putorius furo | | | | Extremely agile (more so than any cat) |
| is the scientific name for the | | | | they were historically used to follow |
| domesticated ferret. Other family | | | | rodents into smaller holes and protect |
| members include weasels, minks, otters, | | | | stores of grain. Most likely they |
| badgers, wolverines, and skunks. Certain | | | | migrated to America aboard colonist's |
| Egyptian tombs display pictures of | | | | ships, earning their keep on rat patrol. |
| ferret-like creatures on leashes. It is | | | | In later years (and occasionally still |
| believed their domestication may precede | | | | today) you'll find them in remote dairy |
| both cats and dogs and that they were | | | | barns keeping rodents at bay. |
| carried to Britain approximately 2000 | | | | FACTOID: Electrical contractors have |
| years ago with the Romans who used them | | | | been known to use ferrets to pull |
| to drive away rats and find rabbits, | | | | electric and telephone wires through |
| which they used for food. | | | | ducts too small for conventional |
| While there are wild cats roaming the | | | | methods. |
| streets, foraging for food and fending | | | | Your friendly ferret, either albino or |
| off attackers, ferrets can't survive | | | | sable, will gives you hours of |
| without human involvement having been | | | | entertainment and years of love and |
| bred for domestication for thousands of | | | | affection. |