Ferrets are furry, friendly and very active

heloise

Dear Heloise: You mentioned in a past column that you once owned ferrets. I am thinking of getting one (or two) for my children. Can you tell me any ferret facts that I should know before I go to the pet store? Maria, via e-mail

Ferrets are so sweet! My first advice is to do your research. Ferrets can live eight to 10 years with good health, but they get into lots of mischief, so they must be cared for diligently.

They are very social critters, so many experts suggest getting them in pairs. They will chatter to each other and their human family.

Note: Males are twice as large as females, which weigh about 2 pounds.

Ferrets are weasels; owning one is not like owning a cat. They eat kitten food or dry ferret food. Feed them fruit and sweet vegetables as treats. Never feed ferrets breads, nuts, grains or dairy products. A good ferret breeder will spay or neuter and de-scent the babies before selling them to you. (Even after de-scenting, most ferrets still have a distinct odor.)

You will need to “ferret-proof” your house, as they are very hyperactive — especially just before sunrise and sunset; but they do sleep 18-20 hours a day. They chew, like other small animals, so guard power cords!

Kids and ferrets can be excellent companions, but any animal can be nippy, so proper socialization is important. Here are some tips to remember when you bring a ferret home.

Ferrets:

UNeed their nails clipped regularly. (Ferrets have a “quick” that bleeds if you cut too short.)

UNeed annual vaccines and veterinary care.

UShould be spayed or neutered before reaching sexual maturity; otherwise, males can turn feral, and females can die due to anemia.

UAre easily litter-box trained.

UDon’t make loud noises.

UDo not need a large cage, but should be allowed out every day for exercise and mental stimulation.

We enjoyed our little rascals, Fanny Farkle Ferret and Fred the Albino. They were just delightful little bundles of energy and fun, but they did take care to keep them healthy. Heloise

Dear Readers: Virginia Ottaviano of Neptune City, N.J., sent a photo of her beagle, Freckles, lying on the chaise longue outside in cooler weather. Virginia says, “He takes his blanket and pillow wherever he sleeps, and he loves to be covered.”

To see Freckles, visit www.Heloise.com. Heloise

Dear Heloise: Here is a timesaving hint for you and your readers. I have five cats, so I go through a lot of cat food and have lots of empty cat-food cans. I rinse them out before putting them in the kitchen trash can so the bag won’t smell. We have pickup only once a week! Polly M. from Monroe, La.

Polly, we have Maow-Maow, our office cat, and we rinse out his food cans and put them out to be recycled. Heloise

SBlt Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.

King Features Syndicate