Ferret News
Pet Ferret Care Tips
and Information
By Mary R. Shefferman & Eric Shefferman - along with Gabby, the ferret
www.ferretnews.com

Ferret News #82: Ferret Toy Stashing, Ferret Treats
October 8, 2004

contact: marymodernferret.com

Cause for Hope in California?

  The other day, we got this e-mail from Jeanne Carley of Californians for Ferret Legalization (CFL):

  Mary's Note: I was very disappointed when I heard that California Governor Schwarzenegger had vetoed SB 89 (the California ferret amnesty bill). At the same time, I was encouraged by his statement that he loves ferrets (you can see the note the governor sent with the veto in FerretNews #81). So maybe the veto really is about SB 89 being to bureaucratic. If that's so, then there is reason to be hopeful that the California ferret legalization issue is not dead.

  We'll pass on information to our readers as we find out more about what people can do to help California in legalizing ferrets.

Stashing Toys

By Bob Church

  Ferrets, as domesticated polecats, evolved a long thin body and high metabolism. This means that they have high energy needs. One behavioral mechanism that evolved in all carnivores to some extent, but in the weasel group in particular, is the instinctual desire to kill all possible prey and store it for future dining.

  There are two things at work here. First, there is an instinctual need to store prey. Depending on the animal, that instinct may be well developed or not. For example, in ferrets and other polecats and weasels, the instinct is very well developed, but in most canids [e.g., dogs], it is not. The second mechanism is the killing of multiple prey, especially in enclosed spaces. All carnivorous animals have this instinct, but it is especially well developed in the Carnivora.

  We have all heard of "the fox in the hen house" or "a wolf in the fold," right? Both refer to those animals' propensity to kill all easily caught prey, regardless of the ability to eat it all. Quite literally, a fox/cat/polecat will kill all the hens in a hen house that are moving (movement seems to trigger the killing reflex). A fox or cat might take a few of the killed hens, but leave the rest to irritate the farmer. The polecat, however, will attempt to take and store as many of the carcasses as possible, or until it is caught and killed because the dummy has fallen asleep in the middle of the carnage.

  Modern ferret behaviorists believe this caching (or storage) behavior of the polecat lives on in the domesticated ferret as toy stashing (the only other explanation is the ferret thinks the toy is a baby ferret, but this idea is discounted by behaviorists because infant caching is mostly a female behavior, but toy stashing is universal). Clearly, the ferret does not consider the toy to be a food item, but still it stores it away carefully. I have found everything from socks to paper balls to toys stuffed inside hidey holes and into corners. I have also found large amounts of food "tidbits," ranging from old chicken bones to stored kibble to (yeech) chunks of chicken. There doesn't seem to be a rhyme or reason to it; each ferret seems to store away what he thinks is important. But, I have noticed, of the stored toys, those with a woolly texture seem to be stored away most often.

  A ferret will fool you. I have often noticed that my little beasts will run over for a treat, take off, then return for another. The little sneaks are storing away the treats, not eating them! But the plan sometimes backfires when another ferret finds the stash and eats it instead of fighting the crowd for his own treat. Mickey Moose loves chicken bones, and will store them all carefully away as long as you keep handing them out. Once the supply dries up, he is off to hours of crunching in the middle of his stash. Sam Luc, being so much smaller than the other guys, has a hard time competing for chicken bones, but knows where Mickey Moose hides them. He just waits until the coast is clear, then steals whatever he wants.

  You have to be careful about this behavior; the danger of the ferrets stashing food is that it can get smelly and yeechy and bacteria can be fruitful and multiply. My rule is, when it comes to foods that can turn on you, only give as much as the ferrets will eat in your presence. If they take off and return faster than you think they could have eaten something, consider it stored and stop the flow of goodies. Periodically inspect the hidey holes for nasties and remove them regardless of how many complaints the ferrets give you in writing.

  You might notice the occasional ferret which decides your finger or foot is worth stashing away. They will literally try to carry you off by your finger or toe. Some people have suggested they have confused the finger with a baby ferret (the same thing can be said of the toy stashing). but I think they just see a hand as another ferret. When I play with my ferrets, they generally bite my wrist as if it was a neck and orient their bodies as if my hand was a head. I think a lot of the "ferret finger pulling" is simply nothing more than vigorous play behavior (they pull each other around by the neck) or an attempt at toy stashing. But who knows? Maybe they are just trying to hide you for a midnight snack...

  Bob Church has done extensive research on the habits, history, and physical makeup of ferrets and other mustelids while studying zoo-archeology. Bob always has a house full of ferrets and an endless supply of ideas on how to keep them happy and healthy.

  This article originally appeared on the Ferret Mailing List (FML) on April 6, 2000. Used with permission.

Did You Know That ...

  Ferrets and other animals often like foods that aren't good for them. Take dogs and chocolate, for example. Many dogs love chocolate, even though chocolate is deadly to dogs (the theobromine in chocolate can kill a dog). It's a common misconception that domesticated animals instinctively know what is and is not good for them. Unfortunately, they don't.

  Many ferrets like to eat fruits and vegetables, even though these food items can cause gastric upset, blockage, or even death. Ferrets are just not built to eat fruits and vegetables. Of course that doesn't stop them from liking them or trying to steal them from you.

  The general rule is that an occasional taste of soft fruits, melons, and vegetables (e.g., banana, cantaloupe, cooked peas) is all right. Whenever there is any doubt, it's best to keep fruits and vegetables away from ferrets. The best course is to get your ferret used to high-protein treats like cooked meats when he or she is young.

  It can be very difficult to deny our pets any treat they want; but, like children, they are dependent upon us to make the best choices for them.

  Thanks for reading FerretNews #82!

  If you haven't already read our article on Ferret Halloween Safety, take a few moments to read it now.

--Mary, Eric & Gabby (the lone ferret)

  Stay tuned for more. You can always get updates by reading my blog (a blog is an online journal). I keep it sporadically and it usually runs to the more personal stuff. But you might like it. It's at

http://www.modernferretblog.com/mary

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