Ferrets for Dummies - Kim Schilling

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Résumé :

Kim Schilling is the founder of Animals for Awareness, a non-profit USDA licensed sanctuary dedicated to the needs of exotic and wild animals. When she discovered domesticated ferrets some 30 years ago, she never looked back. Kim wrote both previous editions of this book and has shared her home with as many as 20 ferrets at once....

Biographie:

Introduction 1

About This Book 2

Foolish Assumptions 2

Icons Used in This Book 3

Beyond the Book 4

Where to Go from Here 4

Part 1: Is a Ferret Right for You? 5

Chapter 1: What You Need to Know About Ferrets 7

First Question: What Is a Ferret? 8

Giving the Ferret a Physical: Examining Fuzzy Characteristics 9

Looking at the life span of a fuzzy 10

In this corner, weighing in at 11

Getting to the point about claws and teeth 12

Making sense of senses 12

Exercise and Time Considerations - Yours and Your Fuzzy's 13

Taking a Whiff of the Odor Factor 14

To descent or not to descent? 14

Controlling your fuzzy's odor 15

Getting the Dish on Financial Matters 16

Extreme Cage Makeover: Providing the Space They Need 16

Facing the Challenges of Ferret-Proofing Your Home 17

Ferrets and Kids 17

Ferrets and Babies 18

Ferrets and Other Household Pets 18

Leaping over the Legal Hurdles 19

Chapter 2: Understanding What Ferrets Are (And Aren't) 21

Yes, Ferrets Are Domesticated 22

Getting to Know Fuzzies in the Past and Present 24

Ferrets throughout history 24

Ferrets have always had a knack for meeting man's needs 24

Ferrets catching on 25

Spotlighting the Sport of Ferreting 25

Picturing the Physical Appearance of the Domestic Ferret 28

The spectrum of fuzzy colors 28

Fuzzy color patterns 30

Hanging up the question on ferret coat changes and colors 32

Crazy ferret categories 32

Not Just Another Color: The Black-Footed Ferret 35

The one, true North American ferret! 36

Are black-footed ferrets really that different? 36

Habitat (or is that prairie dog?) destruction 37

The Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Plan 38

Chapter 3: Ferrets and the Law: Licensing and Other Issues 43

A License? But He Can't Even Reach the Pedals! 44

Ferret-Free Zones and Why They Exist 44

What's it gonna be? Wild, domestic, or exotic? 46

Feral ferrets in my neighborhood? 46

Should people fear rabies? 47

Knowing the Law and the Consequences of Breaking It 48

Part 2: Finding Your Ferret and Hanging Up the Welcome Hammock 49

Chapter 4: On the Tail of a New Carpet Shark (Um, Ferret) 51

Ferret Shopping 101 52

Are You in the Market for a New or Used Ferret? 53

Starting off with a kit 53

Adopting an older ferret 54

Should You Pre-Order Blue or Pink Bedding (Get a Boy or Girl)? 55

Pitting Altered versus Whole Furballs 55

Boys will be boys 56

Girls will be girls 57

You Want How Many Ferrets? 57

Where to Find Your Ferret 61

Perusing pet shops 61

Picking out private breeders 63

Adopting from a ferret shelter 64

Craigslist and other classified debacles 66

Rescuing the wayward weasel: Stray ferrets 67

Getting a Vet 68

Chapter 5: Home Sweet Home: Preparing Your Ferret's Quarters 69

Setting Up Fuzzy's Cage 70

Size matters: Picking the proper cage 70

Fuzzy blueprints: Making sure the design is right 70

A home within a home: Finding a place inside for the cage 74

A room with a view: Finding a place outside for the cage 76

Making Your Ferret's Bed 78

Setting Your Ferret's Table 79

Serving your ferret's food with a sturdy dish 79

Hydrating your ferret 81

Designing Your Ferret's Bathroom 84

Potty on! Choosing the right litter box for your ferret 84

Picking out the perfect litter 87

Acquiring Accessor...

Sommaire:

Here's how to become a model ferret parent!

Playful, cuddly and intelligent, ferrets are popular pets. But they have some very specific needs, making this guide invaluable as you plan for the care, housing, feeding, and enrichment of that bright-eyed little fuzzy! Here's how to decide whether a ferret is the right addition to your family, as well as an introduction to their many idiosyncrasies. You'll get advice on ferret-proofing your house, everything you need to know about a healthy ferret diet, the best ways to introduce ferrets to other household pets, ferret psychology, and so much more.

Inside...

• Different types of ferrets
• Providing a safe living space
• Potential dangers in your home
• Cleanliness is critical
• Health care and first aid
• Building ferret friendships
• Training tips
• Keeping fuzzy happy & healthy