Ferrets belong to the family Mustelidae and are related to weasels, mink, otters, badgers, stoats and martens. Unlike their relatives, pet ferrets are not wild animals.
It is believed that people first domesticated ferrets so they could help humans catch rabbits and control mice. The word
ferret comes from a Latin word meaning “little thief”. A ferret likes to “steal” things around the house and hide them.
There are currently three living species of ferrets (also known as polecats in Europe and Asia: the European polecat (Mustela putorius), the Steppe or Siberian polecat (Mustela eversmanni) and the black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes).
Ferrets are obligate carnivores, or meat eaters. This means they must eat meat exclusively to survive. Ferrets have claws for digging, as well as sharp, pointed teeth for tearing and butting.
Ferrets have a keen sense of smell and a poor sense of sight – most are nearsighted. Ferrets have long, furry bodies like other members of the weasel family. All ferrets are small, rounded ears that are close to the head and long, thin tails.
Ferrets
