Decorative ferret, more famous breeders called Far or Furo, is a domesticated species of steppe ferret. In recent years, it has become fashionable to keep it in the apartment, this is not surprising - with the knowledge of some subtleties, care for such a pet does not represent any problems.
Description
Freta is a pretty yurt mammal, a distinctive feature of which is the oblong torso and a long fluffy tail. The name "Fretka" came to us from the Polish language, it was in this country for the first time cell ferrets were replaced. In European countries, another designation is adopted - Ferret.
Ferreers are predatory animals from the Kunih family. Their elongated body reaches 40 cm long in females and 50 cm in males. The nipples at the animal are short, but at the same time very strong and hardy. Due to the developed muscles in the limbs of the ferret easily moves from one tree to another and digging deep holes. It enjoys greatly popular with breeders thanks to a large fluffy tail, the length of which is 20-25 cm. The mass depending on the species varies from 0.25 to 2 kg.
In natural conditions, animals are common in Russia, the Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, as well as in America and Central Asia. Separate types of ferrets were also delivered even to Australia and New Zealand to combat rodent rapidly increasing population.
These are fearless and bold animals who are bravely rushing at snakes, moles, ondatra, although all these animals are often much more and stronger. In the previous years, ferrets often took her hunt - due to their agility, the animals quickly coped with smaller animals.
Thanks to its cute sight and friendly nature, the animal has been divorced for a long decade as an exotic pet. Domesticated ferrets took quite a lot from their wild ancestors, primarily their appearance, character, habits and painting. Despite the fact that Freki is pets, they prefer to lead nightlife. In the daytime, ferret loves to sleep, and closer to night awaken and begins to wait.
Future owners must be prepared for such a feature of the animal.
In the natural habitat of ferrets dig deep holes, the same habits inherited their home species. If you have a lot of indoor potted plants in your house, then, most likely, your pet does not premone take advantage of the opportunity to rely on all pots with plants.
Fourings have a pretty flexible body, so they can penetrate even very narrow slits, but they often get out of there - it may be a threat to the life of a pet, therefore, it is better to contain a fruit in captivity in a rather spacious aviary without the possibility of self-digging in your absence.
The following popular groceries are distinguished.
- Sobolina - This is the most common animal suit. Usually tailings and limbs are painted in dark tones, the torso is lighter, beige. A distinctive feature of such animals is black circles near the eyes.
- Champagne - This color is formed by a combination of tones of milk and light chocolate. Their eyes usually have a shade of a grenade, and the nose-pink spout. It is these ferrets that are most often grown at home.
- Pastel - It is allowed here at once a lot of shades - from light to dark color, but the main tone is still white. Nose brown or pink, dark coffee eyes, almost black. In the wild, such ferrets are widespread, but they are quite rare in captivity.
- White - These ferrets resemble their views of animal albinos, but only the color of the wool. Such animals usually suffer deafness, but the cost of them is much higher than all other varieties, which, however, does not affect the popularity of animals such a suit among breeders.
- "Cinnamon" - Another common fervor variety for home breeding, a brownish in this case, but closer to the tail the wool darkens. Eyes are usually dark burgundy, but they can be brown-pink.
- Silver - This animal is characterized by beige wool with delicate overflows of grayish shades. Color is very rare, so such animals are highly appreciated among experienced breeders.
- Panda - One of the most exotic varieties. Such ferrets appear outwardly remind of large pandas: they have a white torso, dark paws and almost black tail.
Ferreers are very active and inquisitive, and, as a rule, friendly, but at the time of puberty (about six months) and during the Ghon period, they begin to deteriorate.
At this moment, animals become a source of sharp unpleasant odor, therefore males are castrated, and females sterilize.
If there are already other pets in the house, the ferret will certainly become the leader in their relationship. These are rodents with high intelligence and commander sacks. The best ferrets are in contact with dogs, especially guardian rocks. Often they become the most real friends and communicate perfectly with each other.
But with "pocket" dogs, the interaction is much more complicated - the fact is that these animals are easily excited, because ferrets use this and often offend them. But the acquaintance with hunting dogs can end for the freak, they can perceive it as prey and even kill.
Between the ferrets and cats, the relationship may be the most unpredictable way - there may be a big friendship here, and absolute indifference and aggression.
Relationships Fergues with rodents and feathers are pretty risky - in the wild, such animals become ferret, so it is better to keep the cells in an inaccessible place at home.
No need to start ferrets in families with young children - the fact is that fluffy pets are very sharp teeth and claws and they are able to harm the baby. Children often take new pets like new toys, and if dogs with cats can stand out for such actions, then ferrets will definitely respond to aggression and anger.
If your children have grown a little, then this unusual pet will not represent absolutely no danger for households - In comfortable conditions, it is not more dangerous to the ordinary cat.
Advantages and disadvantages
The content of ferrets has a lot of advantages.
- These pets are very quickly involved in the tray, and the entire care is reduced only to periodic cleaning of the cell and washing the litters.
- During communication with a man, ferret quickly learn his name, assimilates such concepts as "well" and "bad."
- The tamed animals are very familiar with children and adults - they are pretty soft and very playful. Ferrants are very original in their entertainment - during playing he is bizarrely jump and adore rustling bags, in the summer they are tumbling in the dug holes, and in the winter it makes tunnels in the snow.
- Ferreers are adapted to a variety of conditions, they can walk with any weather and can be divorced in different climatic zones.
- An animal is extremely unpretentious in food - they can be powered by both specialized feeds, and get food from a common table.
Since it is about responsibility for the animal, before you buy a new pet, we should weigh all the pros and cons.
Despite the abundance of pros The owners of such an animal face many difficulties that you need to know in advance.
Keep in mind that this is a very sociable and communicable animal that requires constant attention from its owner. To maintain sincere comfort and stable mental state, an animal requires At least 3 hours of communication with the owner per day.
Think over advance whether you have enough time. If you feel about the category of employed workaholics who are not able to once again sit at the TV or chat with friends, then all you can give a little animal is to pour food and clean the cage. So people are more suitable turtle or fish.
It is very important to be patient - this is an animal, the energy of which literally beats through the edge, for him is characterized by Squidness and irrepressible thirst for . To spoil things can any animal - for example, the dog nibbles sneakers, and the cat loves to sharpen claws about the furniture, the ferret does it all right away. You must be morally and logically ready for damage, which the animal can apply plants, furniture, toys and wallpaper.
It is important to understand that the calf content - the pleasure is not at all cheap. Buying such a pet flies in a penny - the cost of the animal on the market is estimated from 2 to 20 thousand. You will also have to equip a comfortable aviary for him, the price of which comes to 15,000 rubles. In addition, you will have to purchase a feeder and cream, a variety of toys, hammock, sun beds, a house. You will need to carry for visits to the veterinarian, leash and brazetchka - this is still plus a few thousand to the waste for the arrangement of the dwelling of the pet.
An animal required Full balanced nutrition, vitamin and mineral supplements that contribute to full growth and development. Do not forget to include such expenses such as a veter inspection every six months and vaccinations.
In case of a disease, the average treatment check is about 20,000 rubles.
Obviously, ferrets cost their owners quite expensive and you should be ready to be ready for these traits in advance.
Care and content
When creating favorable conditions, Freta in captivity lives 7-9 years old - this is a pretty good term for such a small animal, and for its owner - another reason to think about whether he is ready to take over all responsibility to maintain the comfortable living conditions of the animal in the apartment . Do not forget that we are not at all about a hamster that lives a couple of years and at the same time the bulk of the time spends in the cage.
Features of housing
Ferret sleeps for 13-15 hours a day, most often during the day. This means that at night, all family members will sleep peacefully, and their pet will put the maximum effort to prevent this, wake up their owners and attract them to active games. In order not to give him the opportunity to turn up the bottom of my house, the animal will need a good spacious cell, better than the aviary, the minimum dimensions of which should correspond to 1x1x0.7 m.
To make a pet, it is not boring, in a cage you need to hang a few hammocks, in which Fretka will spend its all free time. If you have a big house or a spacious apartment, it is better to build something like a zoo chamber - in this case the ferret will be quite sufficient such space and the need for a walking of a pet will completely disappear. In such structures, it will be worth it to suspend stairs and ropes.
A small coneer should be foreseen in the dwelling - usually it is collected from undergraduated funds, paying special attention to the safety of the house for fluffy. Inside, be sure to lay the litter from old, warm and very soft canvases, for example, from wool and terry. Feeders and drinkers are better to buy small and even durable. It is advisable to use suspension structures, otherwise the active animal can simply turn them over.
Ferrecks love fries and rustling toys, balls, tissue cuts, teethers for teeth and many other entertainment devices.
As a toilet, you can use the most ordinary tray, as for cats, and as fillers take sawdust or pressed mixtures.
Nutrition
The duration and quality of pet life directly depends on its power. In the natural habitat of ferrets eaten birds, insects and small rodents. At home, adhere to such a regime is hardly possible, so breeders translate their pets on finished feed.
It should be noted that specialized feeds for them do not exist, but cats for this are quite suitable.
4 major types of feed - economy, middle class, as well as premium and professional mixtures are distinguished. The first two categories refer to the most budget - for froths to use it undesirable, it is better to purchase more expensive products that contain all the necessary vitamins, micro- and macroelements. Also there are fewer fats in them, thanks to which they are much better absorbed by the stomachs of fluffy pets. Preference is worth paying dry mixtures - firstly, they do not smell, secondly, contribute to high-quality cleaning of teeth from plaque and stone.
If you wish, you can feed animal natural food, most of the diet in this case should be meat, it is chopped into small pieces or grinding on a meat grinder. Such food gives the choir twice a day, and about once every 7-10 days complement this mixture with marine fish and chicken eggs. By the way, such feeding costs no cheaper purchase of ready-made mixtures.
Hygiene
Bathing ferret is too often no need - quite enough pair-troika once a year, while shampoos should be special, harmless to animals. Casual cleaning of fur is carried out using napkins and sprays - they can be purchased in any pet store.
We should not forget the toilet for animals. The fact that the urine of pets contains a lot of ammonia, therefore, has an unpleasant pungent smell. To prevent it from spreading throughout the house, the tray should be updated on a daily basis.
It requires special care in animal moulting . Usually it comes in March - then takes off pet long hair and is a shorter, more sparse hairs. The second molt is October and beginning of November - in this moment, the hamster is preparing for the winter and forms a thick coat with a dense undercoat. Shortly before the beginning of molting animal usually starts very itchy, itching often bothers the animal even during sleep. In such circumstances, he would not be able to sleep until he gets rid of unpleasant sensations.
This period usually lasts no more than 1.5-2 weeks, but causes inconvenience by mass as pets and their owners. Breeders are very frightened when they notice in their favorite blue spots of small size - but even if it does not scare anyone, so ferrets "paves the way" new fur. During this period the animal needs vitamins, then the change will take place for the pet's coat is much easier.
you can give your rodent antihistamine if necessary.
Breeding
Breeding ferrets usually begins with the proper selection of animals. It is best to prepare for mating the largest individuals without symptoms of the disease. Animal better to take from different nurseries and different families - mating between relatives gives the adverse effects and the young are born weak and sick.
Females ferrets are able to give birth to a few times a year, with no framework defining a specific period of hunting, do not exist. During breeding time the female becomes quite aggressive, often begins to pace the cage - it is at this point you need to plant it to an adult male, the rest of the animals have already been made without the participation of their owners.
The female bears cubs about 40-42 days. As we approach the birth of their mammary glands swell and begin to grow in size. Typically, each female bears 3-10 pups.
During pregnancy, you should pay special attention to the quality of feed and increase the portion of 2-2.5 times in the fourth week.
Births are easy and do not require human intervention - wild genes allow the female to cope with everything alone. However, if they last for more than 12 hours, or followed by separation of the sharp odor - should immediately contact your veterinarian, otherwise a high risk of death of the mother and her pups.
In the first month, young people are on breastfeeding. If you feed a new mother in sufficient volume, she can cope with the feeding of all its 10 young. A month later, you can gradually translate it into special feed or finely crushed "Naturalka".
If you do not plan to engage in fervent breeding, then the female is better sterilized - At the time of the hunt, it is extremely aggressive and if he cannot get a male, it will soon cease to drink and eat, flows into apathy. This is accompanied by the loss of wool, sometimes even before alopecia.
Males not intended for breeded breeding, castrate . If this is not done, they will begin to mark everything and the tenants will have to face such a problem as unpleasant flavors in their own house, which are quite difficult to get rid of.
Diseases
From nature, ferrets have a strong immunity, but, nevertheless, they are subject to some diseases.
Among infectious diseases are the greatest danger Plague and rabies from which there is no medicine and the affected animal dies, so in childhood kittens should be put Vaccinations.
Not less complex pathology is the viral plasmocytosis. This disease affects the central nervous system, and there is no vaccine from this ailment.
Unfinable diseases include the following.
- rickets - Most often with such a problem, young animals are facing, which do not receive balanced nutrition;
- Avitaminosis and hypovitaminosis - Another problem due to errors in the animal feeding system;
- Aplastic anemia - Usually manifests itself in females during estrus in the absence of mating;
- gastroenteritis- With such a problem, ferrets face if there is too much vegetable food in the feed;
- stones in the kidneys - Another consequence of re-securing the vegetable component in the feed;
- Constant cardiomyopathy - pathology of the cardiovascular system caused by a lack of taurine in the body;
- Prank ulcer - becomes a consequence of stress and errors in nutrition;
- Urocystit - occurs as a result of the hypother of the animal;
- Cataract - Most often with her old or previously injured pets;
- Kista Prostata - With this ailment face castrated males, whose age exceeds 2 years;
- Tumor processes , including oncological.
Often, animals suffer from parasites from infection:
- Ear pings - transmitted from one patient pet to another, for people they are not contagious;
- fleas - Most often, human lice are attacked on the fruit, as well as cat or dog fleas.
Reviews
Breeders testify that ferrets are kind, but excessively active pets. It is best to acquire them at the age of 2-3 months. During this time, they are completely moving to adult food, and in addition, the mother tears them to the main skills of survival. It greatly facilitates them adaptation in a new place.
When buying an animal, special attention should be paid to its appearance - Wool should be smooth, plump, undesirably appearance proper. The nose must be wet, and the eyes are clean. The animal should be in the measure of fasten and quite active.
People who do not have much experience in pet care are best to take a female house. The difference is that girls are more obedient and dirty, much smarter and intellectual males. The feedback feeders emphasize that the ladies of the ferret are rapidly getting used to the new home, they are taught to the tray and in a short time they study a new territory.
Homemade female chests can become a true friend, cheerful and very smart.
These animals are big fidgets, they are in constant movement, they are literally the word you need to shove your nose into each gap, try everything and try to try your foot.
The males are more impulsed, power, they are calmer and tightly tied to their owner.
The male is more attracted by the owner's person than the territory, so they will often spinning around you, but do not be too happy - the ferrek boys rarely go to hands, allowing such an appeal quite rarely and then for the mood.
For the features of the care and content of home ferrous, see the following video.