View source for Ferret

{{Short description|Domestic species of mammal}}
{{About|the domesticated ferret|the endangered North American species|black-footed ferret|other uses}}
{{Pp-semi-indef}}
{{Speciesbox
|name=Ferret
|image=Ferret_2008.png
|image_caption=A pet ferret
|status = DOM
|parent=Putorius
|genus=Mustela
|species=furo
|authority=[[Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]]
|synonyms=''Mustela putorius furo'' <small>Linnaeus, 1758</small>
}}

The '''ferret''' ('''''Mustela furo''''') is a small, [[domesticated]] species belonging to the family [[Mustelidae]]. The ferret is most likely a domesticated form of the wild [[European polecat]] (''Mustela putorius''), as evidenced by the ferret's ability to interbreed with European polecats and produce [[Hybrid (biology)|hybrid]] offspring. Physically, ferrets resemble other mustelids because of their long, slender bodies. Including their [[tail]], the average length of a ferret is about {{cvt|50|cm}}; they weigh between {{cvt|0.7|and|2.0|kg}}; and their fur can be black, brown, white, or a mixture of those colours. The species is [[sexually dimorphic]], with males being considerably larger than females.

Ferrets may have been domesticated since [[ancient times]], but there is widespread disagreement because of the sparseness of written accounts and the inconsistency of those which survive. Contemporary scholarship agrees that ferrets were bred for sport, hunting [[rabbit]]s in a practice known as [[rabbiting]]. In [[North America]], the ferret has become an increasingly prominent choice of household [[pet]], with over five million in the [[United States]] alone. The legality of ferret ownership varies by location. In [[New Zealand]] and some other countries, restrictions apply due to the damage done to native fauna by [[feral]] colonies of [[polecat–ferret hybrid]]s. The ferret has also served as a fruitful research animal, contributing to research in [[neuroscience]] and [[infectious]] disease, especially [[influenza]].

The domestic ferret is often confused with the [[black-footed ferret]] (''Mustela nigripes''), a species native to North America.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Fox|first1=James G.|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/863695703|title=Biology and Diseases of the Ferret|last2=Marini|first2=Robert P.|date=2014|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-1-118-78273-6|edition=3rd|location=Ames, Iowa|pages=5|oclc=863695703|access-date=2021-12-31|archive-date=2022-01-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220105232948/https://www.worldcat.org/title/biology-and-diseases-of-the-ferret/oclc/863695703|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Etymology==
The name ''ferret'' is derived from the Latin {{Lang|la|furittus}}, meaning {{gloss|little thief}}, a likely reference to the common ferret penchant for secreting away small items.<ref>[http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ferret ferret] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090424030339/http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ferret |date=2009-04-24 }}. Merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2012-02-28.</ref> In [[Old English]] (Anglo-Saxon), the animal was called {{Lang|ang|mearþ}}. The word {{Lang|enm|fyret}} seems to appear in [[Middle English]] in the 14th century from the Latin, with the modern spelling of ''ferret'' by the 16th century.<ref name="Thomson"/>

The Greek word {{linktext|ἴκτις}} ''íktis'', Latinized as {{Lang|la|ictis}} occurs in a play written by [[Aristophanes]], ''[[The Acharnians]]'', in 425&nbsp;BC. Whether this was a reference to ferrets, polecats, or the similar [[Egyptian mongoose]] is uncertain.<ref name=Thomson/>

A male ferret is called a hob; a female ferret is a jill. A [[Neutering|spayed]] female is a sprite, a neutered male is a gib, and a vasectomised male is known as a hoblet. Ferrets under one year old are known as kits. A group of ferrets is known as a "business",<ref>{{cite book |author1=Schilling, Kim |author2=Brown, Susan |title=Ferrets For Dummies |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B81UEcbj28gC&pg=PT125 |year=2011 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-1-118-05154-2 |pages=125– |access-date=2016-07-29 |archive-date=2014-06-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140627140737/http://books.google.com/books?id=B81UEcbj28gC&pg=PT125 |url-status=live }}</ref> or historically as a "busyness". Other purported collective nouns, including "besyness", "fesynes", "fesnyng" and "feamyng", appear in some dictionaries, but are almost certainly [[ghost word]]s.<ref name="borgmann">{{cite book|title=Beyond Language: Adventures in Word and Thought|author-link=Dmitri Borgmann|first=Dmitri A.|last=Borgmann|location=New York|publisher=Charles Scribner's Sons|oclc=655067975|year=1967|pages=79–80, 146, 251–254|title-link=Beyond Language: Adventures in Word and Thought}}</ref>

==Biology==
[[File:Ferret skull. Mustela putorius furo.jpg|thumb|Skull of a ferret]]

===Characteristics===
[[File:Mustela putorius furo profile.JPG|thumb|Ferret profile]]
Ferrets have a typical mustelid body-shape, being long and slender. Their average length is about {{cvt|50|cm}} including a {{cvt|13|cm}} tail. Their [[pelage]] has various colorations including brown, black, white or mixed. They weigh between {{cvt|0.7|and|2.0|kg}} and are [[sexually dimorphic]] as the males are substantially larger than females. The average [[gestation]] period is 42 days and females may have two or three [[Litter (zoology)|litters]] each year. The litter size is usually between three and seven kits which are weaned after three to six weeks and become independent at three months. They become sexually mature at approximately 6 months and the average life span is 7 to 10 years.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://njvma.org/all-about-ferrets/ |publisher=New Jersey Veterinary Medical Association |title=All about ferrets |access-date=January 15, 2015 |archive-date=March 30, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330121138/https://njvma.org/all-about-ferrets/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.elmwoodparkzoo.org/animal-domestic-ferret.php |access-date=January 15, 2015 |title=Domestic ferret |publisher=Elmwood Park Zoo |archive-date=March 3, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150303072928/http://www.elmwoodparkzoo.org/animal-domestic-ferret.php |url-status=live }}</ref> Ferrets are [[induced ovulation (animals)|induced ovulators]]<ref>Carroll, R. S., et al. "[https://academic.oup.com/biolreprod/article-pdf/32/4/925/10543529/biolreprod0925.pdf Coital stimuli controlling luteinizing hormone secretion and ovulation in the female ferret] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211231220312/https://academic.oup.com/biolreprod/article-pdf/32/4/925/10543529/biolreprod0925.pdf |date=2021-12-31 }}." Biology of reproduction 32.4 (1985): 925-933.</ref> and can [[Copulation (zoology)|copulate]] for longer than one hour.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Fox |first1=James G. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kuSdEAAAQBAJ&dq=ferret+copulation&pg=PA197 |title=Biology and Diseases of the Ferret |last2=Marini |first2=Robert P. |date=2014-06-03 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-0-470-96045-5 |language=en}}</ref>

===Behavior===
<!-- Do not add information on keeping ferrets as it will be deleted; Wikipedia is not a "how to" manual&nbsp;– see talk page-->
Ferrets spend 14–18 hours a day asleep and are most active around the hours of dawn and dusk, meaning they are [[crepuscular]].<ref name="Anon">{{cite web|url=http://www.pethealthinfo.org.uk/ferrets/|title=Ferrets|publisher=Pet Health Information|access-date=29 January 2010|archive-date=3 February 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100203230129/http://pethealthinfo.org.uk/ferrets/|url-status=dead}}</ref> If they are caged, they should be taken out daily to exercise and satisfy their curiosity; they need at least an hour and a place to play.{{citation needed|date=June 2025}} Unlike their polecat ancestors, which are solitary animals, most ferrets will live happily in social groups. They are territorial, like to burrow, and prefer to sleep in an enclosed area.<ref name="Brown">{{cite web|url=http://www.weaselwords.com/page/ferret_art036.php|title=Inherited behavior traits of the domesticated ferret|last=Brown|first=Susan, A|date=17 January 2010|website=Weaselwords.com|access-date=29 January 2010|archive-date=4 October 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091004091445/http://www.weaselwords.com/page/ferret_art036.php|url-status=live}}</ref>

Like many other mustelids, ferrets have scent glands near their anus, the secretions from which are used in [[Spraying (animal behavior)|scent marking]]. Ferrets can recognize individuals from these anal gland secretions, as well as the sex of unfamiliar individuals.<ref name="Clapperton1988">{{cite journal |vauthors=Clapperton BK, Minot EO, Crump DR |title=An Olfactory Recognition System in the Ferret Mustela furo L. (Carnivora: Mustelidae) |journal=Animal Behaviour |volume=36 |issue=2 |pages=541–553 |date=April 1988 |doi=10.1016/S0003-3472(88)80025-3|s2cid=53197938 }}</ref> Ferrets may also use urine marking for [[mating]] and individual recognition.<ref name="Zhang2005">{{cite journal |vauthors=Zhang JX, Soini HA, Bruce KE, Wiesler D, Woodley SK, Baum MJ, Novotny MV |title=Putative Chemosignals of the Ferret (Mustela furo) Associated with Individual and Gender Recognition |journal=Chemical Senses |volume=30 |pages=727–737 |date=November 2005 |doi=10.1093/chemse/bji065 |id=Online |pmid=16221798 |issue=9|doi-access=free }}</ref>

As with [[skunks]], ferrets can release their [[anal gland]] secretions when startled or scared, but the smell is much less potent and dissipates rapidly. Most pet ferrets in the US are sold descented (with the anal glands removed).<ref>{{cite book|last1=Mitchell|first1=Mark A.|last2=Tully|first2=Thomas N.|title=Manual of exotic pet practice|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JMTUKwzPEvwC&pg=PA372|year=2009|publisher=Elsevier Health Sciences|isbn=978-1-4160-0119-5|page=372|access-date=2016-07-29|archive-date=2014-01-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140112053059/http://books.google.com/books?id=JMTUKwzPEvwC&pg=PA372|url-status=live}}</ref> In many other parts of the world, including the UK and other European countries, de-scenting is considered an [[Overview of discretionary invasive procedures on animals|unnecessary mutilation]].

If excited, they may perform a behavior called the "[[weasel war dance]]", characterized by frenzied sideways hops, leaps and bumping into nearby objects. Despite its common name, it is not aggressive but is a joyful invitation to play. It is often accompanied by a unique soft clucking noise, commonly referred to as "dooking".<ref>{{cite book |author1=Schilling, Kim |author2=Brown, Susan |title=Ferrets For Dummies |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B81UEcbj28gC&pg=PT302 |year=2011 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-1-118-05154-2 |page=302 |access-date=2016-07-29 |archive-date=2013-12-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131204025518/http://books.google.com/books?id=B81UEcbj28gC&pg=PT302 |url-status=live }}</ref> When scared, ferrets will hiss; when upset, they squeak softly.<ref>{{cite book|last=Tynes|first=Valerie V.|title=Behavior of Exotic Pets |year=2010 |publisher=Blackwell Pub.|location=Chichester, West Sussex|isbn=978-0-8138-0078-3 |page=234}}</ref>

===Diet===
Ferrets are [[obligate carnivore]]s.{{r|williams1999}} The natural diet of their wild ancestors consisted of whole small prey, including meat, organs, bones, skin, feathers and fur.<ref>[http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=479&S=5 Rethinking The Ferret Diet – Info about species-appropriate diets, and the negative effects of commercially prepared diets, written by a veterinarian] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100722231730/http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=479&S=5 |date=2010-07-22 }}. Veterinarypartner.com. Retrieved 2012-02-28.</ref> Ferrets have short digestive systems and a quick metabolism, so they need to eat frequently. Prepared dry foods consisting almost entirely of meat (including high-grade [[cat food]], although specialized ferret food is increasingly available and preferable)<ref>McLeod, Lianne. [http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/ferrets/a/feedingferrets.htm Feeding Your Ferret] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130413135328/http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/ferrets/a/feedingferrets.htm |date=2013-04-13 }}. exoticpets.about.com</ref> provide the most nutritional value. Some ferret owners feed pre-killed or live prey (such as mice and rabbits) to their ferrets to more closely mimic their natural diet.<ref>{{cite web|title=Feeding Ferrets whole rabbits ?|url=http://www.thehuntinglife.com/forums/topic/191384-feeding-ferrets-whole-rabbits/|work=The Hunting Life|date=20 February 2011 |access-date=6 October 2012|archive-date=14 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121114203459/http://www.thehuntinglife.com/forums/topic/191384-feeding-ferrets-whole-rabbits/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Raw Diets |url=http://www.craftycreatures.com/forferretsonly/ask_angela/rawdiets.html |work=For Ferrets Only |access-date=6 October 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012052641/http://www.craftycreatures.com/forferretsonly/ask_angela/rawdiets.html |archive-date=12 October 2013 }}</ref> Ferret digestive tracts lack a [[cecum]] and the animal is largely unable to digest plant matter.<ref>{{cite web|title=Gastrointestinal Disease in the Ferret|url=http://www.lafebervet.com/small-mammal-medicine-2/ferret/diseases-of-the-ferret-gastrointestinal-tract/|access-date=24 April 2014|archive-date=24 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140424210834/http://www.lafebervet.com/small-mammal-medicine-2/ferret/diseases-of-the-ferret-gastrointestinal-tract/|url-status=live}}</ref> Before much was known about ferret physiology, many breeders and pet stores recommended food like fruit in the ferret diet, but it is now known that such foods are inappropriate, and may in fact have negative consequences for ferret health. Ferrets imprint on their food at around six months old. This can make introducing new foods to an older ferret a challenge, and even simply changing brands of kibble may meet with resistance from a ferret that has never eaten the food as a kit. It is therefore advisable to expose young ferrets to as many different types and flavors of appropriate food as possible.<ref>{{cite web|title=Frequently Asked Questions|url=http://www.ferret.org/read/faq.html|work=American Ferret Association|access-date=24 April 2014|archive-date=11 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140411133532/http://www.ferret.org/read/faq.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Dentition===
[[Image:buffy teeth.jpg|thumb|Ferret dentition]]
Ferrets have four types of [[Tooth|teeth]] (the number includes maxillary (upper) and mandibular (lower) teeth) with a [[dental formula]] of {{DentalFormula|upper=3.1.4.1|lower=3.1.4.2}}:
* Twelve small [[incisor]] teeth (only {{cvt|2|-|3|mm|disp=sqbr|frac=32}} long) located between the canines in the front of the mouth. These are used for grooming.
* Four [[Canine tooth|canines]] used for killing prey.
* Twelve [[premolar]] teeth that the ferret uses to chew food—located at the sides of the mouth, directly behind the canines. The ferret uses these teeth to cut through flesh, using them in a scissors action to cut the meat into digestible chunks.
* Six [[molar (tooth)|molars]] (two on top and four on the bottom) at the far back of the mouth are used to crush food.

===Health===
[[Image:Jake 0314.jpg|thumb|Male ferret]]
Ferrets are known to suffer from several distinct health problems. Among the most common are cancers affecting the [[adrenal glands]], [[pancreas]] and [[Lymphoma in ferrets|lymphatic system]].

Adrenal disease, a growth of the [[adrenal glands]] that can be either [[hyperplasia]] or cancer, is most often diagnosed by signs like unusual hair loss, increased aggression, and difficulty urinating or defecating. Treatment options include surgery to excise the affected glands, [[melatonin]] or deslorelin implants, and hormone therapy. The causes of adrenal disease speculated to include unnatural light cycles, diets based around processed ferret foods, and prepubescent neutering. It has also been suggested that there may be a hereditary component to adrenal disease.<ref>{{cite web
 |last=Johnson-Delaney |first=Cathy A |title=Proceedings of the Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians |publisher=AEMV
 |year=2006 |url=http://www.aemv.org/Documents/2006_AEMV_proceedings_10.pdf |access-date=2007-03-03 |url-status=dead
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070629140225/http://www.aemv.org/Documents/2006_AEMV_proceedings_10.pdf |archive-date=2007-06-29}}</ref>

[[Insulinoma]], a type of cancer of the [[islet cell]]s of the pancreas, is the most common form of cancer in ferrets. It is most common in ferrets between the ages of 4 and 5 years old.<ref name="Bakthavatchalu 2016">{{cite journal|last1=Bakthavatchalu|first1=V|last2=Muthupalani|first2=S|last3=Marini|first3=RP|last4=Fox|first4=JG|title=Endocrinopathy and Aging in Ferrets.|journal=Veterinary Pathology|date=March 2016|volume=53|issue=2|pages=349–65|doi=10.1177/0300985815623621|pmid=26936751|pmc=5397995}}</ref>

[[Lymphoma in animals#Lymphoma in ferrets|Lymphoma]] is the most common [[malignancy]] in ferrets. Ferret lymphosarcoma occurs in two forms—''juvenile lymphosarcoma'', a fast-growing type that affects ferrets younger than two years, and ''adult lymphosarcoma'', a slower-growing form that affects ferrets four to seven years old.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/lymphoma-or-lymphosarcoma-in-ferrets|title=Lymphoma or Lymphosarcoma in Ferrets|website=vca_corporate}}</ref>

[[Viral disease]]s include [[canine distemper]], influenza and ferret systemic coronavirus.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://vetmed.tamu.edu/news/pet-talk/ferret-distemper/|title=Ferret Distemper|date=October 21, 2015|website=CVMBS News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.petmd.com/ferret/conditions/respiratory/c_ft_human_influenza_virus|title=Human Influenza Virus in Ferrets|website=Petmd.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Murray |first=Jerry |date=16 April 2014 |title=What's New With Ferret FIP-like Disease? |url=http://www.smallanimalchannel.com/ferrets/ferret-health/whats-new-with-ferret-fiplike-disease.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140424203951/http://www.smallanimalchannel.com/ferrets/ferret-health/whats-new-with-ferret-fiplike-disease.aspx |archive-date=24 April 2014 |access-date=12 January 2022 |format=xls}}</ref>

A high proportion of ferrets with white markings which form coat patterns known as a blaze, badger, or panda coat, such as a stripe extending from their face down the back of their head to their shoulder blades, or a fully white head, have a congenital deafness (partial or total) which is similar to [[Waardenburg syndrome]] in humans.<ref name="Strain 2015">{{cite journal|last=Strain|first=GM|title=The genetics of deafness in domestic animals|journal=Frontiers in Veterinary Science|date=2015|volume=2|pages=29|doi=10.3389/fvets.2015.00029|pmid=26664958|pmc=4672198|doi-access=free}}</ref> Ferrets without white markings, but with premature graying of the coat, are also more likely to have some deafness than ferrets with solid coat colors which do not show this trait.<ref name="Piazza 2014">{{cite journal|last1=Piazza|first1=S|last2=Abitbol|first2=M|last3=Gnirs|first3=K|last4=Huynh|first4=M|last5=Cauzinille|first5=L|title=Prevalence of deafness and association with coat variations in client-owned ferrets|journal=Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association|date=1 May 2014|volume=244|issue=9|pages=1047–52|doi=10.2460/javma.244.9.1047|pmid=24739114|doi-access=free}}</ref> Most [[albino]] ferrets are not deaf; if deafness does occur in an albino ferret, this may be due to an underlying white coat pattern which is obscured by the albinism.<ref name="Strain 2015"/>

Health problems can occur in unspayed females when not being used for breeding.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://weaselwords.com/ferret-articles/an-owners-guide-to-ferret-health-care/|title=An Owners Guide to Ferret Health Care|last=Van Dahm|first=Mary|website=WeaselWords.com|date=16 January 2010|access-date=1 September 2013|archive-date=22 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222015914/http://weaselwords.com/ferret-articles/an-owners-guide-to-ferret-health-care/|url-status=live}}</ref> Similar to domestic cats, ferrets can also suffer from [[hairball]]s and dental problems. Ferrets will also often chew on and swallow foreign objects which can lead to [[bowel obstruction]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.petmd.com/ferret/care/evr_ft_how-take-care-of-a-ferret-ferret-care-101 |title=How to Take Care of a Ferret: Ferret care 101 |last=Drake |first=Samantha |website=Petmd.com |access-date=1 February 2019 |archive-date=12 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190212011112/https://www.petmd.com/ferret/care/evr_ft_how-take-care-of-a-ferret-ferret-care-101 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==History of domestication==
[[File:Women hunting rabbits with a ferret.jpg|right|thumb|''Women hunting rabbits with a ferret'' in the 14th-century [[Queen Mary Psalter]]]]
In common with most domestic animals, the original reason for ferrets being domesticated by human beings is uncertain, but it may have involved hunting. According to phylogenetic studies, the ferret was domesticated from the [[European polecat]] (''Mustela putorius''), and likely descends from a North African lineage of the species.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Sato JJ, Hosoda T, Wolsan M, Tsuchiya K, Yamamoto M, Suzuki H |title=Phylogenetic relationships and divergence times among mustelids (Mammalia: Carnivora) based on nucleotide sequences of the nuclear interphotoreceptor retinoid binding protein and mitochondrial cytochrome b genes|journal=Zoological Science|date=February 2003|volume=20|issue=2|pages=243–64|pmid=12655187|doi=10.2108/zsj.20.243|s2cid=33505504|doi-access=free}}</ref> Analysis of [[mitochondrial DNA]] suggests that ferrets were domesticated around 2,500 years ago. It has been claimed that the ancient Egyptians were the first to domesticate ferrets, but as no mummified remains of a ferret have yet been found, nor any [[hieroglyph]] of a ferret, and no polecat now occurs wild in the area, that idea seems unlikely.<ref>{{cite web |last=Church |first=Bob |title=Ferret FAQ&nbsp;– Natural History |publisher=ferretcentral.org |url=http://www.ferretcentral.org/faq/history.html |access-date=2007-08-25 |archive-date=2007-08-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070824045821/http://www.ferretcentral.org/faq/history.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[American Society of Mammalogists]] classifies ''M. furo'' as a distinct species.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Explore the Database|url=https://www.mammaldiversity.org/explore.html#species-id=1005867|access-date=2021-07-01|website=Mammaldiversity.org|archive-date=2021-06-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624204851/https://www.mammaldiversity.org/explore.html#species-id=1005867|url-status=live}}</ref>

Ferrets were probably used by the Romans for hunting.<ref>{{cite web|last=Matulich|first=Erika|title=Ferret Domesticity: A Primer.|work=Ferrets USA|year=2000|url=http://www.cypresskeep.com/Ferretfiles/Domestic-FUSA.htm|access-date=2008-03-05|archive-date=2008-04-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080413144447/http://www.cypresskeep.com/Ferretfiles/Domestic-FUSA.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Brown|first=Susan|title=History of the Ferret|url=http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=496|access-date=2008-03-05|archive-date=2007-08-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070810153336/http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=496|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Genghis Khan]], ruler of the [[Mongol Empire]], is recorded as using ferrets in a gigantic hunt in 1221 that aimed to purge an entire region of wild animals.<ref name="Thomson"/>

Colonies of [[feral]] ferrets have established themselves in areas where there is no competition from similarly sized predators, such as in the [[Shetland Islands]] and in remote regions in New Zealand. Where ferrets coexist with polecats, hybridization is common. It has been claimed that New Zealand has the world's largest feral population of ferret–polecat hybrids.<ref>{{cite web |title=Feral Ferrets in New Zealand |work=California's Plants and Animals |publisher=California Department of Fish and Game |url=http://www.dfg.ca.gov/hcpb/species/nuis_exo/ferret/ferret_issues_3.shtml |access-date=2006-09-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060905185101/http://www.dfg.ca.gov/hcpb/species/nuis_exo/ferret/ferret_issues_3.shtml |archive-date=2006-09-05 }}</ref> In 1877, farmers in New Zealand demanded that ferrets be introduced into the country to control the rabbit population, which was also introduced by humans. Five ferrets were imported in 1879, and in 1882–1883, 32 shipments of ferrets were made from London, totaling 1,217 animals. Only 678 landed, and 198 were sent from Melbourne, Australia. On the voyage, the ferrets were mated with the European polecat, creating a number of [[Hybrid (biology)|hybrids]] that were capable of surviving in the wild. In 1884 and 1886, close to 4,000 ferrets and ferret hybrids, 3,099 weasels and 137 [[stoat]]s were turned loose.<ref>{{cite web|title=Rabbit control |work=A Hundred Years of Rabbit Impacts, and Future Control Options |publisher=New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) Rabbit Biocontrol Advisory Group |url=http://www.maf.govt.nz/MAFnet/articles-man/rbag/rbag0010.htm |access-date=2006-09-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010617215222/http://www.maf.govt.nz/MAFnet/articles-man/rbag/rbag0010.htm |archive-date=June 17, 2001 }}</ref> Concern was raised that these animals would eventually prey on indigenous wildlife once rabbit populations dropped, and this is exactly what happened to New Zealand's bird species which previously had had no mammalian predators.

===Ferreting===
{{Main|Rabbiting}}
[[File:Ratting ferret 2.png|thumb|right|Muzzled ferret flushing a rat, as illustrated in Harding's ''Ferret Facts and Fancies'' (1915)]]
For millennia, the main use of ferrets was for hunting, or "ferreting". With their long, lean build and inquisitive nature, ferrets are very well equipped for getting down holes and chasing rodents, rabbits and moles out of their burrows. The Roman historians [[Pliny the Elder|Pliny]] and [[Strabo]] record that [[Caesar Augustus]] sent "{{lang|la|viverrae}}" from [[Roman Libya|Libya]] to the [[Balearic Islands]] to control rabbit plagues there in 6&nbsp;BC; it is speculated that "{{lang|la|viverrae}}" could refer to ferrets, [[mongoose]]s, or polecats.<ref name="Thomson"/><ref>Plinius the Elder, Natural History, [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/L/Roman/Texts/Pliny_the_Elder/8*.html#218 8 lxxxi 218] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220105233033/https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/L/Roman/Texts/Pliny_the_Elder/8%2A.html#218 |date=2022-01-05 }} (in Latin)</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Natural History, Book VIII |last=Pliny the Elder |author-link=Pliny the Elder |others=[[Philemon Holland]] (trans) |year=1601 |chapter-url=http://penelope.uchicago.edu/holland/pliny8.html |access-date=19 April 2011 |chapter=LV. Of Hares and Connies. |title-link=Natural History (Pliny) |archive-date=5 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220105232948/http://penelope.uchicago.edu/holland/pliny8.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In England, in 1390, a law was enacted restricting the use of ferrets for hunting to the relatively wealthy:
{{blockquote|it is ordained that no manner of layman which hath not lands to the value of forty shillings a year shall from henceforth keep any greyhound or other dog to hunt, nor shall he use ferrets, nets, heys, harepipes nor cords, nor other engines for to take or destroy deer, hares, nor conies, nor other gentlemen's game, under pain of twelve months' imprisonment.<ref name="Mackay1891">{{cite book |editor-last=Mackay |editor-first=Thomas |title=Plea for Liberty |url=https://archive.org/details/pleaforliberty00mack |year=1891 |publisher=D. Appleton and Co}}</ref>}}<!-- Double-check the source—Thomson claims this reference spelled it "fyrets").-->

Ferrets were first introduced into the American continents in the 17th century, and were used extensively from 1860 until the start of [[World War II]] to protect grain stores in the American West from rodents. They are still used for hunting in some countries, including the United Kingdom, where rabbits are considered a [[Pest (organism)|pest]] by farmers.<ref>{{cite web|title=In Mystery, Ferret Thefts Sweep Southern England|url=https://www.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304361604579290013495981126|work=The Wall Street Journal|access-date=2017-03-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170321170935/https://www.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304361604579290013495981126|archive-date=2017-03-21|url-status=dead}}</ref> The practice is illegal in several countries where it is feared that ferrets could unbalance the ecology. In 2009 in Finland, where ferreting was previously unknown, the city of Helsinki began to use ferrets to restrict the city's rabbit population to a manageable level. Ferreting was chosen because in populated areas it is considered to be safer and less ecologically damaging than shooting the rabbits.

==As pets==
[[Image:Vinnie the Ferret in a War Dance Jump.jpg|thumb|right|A ferret in a [[weasel war dance|war dance]] jump]]

In the United States, ferrets were relatively rare pets until the 1980s. A government study by the California State Bird and Mammal Conservation Program estimated that by 1996 about 800,000 domestic ferrets were being kept as pets in the United States.{{r|jurek1998}}

===Regulation===
* '''Australia''': It is illegal to keep ferrets as pets in [[Queensland]] and the [[Northern Territory]];<ref>{{cite news |last1=McCosker |first1=Amy |last2=Schremmer |first2=Jessica |title=Ferrets to remain illegal in QLD |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-01-24/fear-of-feral-ferrets-prevents-legislation-in-queensland/9355888 |access-date=20 January 2022 |work=ABC News |date=24 January 2018 |language=en-AU}}</ref> in the [[Australian Capital Territory]] a licence is required.<ref>{{cite news |last=Latham |first=Dayle |title=Ferrets: curious and coy |url=https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6090908/ferrets-curious-and-coy/ |access-date=20 January 2022 |work=The Canberra Times |date=30 April 2019 |language=en-AU}}</ref>
* '''Brazil''': Ferrets are allowed only if they are given a [[Microchip implant (animal)|microchip identification tag]] and sterilized.
* '''New Zealand''': It has been illegal to sell, distribute or breed ferrets in New Zealand since 2002 unless certain conditions are met.<ref>[http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1953/0031/latest/DLM278701.html#DLM278701 Wildlife Act 1953] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100808224434/http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1953/0031/latest/DLM278701.html#DLM278701 |date=2010-08-08 }}&nbsp;– Schedule 8</ref>
* '''United States''': Ferrets were once banned in many US states, but most of these laws were rescinded in the 1980s and 1990s as they became popular pets.
** Illegal: Ferrets are illegal in California under Fish and Game Code Section 2118;{{r|regcafishgame}} and the California Code of Regulations,{{r|regcacode}} although it is not illegal for [[veterinarian]]s in the state to treat ferrets kept as pets. "Ferrets are strictly prohibited as pets under Hawaii law because they are potential carriers of the rabies virus";{{r|reghi}} the territory of [[Puerto Rico]] has a similar law.<ref name="FerretFreeZones">{{cite web |title=Are Ferrets Legal in ...? |work=List of Ferret-Free Zones |author=Katie Redshoes |url=http://home.netcom.com/~redshoes/ffztable.html |access-date=2007-08-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929110633/http://home.netcom.com/~redshoes/ffztable.html |archive-date=2007-09-29 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Ferrets are restricted by some municipalities, such as [[New York City]],<ref name="FerretFreeZones"/> which renewed its ban in 2015.<ref>{{cite news |title=New York's Health Board Dashes the Hopes of Ferret Fans |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/11/nyregion/sorry-ferrets-new-york-citys-ban-will-remain.html |website=The New York Times |date=10 March 2015 |access-date=11 March 2015 |archive-date=11 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150311033824/http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/11/nyregion/sorry-ferrets-new-york-citys-ban-will-remain.html |url-status=live |last=Grynbaum |first=Michael M. }}</ref><ref name="NYCendingban">{{cite news |title=De Blasio's Latest Break With His Predecessors: Ending a Ban on Ferrets |author=Michael M. Grynbaum |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/28/nyregion/de-blasios-latest-break-with-his-predecessors-ending-a-ban-on-ferrets.html |access-date=2014-05-27 |archive-date=2014-05-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140528064614/http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/28/nyregion/de-blasios-latest-break-with-his-predecessors-ending-a-ban-on-ferrets.html |url-status=live }}</ref> They are also prohibited on many military bases.<ref name="FerretFreeZones"/> A permit to own a ferret is needed in other areas, including Rhode Island.<ref>{{cite web
 |title=R.I. Ferret Regulations |publisher=State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations Department of Environmental Management |date=June 27, 1997 |url=http://www.dem.ri.gov/pubs/regs/regs/fishwild/f_wferet.pdf |access-date=2007-07-05 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060923191208/http://www.dem.ri.gov/pubs/regs/regs/fishwild/f_wferet.pdf
 |archive-date=September 23, 2006}}</ref> Illinois and Georgia do not require a permit to merely possess a ferret, but a permit is required to breed ferrets.{{r|regil|regga}} It was once illegal to own ferrets in [[Dallas]], Texas,<ref>{{cite web |title=Dallas |work=Prohibited by Ordinance |publisher=Ferret Lover's Club of Texas |date=1996–2005
 |url=http://www.texasferret.org/lglprohibord.shtml |access-date=2006-09-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060918001649/http://texasferret.org/lglprohibord.shtml
 |archive-date=2006-09-18 |url-status=dead}}</ref> but the current Dallas City Code for Animals includes regulations for the vaccination of ferrets.<ref>{{cite web|title=Animal Services|work=Dallas City Code, Chapter 7: "Animals"; Article VII: "Miscellaneous"|publisher=American Legal Publishing Corporation|url=http://www.amlegal.com/nxt/gateway.dll/Texas/dallas/volumei/preface?f=templates$fn=default.htm$3.0$vid=amlegal:dallas_tx|access-date=2006-09-19|archive-date=2006-10-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061004102251/http://www.amlegal.com/nxt/gateway.dll/Texas/dallas/volumei/preface?f=templates$fn=default.htm$3.0$vid=amlegal:dallas_tx|url-status=live}}</ref> Pet ferrets are legal in [[Wisconsin]], however legality varies by municipality. The city of [[Oshkosh, Wisconsin]], for example, classifies ferrets as a wild animal and subsequently prohibits them from being kept within the city limits. Also, an import permit from the state department of agriculture is required to bring one into the state.{{r|regwi}} Under [[common law]], ferrets are deemed "wild animals" subject to [[strict liability]] for injuries they cause, but in several states [[statutory law]] has overruled the common law, deeming ferrets "domestic".<ref>{{cite court|litigants=Gallick v. Barto |vol=828 |reporter=F.Supp. |opinion=1168 |court=M.D.Pa. |year=1993 |url=https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=17736642397628316680&q=828+F.Supp.+1168&as_sdt=2,44
|access-date=26 November 2012}}</ref>
* '''Japan''': In [[Hokkaido]] prefecture, ferrets must be registered with the local government.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hokkaido Animal Welfare and Control Ordinance |work=Hokkaido Animal Welfare and Control Ordinance Chapter 2, Section 3. |url=http://www.pref.hokkaido.lg.jp/ks/skn/aigo/jyourei.htm |access-date=2009-04-10 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080309165724/http://www.pref.hokkaido.lg.jp/ks/skn/aigo/jyourei.htm |archive-date=March 9, 2008 }}</ref> In other prefectures, no restrictions apply. {{Citation needed|reason=Not covered by Hokkaido reference|date=May 2024}}
* '''South Africa''': In the [[Western Cape]] province, a permit is required to buy, sell, or possess a ferret.<ref>{{cite web |title=CapeNature warns against ferret ownership amid growing environmental threat|url=https://www.capenature.co.za/news/2024/capenature-warns-against-ferret-ownership-amid-growing-environmental-threat|access-date=2024-11-25 |date=September 2024}}
</ref>
==Other uses==
Because they share many anatomical and physiological features with humans, ferrets are extensively used as [[animal testing|experimental subjects]] in biomedical research.  Fields such as virology, reproductive physiology, anatomy, endocrinology and neuroscience all rely on ferrets<ref>{{cite web |last1=Crawford |first1=Richard L. |last2=Adams |first2=Kristina M. |date=2006 |url=http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/pubs/Ferrets06/ferrets.htm |title=Information Resources on the Care and Welfare of Ferrets |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110213092535/http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/pubs/Ferrets06/ferrets.htm |archive-date=2011-02-13 |publisher=USDA Animal Welfare Information Center}}</ref> for studies into [[cardiovascular disease]], nutrition, respiratory diseases such as [[SARS]] and human influenza, airway physiology,<ref>{{Cite journal |pmid=19136404 |year=2009 |last1=Abanses |first1=J. C. |title=Vicks Vapo ''Rub'' induces mucin secretion, decreases ciliary beat frequency, and increases tracheal mucus transport in the ferret trachea |journal=Chest |volume=135 |issue=1 |pages=143–8 |last2=Arima |first2=S |last3=Rubin |first3=B. K.|doi=10.1378/chest.08-0095}}</ref> cystic fibrosis and gastrointestinal disease.

Ferrets are a particularly important animal model for human [[influenza]],<ref name="Matsuoka2009">{{Cite book |doi=10.1002/9780471729259.mc15g02s13|pmid=19412910|chapter=The Ferret Model for Influenza|pages={{awrap|15G.2.1}}–{{awrap|15G.2.29}}|year=2009|last1=Matsuoka |first1=Y. |last2=Lamirande |first2=E. W. |last3=Subbarao |first3=K. |title=Current Protocols in Microbiology|volume=Chapter 15 |isbn=978-0471729259|s2cid=43613423}}</ref><ref name="Maher2004">{{cite journal|vauthors=Maher JA, DeStefano J |title=The ferret: an animal model to study influenza virus |journal=Lab Animal|year=2004|volume=33|issue=9|pages=50–53|pmid=15457202|doi=10.1038/laban1004-50|citeseerx=10.1.1.632.711 |s2cid=30541775 }}</ref> and have been used to study the 2009 H1N1 ([[swine flu]]) virus.<ref name="van2010">{{Cite journal |doi=10.1086/651132|pmid=20187747|title=Severity of Pneumonia Due to New H1N1 Influenza Virus in Ferrets is Intermediate between That Due to Seasonal H1N1 Virus and Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 Virus|journal=Journal of Infectious Diseases|volume=201|issue=7|pages=993–9|year=2010|last1=Van Den Brand |first1=J. M. A. |last2=Stittelaar |first2=K. J. |last3=Van Amerongen |first3=G. |last4=Rimmelzwaan |first4=G. F. |last5=Simon |first5=J. |last6=De Wit |first6=E. |last7=Munster |first7=V. |last8=Bestebroer |first8=T. |last9=Fouchier |first9=R. A. M. |last10=Kuiken |first10=T. |last11=Osterhaus |first11=A. D. M. E. |pmc=7110095|doi-access=free }}</ref> Ferrets inoculated intra-nasally with human naso-pharyngeal washes develop an influenza transmissible to other cage mates and human investigators.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Smith |first1=Wilson |last2=Andrewes |first2=C. H. |author2-link=Christopher Andrewes |last3=Laidlaw |first3=P.P. |title=A virus obtained from influenza patients |journal=Lancet |date=8 July 1933 |volume=222 |issue=5732 |pages=66–68 |doi=10.1016/S0140-6736(00)78541-2|doi-access=free }}</ref> A very small experimental study of ferrets found that a nasal spray effectively blocked the transmission of the [[SARS-CoV-2]] [[coronavirus]] that causes [[COVID-19]].<ref>{{cite news |last=McNeil | first=Donald G. Jr. |title=Nasal Spray Halts Covid in Ferrets, Study Finds |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/05/health/coronavirus-ferrets-vaccine-spray.html |access-date=6 November 2020 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=6 November 2020 |archive-date=6 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201106002935/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/05/health/coronavirus-ferrets-vaccine-spray.html |url-status=live }}</ref>{{needs update|date=March 2024}}

In the UK, ferret racing is often a feature of rural fairs or festivals, with people placing small bets on ferrets that run set routes through pipes and wire mesh. Although financial bets are placed, the event is primarily for entertainment purposes as opposed to 'serious' betting sports such as horse or greyhound racing.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ferret Racing |url=http://www.countrymanfairs.co.uk/family-entertainment/ferret-racing |website=Countrymanfairs.co.uk |access-date=2015-04-19 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150423173347/http://www.countrymanfairs.co.uk/family-entertainment/ferret-racing |archive-date=2015-04-23 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Ferret Racing – Starescue – STA Ferret Rescue|url=http://www.starescue.org.uk/racing/4579482855|website=Starescue.org.uk|access-date=2015-04-19|archive-date=2015-04-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150423055435/http://www.starescue.org.uk/racing/4579482855|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Terminology and coloring==
<!-- [[Sable (disambiguation)]] links here. Please update it if the section title is changed. -->
[[Image:XenoFerret.jpg|thumb|Typical ferret coloration, known as a sable or polecat-colored ferret]]

Most ferrets are either albinos, with white fur and pink eyes, or display the typical dark masked sable coloration of their wild polecat ancestors. In recent years fancy breeders have produced a wide variety of colors and patterns. Color refers to the color of the ferret's guard hairs, undercoat, eyes and nose; pattern refers to the concentration and distribution of color on the body, mask and nose, as well as white markings on the head or feet when present. Some national organizations, such as the American Ferret Association, have attempted to classify these variations in their showing standards.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ferret.org/events/colors/colorchart.html |title=American Ferret Association: Ferret Color and Pattern Standards |publisher=Ferret.org |access-date=2008-11-30 |archive-date=2008-12-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081209073612/http://www.ferret.org/events/colors/colorchart.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

There are four basic colors. The sable (including chocolate and dark brown), albino, dark-eyed white (DEW, also known as black-eyed white or BEW) and silver. All the other colors of a ferret are variations on one of these four categories.

===Waardenburg-like coloring===
[[Image:Coco 4056.JPG|right|thumb|White or albino ferret]]

Ferrets with a white stripe on their face or a fully white head, primarily blazes, badgers and pandas, almost certainly carry a congenital defect which shares some similarities to [[Waardenburg syndrome]]. This causes, among other things, a cranial deformation in the womb which broadens the skull, white face markings, and also partial or total deafness. It is estimated as many as 75&nbsp;percent of ferrets with these Waardenburg-like colorings are deaf.

White ferrets were favored in the [[Middle Ages]] for the ease in seeing them in thick undergrowth. [[Leonardo da Vinci]]'s painting ''[[Lady with an Ermine]]'' is likely mislabelled; the animal is probably a ferret, not a [[stoat]] (for which "ermine" is an alternative name for the animal in its white winter coat). Similarly, the ermine portrait of Queen [[Elizabeth I]] shows her with her pet ferret, which has been decorated with painted-on [[Heraldry|heraldic]] ermine spots.

''The Ferreter's Tapestry'' is a 15th-century tapestry from [[Burgundy]], France, now part of the Burrell Collection housed in the Glasgow Museum and Art Galleries. It shows a group of peasants hunting rabbits with nets and white ferrets. This image was reproduced in ''Renaissance Dress in Italy 1400–1500'', by Jacqueline Herald, Bell & Hyman.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Herald |first=Jacqueline |year=1981 |title=Renaissance Dress in Italy 1400–1500 |series=History of Dress 2 |location=London |publisher=Bell & Hyman |isbn=0-391-02362-4 |oclc=925257752}}</ref>

''Gaston Phoebus' Book of the Hunt'' was written in approximately 1389 to explain how to hunt different kinds of animals, including how to use ferrets to hunt rabbits. Illustrations show how multicolored ferrets that were fitted with muzzles were used to chase rabbits out of their warrens and into waiting nets.

==Import restrictions==
* '''Australia'''&nbsp;– Ferrets cannot be imported into Australia. A report drafted in August 2000 seems to be the only effort made to date to change the situation.<ref>{{cite web|title=Importation of Ferrets into Australia, Import Risk Analysis&nbsp;– Draft Report|publisher=Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS)|date=August 2000|url=http://www.daff.gov.au/corporate_docs/publications/pdf/market_access/biosecurity/animal/2000/00-036a.pdf |access-date=2006-09-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060910063747/http://www.daff.gov.au/corporate_docs/publications/pdf/market_access/biosecurity/animal/2000/00-036a.pdf |archive-date=2006-09-10}}</ref>
* '''Canada'''&nbsp;– Ferrets brought from anywhere except the US require a Permit to Import from the [[Canadian Food Inspection Agency]] Animal Health Office. Ferrets from the US require only a vaccination certificate signed by a veterinarian. Ferrets under three months old are not subject to any import restrictions.<ref>{{cite web |title=Importation of Foxes, Skunks, Raccoons and Ferrets |work=Pet Imports |publisher=Canadian Food Inspection Agency |date=2006-03-20 |url=http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/anima/heasan/import/foxrene.shtml |access-date=2006-09-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090328022309/http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/anima/heasan/import/foxrene.shtml
 |archive-date=2009-03-28}}</ref>
* '''European Union'''&nbsp;– {{as of|2004|July}}, dogs, cats and ferrets can travel freely within the European Union under the [[pet passport]] scheme. To cross a border within the EU, ferrets require at minimum an EU PETS passport and an identification microchip (though some countries will accept a tattoo instead). Vaccinations are required; most countries require a rabies vaccine, and some require a [[Canine distemper|distemper]] vaccine and treatment for ticks and fleas 24 to 48 hours before entry. Ferrets occasionally need to be quarantined before entering the country. PETS travel information is available from any EU veterinarian or on government websites.
* '''New Zealand''' – New Zealand has banned the import of ferrets into the country.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.customs.govt.nz/personal/move-to-nz-permanently/import-pets-and-animals/|title=Import pets and animals|website=Customs.govt.nz|access-date=15 February 2022}}</ref>
* '''United Kingdom'''&nbsp;– The UK accepts ferrets under the EU's PETS travel scheme. Ferrets must be microchipped, vaccinated against [[rabies]], and documented. They must be treated for [[tick]]s and [[tapeworms]] 24 to 48 hours before entry. They must also arrive via an authorized route. Ferrets arriving from outside the EU may be subject to a six-month quarantine.<ref>{{cite web |title=PETS: How to bring your ferret into or back into the UK under the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) |work=Animal health & welfare |publisher=Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs (defra) Crown copyright 2006 |url=http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/quarantine/pets/ferretpets.htm |access-date=2006-09-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060901095759/http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/quarantine/pets/ferretpets.htm |archive-date=2006-09-01}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Ferret-legging]]

==References==
{{Reflist|refs=
<!--ref name=Lewington>{{cite book |first=John H. |last=Lewington |title=Ferret Husbandry, Medicine and Surgery |edition=2nd |publisher=Elsevier |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-7020-2827-4|page=6}}</ref-->
<ref name=jurek1998>Jurek, R. M. (1998). [http://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentVersionID=39971 A review of national and California population estimates of pet ferrets] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130419025700/https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentVersionID=39971 |date=2013-04-19 }}. Calif. Dep. Fish and Game, Wildl. Manage. Div., Bird and Mammal Conservation Program Rep. 98-09. Sacramento, CA.</ref>
<ref name=regcacode>{{cite web |title=Section 671(c)(2)(K)(5): 'Family Mustelidae' |url=https://law.resource.org/pub/us/ccr/gov.ca.oal.title14.html |work=California Code of Regulations, Title 14: Natural Resources, Division 1: "Fish And Game Commission&nbsp;– Department of Fish And Game", Subdivision 3: "General Regulations", Chapter 3: "Miscellaneous", Section 671: "Importation, Transportation and Possession of Live Restricted Animals" |access-date=2006-09-19 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130812174513/https://law.resource.org/pub/us/ccr/gov.ca.oal.title14.html |archive-date=2013-08-12 }} Ferrets are not among the exceptions to the classification "Those species listed because they pose a threat to native wildlife, the agriculture interests of the state or to public health or safety are termed 'detrimental animals{{'"}} and are designated by the letter "D".</ref>
<ref name=regcafishgame>{{cite web|title=Fish and Game Code Section 2118|work=California Codes|publisher=State of California|url=http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/waisgate?WAISdocID=69408513066+1+0+0&WAISaction=retrieve|access-date=2006-09-19|archive-date=2013-05-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130526094417/http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/waisgate?WAISdocID=69408513066+1+0+0&WAISaction=retrieve|url-status=live}} the Code states, in part: "animals of the families Viverridae and Mustelidae in the order Carnivora are restricted because such animals are undesirable and a menace to native wildlife, the agricultural interests of the state, or to the public health or safety."</ref>
<ref name=regga>{{cite web |title=Wild Animals/Exotica |publisher=Georgia Department of Natural Resources |url=http://gadnrle.org/node/84 |access-date=17 August 2016 |quote=The exotic species listed below, except where otherwise noted, may not be held as pets in Georgia. [...] Carnivores (weasels, ferrets, foxes, cats, bears, wolves, etc.); all species. Note: European ferrets are legal as pets if neutered by 7 months old and vaccinated against rabies. |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160823014455/http://gadnrle.org/node/84 |archive-date=23 August 2016
}}</ref>
<ref name=reghi>{{cite web |title=News Release:Illegal Ferret Found in Kailua |publisher=State of Hawaii Department of Agriculture |url=http://www.hawaiiag.org/hdoa/newsrelease/00-21.htm |access-date=2006-09-19 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929132134/http://www.hawaiiag.org/hdoa/newsrelease/00-21.htm |archive-date=2007-09-29}}</ref>
<ref name=regil>{{cite web |title=Wild Bird and Game Bird Breeder Permit Application|publisher=Illinois Department of Natural Resources|url=http://dnr.state.il.us/admin/systems/06/game_app.pdf|access-date=2006-09-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060805100847/http://dnr.state.il.us/admin/systems/06/game_app.pdf <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date=2006-08-05}}</ref>
<ref name=regwi>{{cite web |title=Companion Animals |publisher=Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection |url=http://www.datcp.state.wi.us/ah/agriculture/animals/movement/companion_animals.jsp |access-date=2008-11-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090227182249/http://www.datcp.state.wi.us/ah/agriculture/animals/movement/companion_animals.jsp |archive-date=2009-02-27}}</ref>
<ref name=Thomson>{{cite journal |last=Thomson |first=P. D. |year=1951 |title=A History of the Ferret |journal=Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences |issue=Autumn |pages=471–480 |doi=10.1093/jhmas/VI.Autumn.471 |volume=vi }}</ref>
<ref name=williams1999>Williams, Bruce H. (January 1999) [https://web.archive.org/web/20080511003517/http://www.afip.org/consultation/vetpath/ferrets/Clin_Path/ClinPath.html Controversy and Confusion in Interpretation of Ferret Clinical Pathology], Armed Forces Institute of Pathology: "...&nbsp;the ferret, being by nature an obligate carnivore, has an extremely short digestive tract, and requires meals as often as every four to six hours."</ref>
}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Mustela putorius furo}}
* {{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Ferret}}
* Isaacsen, Adolph (1886) ''[https://archive.org/details/allaboutferretsr00isaa All about ferrets and rats]''
* View the [http://www.ensembl.org/Mustela_putorius_furo/Info/Index/ ferret genome] on [[Ensembl]]
* {{UCSC genomes|musFur1}}

{{Carnivora|M.}}
{{Animal domestication}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q178973}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Ferrets]]
[[Category:Mammals described in 1758]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus]]
[[Category:Animals bred for albinism on a large scale]]