Ferrets are small mammals in the mustelid family.  The ferret's mustelid cousins include weasels, minks, polecats, martens, fishers, skunks, wolverines, otters, and badgers.

History
The ferret is descended from the wild polecat, which was domesticated centuries ago in Europe for the purpose of hunting rabbits and catching rats.  Later, cats were found to do the job even better, so ferrets became house pets.  The modern domesticated ferret is descended from the European polecat.

Physical & Biological Characteristics
Ferrets have long bodies and short legs.  They look somewhat similar to squirrels; however, squirrels are rodents, whereas ferrets are not.

Their fur is very soft and silky, a characteristic they share with their cousin, the mink.

Ferrets have scent glands under their tails, similar to skunks.  The natural smell of the ferret is a strong, musky odor.  However, most ferret owners have the scent glands removed, either as babies or after their first year.  Ferret farms (large commercial breeders) remove these glands and also spay or neuter the babies within the first six weeks or so after birth, before they distribute the animals to pet stores.

Some people prefer to obtain ferrets from private breeders.  Small breeders usually wait a year before spaying or neutering.  Some people feel this decreases the likelihood of the ferret developing certain diseases later in life.  If you want to purchase a baby from a small breeder, and if you are not interested in breeding ferrets, you MUST spay or neuter them at one year of age or thereabouts.

If females are allowed to go into heat without a male around to breed with her, she could die.  When females go into heat, they will not come out of it by themselves.  This can cause extreme hormone production, resulting in death.  This may seem unreasonable, but it appears to be a result of natural selection in the wild.  Ferrets who are not strong enough or smart enough to find a mate will not be able to breed and will ultimately die, thus removing their "inferior" genes from the species gene pool.  This biological fact must be dealt with if you own a female ferret that has not been spayed.  It is best to have the female spayed at one year of age or younger.

Lifespan
Ferrets can live up to 9 years, sometimes longer.

Adrenal gland disease is one of the most common causes of early death in ferrets.  Have your ferret's hormones checked by your vet every year.  When hormones are overproducing, one of the adrenal glands could be diseased and malfunctioning, in which case, it should be removed as quickly as possible.  If both glands have to be removed, the ferret will require hormone therapy for the rest of its life.  It is best to have this checked every year and nip this in the bud, before the glands become cancerous.

There is much speculation over why adrenal gland disease is so prevalent in ferrets.  Some people think ferrets bred on "ferret farms" (massive breeding facilities from which most pet shops get their stock) are more prone to this disease since the babies are sterilized so early in life, before their adrenal glands have a chance to mature.  Most private breeders wait until the ferrets are a year old before sterilization.

Others believe that ferrets exposed to excessive hours of light (even indoor light) causes their biological clocks to think it is perpetually spring or summer, and time to breed, causing the hormones to work overtime.  To be on the safe side, make sure the room where you keep your ferrets is dark every night for at least 8 hours (10 is better).

Size
Adult ferrets generally weigh anywhere from 1 to 5 pounds, and are usually not much larger than about 1 foot in length.  Males are usually larger than females.

Indoor Pets
All ferrets are domesticated versions of the polecat - they have been bred for centuries to be dependent on humans for survival.  They will NOT survive in the outside world by themselves. 

You CANNOT keep ferrets free-roaming outside, or even let them "run around a little" outside without supervision.  They are FAST runners, and can get away from you in an instant.

They do NOT have a homing instinct like cats and dogs.  If they get out, they will likely go exploring and never find their way back to you.  They may suffer a cruel death - getting hit by a car, getting attacked by other animals, or someone shooting it or beating it to death thinking it is a large, funny-looking rat.

If you want to take them outside, we recommend a leash.  Yes, they make leashes for ferrets.  Or you can build a large cage for periodic outdoor play -- as long as it is in the shade and the outside temperature is not above 78 degrees.  Do not leave them in an outdoor cage more than a few hours.  Their primary residence should be inside your climate-controlled house.

See the FerretLady's article: How to Protect Your Ferrets When It's Hot

Personality
Ferrets are LOADED with it!  They are affectionate and loving.  They will frequently "kiss" their owners with never-ending licks on the face.  They will definitely bring laughter into your home with their antics!

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