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After our hedgehog passed away in November of last year, we wanted to get another pet. Dogs and cats were out of the question: my wife and I are allergic to both. Rabbits were not an option for the same reason. My wife ultimately decided to get ferrets, and we bought two females in December, naming them Mocha and Chai. I was initially hesitant, but as we got to know and spend time with the ferrets, I've grown to love them. Mocha and Chai have quite a lot of personality stuffed into their tiny bodies, more than I would ever have expected.
Mocha and Chai were almost exactly 6 months old when we bought them. They came from a locally-owned pet store that we know and trust, and they were treated better there than at most major American pet retailers. We purchased a three-story cage for them that stands almost 8 feet tall, and in our house they have a spare bedroom all to themselves.
Ferrets dispositions can vary widely. Mocha is adventurous, demanding and a very quick learner, though she can be quite calm and cuddly when she wants to be. Chai is a little more timid when faced with something new, but when she gets comfortable she can be mischievous and very restless. When we show Mocha and Chai something they aren't used to interacting with, like a basket of laundry or a patch of grass in the backyard, we usually need to handle each ferret's excitement in different ways.
Mocha and Chai have been together their entire lives, so they are strongly bonded to each other. Ferrets love to play, and Mocha and Chai's favorite way to play with each other is by chasing and wrestling each other. They also love toys, and sometimes they will chase or take each other's toys.
Just like dogs and cats, ferrets often have a favorite toy. Mocha's favorite toy is a squeaking plush shaped like a Chinese bao bun, while Chai's favorite toy is a fluffy bone-shaped plush that crinkles. Mocha will chase anything that squeaks and Chai anything that crinkles, but after a few months of buying many sets of toys, the ferrets have clearly settled on their favorites.
Mocha has a tendency to bite our wrists or the backs of our hands. This is not done in an aggressive or fearful way, but rather as a means of communication, and as such, she never bites hard enough to break skin--just enough to get our attention. We've discovered that she's most prone to doing it when she's tired, either when she first wakes up or when she's ready to sleep. She may also bite when she's hungry or thirsty, if she wants something we're holding, or if she wants us to play with her. Chai never bites, and if she reflexively bites while play-wrestling with us, she immediately realizes what she's doing and lets go.
The ferrets love to go outside, but winter in 2023 was far too cold, and 2024's summer have mostly been too hot. I want to take the out again as soon as autumn arrives and the temperatures fall below 75, which is about the maximum safe temperature to take ferrets out into the sun.
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[Last updated: 2024-08-20]