Ferrets are legal in many areas and are rapidly increasing in popularity as pets. However, some areas, regions and states still have restrictions on owning pets.
Remember that it’s your responsibility to find out the laws regarding ferrets, where you live before considering a ferret as a pet. The purpose of this article is to explain why some areas have restrictions in place.
Ferrets Are Misunderstood
Ferrets are getting more popular, but they’re not as common a sight as dogs or cats. Because of this, people don’t always understand them. Many people, wrongly, think that they are similar or related to rats.
Others have the incorrect notion that they’re inherently vicious animals, incapable of living as pets. Ferret owners will know that they can be playful and fun pets, with the right care, but the people who make laws probably aren’t ferret owners, unfortunately.
Impact On Wildlife
In some environments ferrets in the wild could cause great damage to wildlife. If they have no natural predators there have been cases, in the past where ferrets have bred in the wild, causing devastation to other animals.
With responsible care the chances of a ferret escaping are minimal. The sad reality is that most domestic pet ferrets would struggle to survive in the wild, particularly after they have bonded with their owners. The stigma remains, however, as they can be very effective natural hunters, even if this instinct is somewhat dulled by living with humans.
Rabies
Traditionally, rabies concerns have been a significant reason for restricting ownership of ferrets. This was based on the idea that ferrets were a major spreader of the disease.
More recently, it’s become clearer that ferrets don’t pose a particularly high risk of spreading rabies, though this risk can and should be reduced, even further. This is achieved through immunization.
Responsible pet ownership means immunizing your pets, which for ferrets includes immunizations against rabies. As this is something that should always be done, many areas have relaxed or eradicated restrictions which were based on this fear.
Remember that rabies immunization is often a legal requirement. It also protects the health of your ferret.
What Can Be Done If Ferrets Are Illegal Or Restricted In My Area?
The responsible thing is to lobby, legally, for change. Joining a ferret enthusiast’s group or writing to your local politician would be good ways to press for change. Become more informed on the subject, so that you can understand the reason for restriction, as well as any points which you feel could allow pet ferrets to be accommodated.
Remember that many areas have changed their views on ferrets in the last few decades. There are far less restricted or illegal areas, for ferrets, than there were in the past.
Under no circumstances should you own a ferret, where it is not legal to do so. Illegal ownership damages the credibility of ferret owners, reducing the chances of changes to the law.
