Walking Your Ferret part 3
We have experienced both extremes and just about everything in-between. What you have to do is to be prepared for scenario B at any time and without any warning. How do you do this? Years ago when I learnt to ride a motorcycle my instructor taught me the concept of 'defensive riding'. You just assume that everyone is out to get you and will, given half the chance. The idea is that you observe closely what is going on around you, always signal your intentions to others, look before you leap and always leave yourself room for manoeuvre.
This all applies perfectly to ferret walking, especially the most important point - anticipate the actions of others. Someone is walking towards you carrying a lead? Then there is a loose dog (or dogs!) nearby. Someone is calling or whistling for a dog half a mile away? Their dog is about to explode out of the bracken four feet in front of you at any moment. It pays to think ahead.
A favourite trouble spot is car parks. Even if a dog walker is thoughtful and responsible elsewhere, his or her brain usually slips into neutral in the car park: the dog gets let off the lead to wander around unsupervised and/or get itself run over while the owner takes his or her wellies off etc. etc.
Before I finish on the topic of dogs, and in case there are any owners out there that I have not managed to offend yet, remember that many are too mean, lazy, stupid or inconsiderate to get their dogs vaccinated against canine distemper. This disease is almost invariably fatal for ferrets, so have your pet immunised at least two weeks before taking him anywhere dogs might roam, the two week period allows sufficient time for the level of antibodies to develop in the ferret's body.
There are some other animal hazards to be considered as well. Most cats disappear at warp 9 at first sight or scent of a ferret so they are not usually a problem. Be wary of horses: many are highly strung and could be frightened of your pet with unfortunate results for a rider!
Our Boo Boo has invented his own version of Russian roulette which we call bee-sniffing. If he spots a bee buzzing about at ground level he will stick his nose right at it and sniff loudly. A bee sting in the mouth could be fatal if the throat swelled sufficiently to block the airways.
Under the heading of man made hazards we can consider the following: broken glass, discarded tins, discarded plastic strapping or indeed any item where your ferret could get caught or cut. Watch out also for discarded food items which could be scavenged.
If you have just driven to a particular spot to walk your ferrets remember that the car engine and exhaust will still be very hot so don't let your pets disappear under your, or anyone else's car. In addition the car next to you might be about to drive away with possibly dire consequences! Finally, check where everyone is before you slam the car door.
So where do ferrets like to walk? Yogi and Boo Boo shun the wide open spaces. They like to explore wooded areas and I don't mean just at ground level. Ferrets can and do climb trees but, like cats, they are much better at getting up them than coming down.
Our Rupert fell out of the first tree he tried to climb and ended up dangling from a low branch by his lead. After rescuing him he hid in my coat for twenty minutes before he would come out again, poor thing.
Ferrets also like to explore sandy banks where they can dig, and also rocky areas. The latter includes a firm favourite with our boys, ruined castles. We have had some odd looks though, and for some strange reason English Heritage are not geared up to issue admission tickets for ferrets.
Small streams and shallow, stony rivers are another favourite spot and your ferret might even enjoy a closely supervised swim (whilst still on the lead, of course). There may be a hidden hazard here. Some watercourses are inhabited by feral mink which could carry Aleutian Disease.
This is an incurable, AIDS - like immunodeficiency disease which could be picked up by your ferret. I cannot judge what degree of risk there is of your animal actually contracting Aleutian Disease in this way. I would recommend that you contact your local vet and/or ferret club for advice, as we have heard that this disease is much more common in some parts of Britain than in others.
Before we got Rupert our experience was that ferrets disliked walking in open spaces and that if confronted with one, they would only cross it if there was a suitable feature to follow such as a sunken path, ditch or a line of stones. Rupert however confounded our theories completely by recently climbing to the top of Gummers How, a large hill overlooking Lake Windermere.
The upper part of this peak consists of short turf and bare rock with views for many miles in all directions, but this did not faze Rupert one bit. Yogi and Boo Boo skipped this bit of the walk by climbing up into our jackets for a snooze: ferrets are nothing if not individuals.
Finally, remember your responsibilities as a pet owner and scoop the poop if the situation requires it.
Continued on the Walking Your Ferret Part 4
