February 26, 2008
By HANNAH TUSSING / Pulse Correspondent
Herald-Mail
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Beka Jenkins, 15, cuddles Josie, her pet ferret,
during a quiet moment.(Hannah Tussing/Pulse correspondent) |
This is the fourth story in a series on unusual pets and their teen
owners. The series will be available at HMpulse.com.
What do Queen Elizabeth I, James “Scotty” Doohan (“Star
Trek” actor) and a Hagerstown homeschooler have in common? They
all owned ferrets.
Ferrets are sometimes mistakenly labeled as rodents, but this is far
from the truth. Ferrets are in the weasel family, closely related to
skunks, ermines and mink.
Ferrets are also meat eaters, bred in England to “flush” rabbits
out of their holes and also to prey on mice and rats.
Ferrets are lively, energetic pets, great for all ages. Well, maybe
not all ages, according to Beka Jenkins, 15.
“I wouldn’t recommend them to elderly or people with small
children,” commented Beka. She said ferrets are full of energy,
and to fully enjoy them, you have to get down on the floor and make
sure the ferret isn’t hurting itself.
Bending down to grab a disobeying ferret is not something an older
person or a small child could handle.
Beka’s ferret, Josie, loves to nap in her hammock, jump and
run wildly and explore new things.
Ferrets are curious, so you have to be careful to “ferret proof” your
house so your ferret doesn’t hurt itself.
“She’s hilarious!” Beka said.
“Josie loves to climb on things I never expected her to be able
to. She can even climb up a dresser from the floor!” she said.
Josie is a sweet, cute, loveable 3-year-old ferret. Although Josie
is quite athletic, she is also deaf.
“Deafness isn’t very common in ferrets and we didn’t
notice it when we bought her from Pugh’s pet shop,” said
Beka. Despite her handicap, Josie’s deafness does not seem to
affect her in any way, Beka said.
So far, Josie has never bitten anyone. But if you were to ask the
Jenkins family’s three cats, they would have a different story.
Josie has nipped each of the cats at different times and they have
learned to stay away from her when she is roaming around the house.
Ferrets are clean animals, refusing to use their litter box if it
is too dirty. They also sleep for 16 to 18 hours day, but will wake
up whenever you are ready to play. Female ferrets are called “jills,” whereas
males are called “hobs” and baby ferrets are “kits.” Neutered
males are called “jibs” and spayed females “sprites.”
Beka also commented that Josie is smaller than an average ferret,
so she lives happily in a guinea pig cage. Taking care of her easy.
All Beka has to do is give her fresh food and water daily, and empty
her litter box each day. In addition to her regular food, one of Josie’s
favorite treats is tuna fish.
According to Mary Shefferman’s book, “The Ferret,” ferrets
are the third most popular companion mammal.
Beka would agree.
“Josie’s a lot of fun to play with,” Beka said, “and
she makes me happy.”
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