It's a Ferret Life

Fun feast for ferret fanciers

YOU can't be wishy-washy about the ferret - you either love the little furry critter or you don't.

Perhaps a lack of admiration for this slinky cousin of the weasel wells from a base of ignorance.

Perhaps it comes from an assumption that the ferret is a rodent - it is not.

Either way, Sarah Parker, 9, of Nook, loves ferrets and was happy to share her passion as Latrobe's Bells Parade turned into ferret central on Australia Day.

Australia Day ambassador and walking rock encyclopedia Glenn A. Baker admitted he knew little about the ferret before his visit to the 96th Henley on the Mersey event.

But by the end of the day, he too had fondled a ferret or two.

With Sarah's help, we tapped into a huge river of unknown ferret facts - its multi-faceted personality, its feeding and mating habits and what strategies a ferret owner can use to make their ferret the top ferret at Latrobe's annual ferret fest.

In Gizmo's case, Sarah lured the ferret out of the race tube with the help of a squeaky toy. It was a good strategy.

By lunchtime, Gizmo had made it through to the finals of the ferret racing and Sarah hoped she could better her 2006 performance (fourth).

But Gizmo's glory was short-lived.

She was knocked out of the semi-final by last year's winner, Tinky, but has vowed to make a comeback in 2008.

Other competitors decided the best way to make their ferret faster was to rub it down with cold water before entering the race tube.

The strategy had limited success.

The ferret is a cousin of the weasel, the skunk and the otter.

And while those who struggle to appreciate the ferret's good points may throw it into the rodent basket, the ferret is actually closer to the dog, taxonomically speaking.

"You never get sick of them," Sarah said as Gizmo nuzzled up for a cuddle.

Sarah was sporting a couple of welts on her neck from getting too close and personal with a baby ferret she did not know well.

"Gizmo has not bitten hard since she was a baby," Sarah said.

"In any case, if they do bite, don't try and pull your finger away. Push your finger back towards their throat and they will gag and let go."

But what about that reputed bad ferret smell?

"Once they have been de- sexed, they don't smell so much. But girl ferrets have to mate at least once or they will die," Sarah said.

The ferret is also lactose- intolerant and too much dairy product will lead to stomachaches.

One little masked ferret called Poppet, owned by Katy Abdilla, of Perth, got carried away with the festivities and had a lick of icecream.

Sarah assured me he would pay the price if he had too much.

More than 50 ferrets came out for the day of fun at Latrobe on Australia Day.

And while some stayed cool in the face of competition, others were put off by all the noise and took their time emerging from the black plastic.

Only the most fearless entered the Ferret Frolic, which boasted a prize pool of $500.

To win the money, the ferret needed to endear itself to the crowd with both its looks and temperament and then complete a series of challenges.

These included walking the plank, running through the inside of the legs of a pair of trousers - not attached to a human - and interacting with objects in a play pen designed to assess the ferret's level of inquisitiveness and intelligence.

So what else could Sarah tell me about this curious little tunnel dweller?

"She gets on well with the dog and eats soy milk, chicken mince, raisins and egg white.

"Ferrets are so playful and they do something different every day."