It's a Ferret Life

Kansas City Ferret Hotline East
605 SE 3rd Terrace
Lee's Summit, MO 64063
816-217-8462
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Goals, Services and Activities

Education is our primary goal and we participate in "pet education days" at PetSmart stores about once a month. We also put out an informational newsletter, sporadically, that is bulk mailed to over 600 individuals, pet stores, veterinary offices, and departments of animal control. Our hotline number is listed in the yellow and white pages of the telephone directory and we receive about 10 calls a week from people seeking information about ferrets and/or about adopting ferrets. Every initial caller receives an informational mailing that includes articles about first ferrets, cages, and ferret proofing along with our basic brochure and an application for adoption form. We frequently send information about specific problems such as litter training, biting, and ferret illnesses. We also occasionally meet with directors and/or staff at some of the larger animal shelters in the KC area.

A secondary goal was intended to be the sheltering and adoption to good homes of wayward ferrets. In reality this is our primary activity and consumes most of our resources. We no longer do any ferret sitting but do make referrals to veterinarians who provide this service. In 2002 we took in 109 ferrets. Of these 48 were a group confiscated by the state from a woman who was breeding, 10 were 2-3 week old babies that someone "mistakenly" bred (we were able to save 5), and 5 were found rather than given up. We placed 123 ferrets including 22 of the confiscated group that went to other shelters, and 19 who were fostered. We had 10 deaths, an unusually high number for us but 5 of these were babies that were just too young to survive. And we had 18 returns, including fosters that needed additional attention. Our contract stipulates that if an adopted ferret ever needs to be given up it must come back to us. Ferrets that come back more than once become permanent residents or are carefully fostered. We currently have 3 permanent residents including 2 V-hobs, one elderly and one younger one recently acquired and vasectomized. Almost all ferrets that are placed have been neutered or spayed and all have up to date canine distemper vaccinations.

Our third goal is the promotion of rational legal regulation regarding European Domestic Ferrets. To this end we testify at city council hearings and lobby individual city and county legislators. We were able to achieve legal status for ferrets in Kansas City, Missouri in 1994 by successfully having them removed from a list of dangerous animals. In 2001, however, we were unable to block city regulations requiring ferret licensing and rabies vaccination. The new ordinance also limits the number of ferrets a household may have. Although we have no objection to having ferrets vaccinated against rabies we feel it is unfair that ferrets are the only small animals whose numbers per household are limited or whose licensure is required.
Organization Type: Shelter