Adoption information
Thirteen ferrets are available for adoption through Big Lick Ferret Shelter & Hospice. For more information, visit www.biglickferretshelter.org or e-mail Shannon Beltz-Walter at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

The shelter also offers a sponsorship program for terminally ill ferrets who remain in the shelter’s hospice care. Donations to the sponsorship will go directly to the ferrets’ health care and medical bills. For more information, e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Ferret facts

• The pet ferret was domesticated more than 500 years before the house cat and was used to hunt rabbits and vermin.
• Ferrets average from 1 to 5 pounds and grow between 12 and 24 inches.
• Dogs are more than 200 times more likely to bite than ferrets.
• Ferrets are the only domesticated member of the Mustelidae family. Its wild cousins include otter, mink, weasel and the native “black-footed” ferret, an endangered species.
• Despite being docile and trainable, ferrets are still considered “wild” or “exotic” animals in California and Hawaii and some counties and cities, including New York City, and are illegal to own. Virginia has no such law.
• A ferret cannot survive more than a few days on its own and will quickly die of starvation.