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June 17, 2008
By Karen Hambridge
Coventry Telegraph
NOT everyone fancies a cat or a dog as a pet.
More and more households are turning to exotic animals to satisfy their
desire for creature companionship.
From snakes and spiders to ferrets and lizards, these creatures are
attracting legions of fans.
* Ferrets
ROSE MORRIS'S first ferret had the diet of a king, or a boxer, take
your pick.
Steak and eggs it was for the aptly named Tyson (after the prizefighter
pugilist who famously bit off an opponent's ear) even though this high-protein
combination is about as far removed as possible from correct ferret food.
Two decades ago ferret keeping, purely as a pet, was in its infancy.
Owners made it up as they went along, attempting to glean information
along the way because pet shops and even vets were far from expert in
the care of ferrets.
Rose, 65, who retired from her hospital catering job six years ago,
recalls how she had never seen a ferret before buying Tyson for her son
Darren as a birthday gift.
"Ferrets were completely unknown to me, I didn't really know what it
was.
"In fact, not a lot was known about ferrets as pets. We bought Tyson
and got him a rabbit hutch to live in and put hay down inside, all of
which was suggested to us as the best way to keep him.
"We know now you're not supposed to keep them outside in a rabbit hutch
and you should never use hay as bedding as it affects their chests.
"Then of course we were feeding him steak and eggs which is not a good
diet for ferrets, they need a balanced diet.
"It was a real learning curve and we ended up getting our information
from America by browsing the internet."
Still the Morris clan, Rose, hubby Arthur and son Darren, must have
been doing something right with Tyson because he lived to the ripe old
age of seven - a good innings for a ferret - and he became quite a celebrity.
Rose would take him out for walks on a lead just like a dog. They even
strode the Mercia Sound Walkathon together, which made a novel sight.
The family were soon hooked on the whole ferret-keeping business.
Even though they had a cat and a collie dog, it was Tyson who ruled
the roost.
"He had a bed in the bathroom and one in my knicker drawer. When we
had visitors he'd come racing downstairs and poke his nose round the
living room door and if he liked the look of the person he'd come in
for a fuss but if not he'd turn his nose up and scamper back upstairs.
"He'd lie with the cat and the dog on the sofa and they just sort of
put up with him."
They even took in a rescue ferret. And things really snowballed when
they started accepting abandoned or unwanted ferrets from all over the
country.
Between 1986 and 1989 they took in more than 1,000 ferrets. "We didn't
have the heart to turn them away," said Rose.
Arthur built proper runs and they bought specialised food, previously
only available in the States.
In 1999 they registered as an organisation and became Mercia Ferret
Welfare.
Today Rose says they are the biggest ferret rescue and rehoming group
in the country with affiliates nationwide who assist with ferret welfare
in their own areas.
At present they have 75 rescue ferrets but in the summer they may get
up to 200 because unwanted and unexpected babies - called kits - are
handed in.
Rose is still amazed at the general ignorance of owners which leads
to the animals being abandoned or mistreated.
"People decide they want an unusual pet and so they go for a ferret
but often they're simply not cutout to be ferret owners or don't have
the first clue about how to deal with them.
"People buy a cute kit not realising that when they get to three or
four months old they are going to be little terrors."
She adds: "They're so sociable, they want to be around you all the time
and they love being with one another. If you just have one ferret in
a pen by itself it will be depressed and aggressive.
"You could put them in the biggest run possible and you would still
find they all cosy up with one another to sleep.
"The more time and affection you put in with a ferret the more love
you will get back."
And for Rose and Arthur ferret keeping has become a way of life.
"I love ferrets. They are such rewarding pets.
"I know they are becoming more popular as pets but my advice to anyone
is not to rush out and buy an animal.
"Do some research first. We are more than happy for people to come along
and meet the ferrets and handle them and see first hand what they are
like.
"You might find ferrets aren't for you but then again you may fall in
love with them like I did."
* Fact File - FERRETS
* IT is likely the ancient Greeks domesticated ferrets and it is known
the Romans used ferrets to hunt rabbits.
* EVIDENCE suggests Romans brought ferrets to Britain but they were
not well recognised until Norman times when the invading French used
them for rabbit control.
* FERRETS were taken to America probably because they were used for
rodent control on ships.
* MOST people believe the ferret is a descendant of the European polecat
as it can breed with the polecat and produce offspring.
* IN the late 1960s ferrets began to be kept as pets and are now increasingly
recognised as pets.
* WORKING ferrets to hunt rabbits is still popular.
* FERRETS live for an average of eight years and are very sociable animals
so hate to be on their own.
* Reptiles
WITH cornsnake babies you never know what you're going to get - gold
and uniform or red, yellow, white or even purple and striped.
The pretty patterns, pretty colours and of course the all-important
surprise element makes every new hatching a delight.
That's part of the reason reptile lover Nick Ashley owns 18 North American
cornsnakes. Oh and there's five geckos too for good measure.
The 28-year-old from Kenilworth, who runs Godiva Reptiles in Momus Boulevard,
Coventry, has had an interest in all things cold-blooded for some years.
And while snakes are not the obvious choice for someone wanting to stroke
and cuddle their pet, they are pleasant to touch, not slimy or cold,
they are warm and soft.
Nick might not sit with a cornsnake nestled on his lap like a cat but
he does regularly take them out and handle them to ensure they are used
to human contact.
As pets go he says they are pretty inexpensive and relatively easy to
look after - but their feeding habits might not be to everyone's taste.
"They grow to about 5ft but as long as they have a big enough tank they're
quite happy," said Nick, whose shop stocks all manner of exotic life
including tarantulas, boas, pythons, monitor lizards, mantis and frogs.
"They eat mice so you can either feed them baby mice or these special
sausages which basically is ground-up mouse.
"It can be a little off-putting at first but you do get used to it.
"I'm a strict vegetarian but I have no problems feeding my snakes what
they need."
Geckos are a recent addition to Nick's personal reptile menagerie.
A friend raved about the tiny, quick-moving lizards and Nick decided
to see what the fuss was about.
"They are funny little things and quite amusing to watch. They all have
different personalities and can be a bit skittish."
Nick says the interest in reptile ownership is enormous.
"It's a huge sector of the pet market, people want to own something
a little unusual. But obviously it's not for everyone.
"People either like reptiles or they don't, it's as simple as that."
* Fact File - CORNSNAKES
* CORNSNAKES grow to an adult size of around 2½ft to 5ft.
* THEY come in a range of colours but all have a V shape on their head.
* THEY are the best starter snake to have as a pet as they are calm
natured and can be handled, fed and maintained easily.
* THEY come from southeast America and northeast Canada and need high
temperatures during the day to allow their food to digest.
* Fact File - GECKOS
* LEOPARD geckos grow to between nine and 12 inches.
* IN captivity they live between 15 and 22 years.
* THEY are native to central Asia, particularly Pakistan, India and
Afghanistan and live in dry desert or semi-arid areas.
* DURING the day they hide away from the heat under rocks in burrows
they dig or in burrows abandoned by other animals.
* GECKOS can regenerate their tails if they are injured or amputated.
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