Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1893-06-09
FERRETS In NEW YORK.
OVER A THOUSAND OF THEM IN
USE IN THE CITY.
They Drive Away Rats Harmless as
Kittens When They Are Not Hun
gry-.-Thefr Habits.

gry--Their Habits.
TIERRETS are becoming popular
H as pets in many of the big
business houses of New York,
and in houses in the city and
suburbs. 1t is not necessarily the
ferocious little animal it is supposed to
be when it is brought up amid quiet
surroundings and is fed regularly every
day. It's fighting qualities, however,
when attacked by the big rats that are
brought to this port from South
America, are shown to great advantage.
There is no pluckier little fighter in the
animal kingdom.
1t is estimated that over 1000 ferrets
are owned or hired by the proprietors
of big buildings in New York and
Brooklyn that have been infested with
rats. These animals, which have been
trained carefully to do their work, will
answer @ call or whistle the same as
faithful dog, and will not leave build
ing in which they have been placed
until taken away. They are affection
ate little animals and appreciate good
treatment.
The ferret's original home was in
Africa, and some come from kentucky,
but many of the ferrets now in New
York have pedigree that runs back
to the importation of ferrets from
Ireland nearly quarter Of century
ago, and have been raised not far from
New York. They breed twice year,
from one to ten at time The mother
resents the handling of her young. Ii
one of them is touched when it is only
few days old, she will at once devour
it.
From seven to ten years is the or
dinary life of the ferret, but after five
years existence it becomes stupid,
passing most of the time in sleep, and
is no longer useful or interesting.
In order to be valuable in riddipg o
building of rats the ferret is trained
not to catch the rats, but only to drive
them away. The ferret's presence is
soon detected by the rats, and unless
the latter are particularly large and
vicious they will scamper off in short
order. The use OF ferrets to chase
rabbits out of holes is well known, al
though it is against the law in this
State. Many ferrets, however, ere
sold from Thanksgiving to Christmas,
and after the ferret has routed out the
rabbit from hole fox terrier out
side does the rest. If ferret, in the
course of training, persists in biting
rats it becomes necessary to muzzle it
or cut its teeth The reason is that
ferrets do their best work on a com
paratively empty stomach and if one OF
them ate rat it would make 1T SC
sluggish it wouldn't do any work fol-
three days. Trained ferrets bring
$3.50 q piece, and unframed ones
81 so.
''The details of the training OF fer
rets," said B. Isaacsen, who has been
training these little animals for gen.
Grafton, ''are, in measure, business
secret, and no two persons train them
i'll precisely the same way. But l will
tell YOU about one good method. Pu'
some rats in cage in room and ther
turn the ferret loose in the room and
don't give him anything to cat until he
finds the rats He will soon learn OF
what his meals depend. These ferrets
here answer as call their names, and
are glad to see me. The best OF the
three, the dark one with brown eyes
and very bushy tail, and the two light
colored ones with pink eyes, are al
gentle as pet cats or rabbits, and amy
child may play with them without the
slightest danger, especially after they
have been fed. If they have not eater
anything for number of hours pre-
paratory to setting out on rafting ex'
pedition, they may snap strnnger'f
fingers placed near them, but they dc
not give poisonous or painful bite
If the teeth closed on finger, they
would let go at once on pinching the
bottom of one of their feet, which art
very sensitive. :"
Ferrets are quite blind IN the day.
time, but are guided swiftly and ac'
curately by their keen sense of smell.
When they are attacked by the big
sewer rats they quickly get fatal hole
and exhaust the life blood of their as
sailants. Then they will eat the brains
of the rats if not called off. On one
occasion, Mr.. Isaacson used six ferrets
to rid vessel of large colony of rats,
some of which ranged from g pound tc
a pound and half i'll weight, and
were big enough to look like small rab.
bits. About 100 rats showed fight
against the six ferrets, who pluckily
kept their ground for time and killed
ut least dozen rats, but they would
have been overpowered if reinforce.
ments had not come to their rescue.
After the rats were scattered, the fer
rets aucceaded in 1riviuo them from