### animal | vertebrate | mammal:

Ferret
* All ferrets have an affinity for people.
* Help build the largest human-edited directory on the web.
* Many Ferrets are worth more in parts, than all together.
* Many ferrets also enjoy trash-can diving
  - are partial to the cat teaser toy, and bell toys
  - like to chase their human's feet and nip at ankles
  - love small hammocks that can be hung from the ceiling of the cage
  - start to have seizures, quite debilitating
* Most ferrets are classified as mammals
  - purchased or adopted already spayed or neutered
  - drink water
* Most ferrets eat dry food
* Most ferrets enjoy life
  - some fruits and vegetables
  - experience sudden death
  - generally get along with cats and dogs
* Most ferrets have bones
  - bright white teeth
  - diets
  - fluid
* Most ferrets have foul fluid
  - smell fluid
  - lifespans
  - lobes
  - sharp teeth
  - short legs
* Most ferrets kill baby chicks
  - live for years
* Most ferrets live in burrows
  - prairie dog burrows
  - love to dig
* Most ferrets make choices
  - food choices
  - sound
  - unhealthy food choices
  - never grow out of their playful stage
* Most ferrets prefer to burrow in cloth items such as old towels, blankets and sweaters
  - have all four feet in the litter pan when they use it
  - sleep within a relatively small, enclosed area
* Most ferrets require diets
  - meat protein diets
  - seek out prey
  - show fear
  - tend to be pretty reliable about using the litter box in their cage
* Some ferrets also like to take showers and baths with their owners
  - are bleed to death
  - attack small children
  - become pets
  - can suffer from scaly, itchy skin
  - carry rabies
  - complete skeletal growth
* Some ferrets develop illnesses
  - infection
  - many more illnesses
  - die from illnesses
* Some ferrets eat mammals
  - rodents
* Some ferrets eat small mammals
  - squirrels
* Some ferrets escape from boxes
  - cages
  - cardboard boxes
* Some ferrets get flu
  - human flu
  - go completely limp when scruffed
* Some ferrets have a buff coat with light markings
  - accidents
  - detectable viruses
  - discharge
  - gastrointestinal tracts
  - habits
  - predators
  - watery discharge
  - hiss regularly, and it's just their way of talking
  - kill prey
  - like to put their heads in their water bowls, covering their ears
* Some ferrets live in prairie
  - tunnels
  - naturally produce a dark brown ear wax
  - never seem quite as robust following an outbreak
  - reside in breed facilities
  - seem to be more prone to skin tumors than others
  - stay put, others do the dance of joy
* Some ferrets use burrows
* also are communal by nature, living in small family groups
  - communicate by using sounds and body language
  - get one to two hours of play time a day
  - have scent glands which release scent as a defense
* also like a variety of tastes, preferring chicken and lamb
  - variety, they get bored easily
  - lose weight in the Spring - sometimes almost twenty percent of their body weight
  - love to jump into the ice box and dishwasher
  - produce an odor by the anal scent glands
* also require different medical prevention from dogs or cats
  - meat protein rather than vegetable protein
  - sleep, hide from predators and raise their young in prairie dog burrows
* are Domestic pets and have no role in the food web.
* are a domesticated species of weasels
  - featherless favorite, and some say snakes are super
  - long-term commitment
  - lot of fun
  - very unique animal always playful, inquisitive, and loving
  - adorable little animals with long bodies that seem to change form with each movement
* are also at risk for heartworm which is carried by mosquitoes
  - excellent climbers
  - prone to getting hairballs
  - related to otters, skunks and badgers
  - relatively intelligent for having such silly small brains
* are also susceptible to canine distemper and rabies
  - human influenza and can easily pass it back to the human
  - amusing companions for children and can often get along with other household pets
  - an animal that has been kept in captivity for centuries
  - at the top of the carnivore end of the food-preference spectrum
  - available in a variety of colors including sable, white, seal-point and albino
* are by nature very clean animals, and do accumulate hairball's like cats do
  - curious animals
* are capable of bites
  - carrying and transmitting rabies
* are carnivores and require a diet high in protein and fat
  - that is very high in animal protein and fat
  - exclusively
* are carnivorous animals, meaning they are strictly meat eaters
  - they feed mainly on rabbits or ground nesting birds
  - carnivorous, they feed on small rodents, rabbits, birds, insects, lizards and frogs
  - cousins to the weasel, but more closely related to the European polecat
  - creatures of comfort, they like soft cuddly items
  - curious, active, and predatory
  - currently the third most popular pet in the United States
* are domestic and have been for thousands of years
  - in the truest sense of the word
  - energetic and playful needing several hours of free time outside of their cage each day
  - escape artists and are easily able to squeeze through the tiniest openings and cracks
  - extremely susceptible to heat exhaustion and heat strokes
  - fiercely solitary animals
  - fond of eating latex and foam rubber, leading to intestinal tract obstruction
  - friendly and nice but very smelly and very,very hyper
  - fun to watch
  - furries
* are generally happier when they have another ferret around to play with
  - legal everywhere in the United States except California and Hawaii
  - non-aggressive pets
  - quiet
  - very quiet animals
  - great fun and make great pets
  - hardy little creatures
  - high maintenance pets that require a lot of care
* are highly intelligent and learn tricks fairly easily
  - social creatures
  - house companions
  - illegal as pets in California
  - incredibly social, playful creatures
  - inquisitive, busy and adaptable
  - intelligent, resourceful, curious, frolicsome animals
  - just so damn cute and cuddly, they are great pets
  - kleptomaniacs
  - little guys, so their surgical anatomy is small
  - lively, inquisitive, and comical in their movements
* are located in apartments
  - arms
  - bad mood
  - boxs
  - bushs
  - classrooms
  - comic books
  - dens
  - deserts
  - fields
  - forests
  - homes
  - hutchs
  - kennels
  - leashs
  - movies
  - pet stores
  - pockets
  - riverbanks
  - shades
  - shoe boxs
  - skies
  - socks
  - stuff
  - trousers
  - wildernesses
  - worlds
* are mischievous and curious creatures
  - get into everything
  - animals and enjoy exploring everywhere they can reach
  - most adept at tunnel-hunting but are susceptible to larger carnivores above ground
  - mostly ground dwelling and eat small mammals, birds, lizards and frogs
  - much more delicate than a dog or a cat
  - mustelids
  - naturally inquisitive and can squeeze through very small spaces
  - neat pets
  - nocturnal
  - notorious for stealing and hording small objects and food
* are one animal that can bring out the real kid in everyone
  - of the most popular small animals available
  - permanently juvenile jokesters, and patience virtue for a pet parent
  - playful and they are very entertaining to watch
  - pretty bold in their jumping and playing
  - priced same as cats by age
  - profoundly curious animals
* are prone to fleas
  - hair balls
  - rambunctious, curious and lovable, with personalities all their own
  - rather dexterous and very persistent
  - real masters of escape
* are sexually dimorphic predators with males being substantially larger than females
  - with the male being larger than the female
* are small animals and blockages are very dangerous
* are small, fun loving animals that make wonderful pets
  - quiet, fastidious and incredibly social
  - so small that they can become critical quickly
* are social and playful by nature
  - creatures who depend on companionship
  - still exotic animals to the public, but also to most veterinary sur geons
* are strict carnivores, which means no vegetables, fruit, nuts, or grains of any kind
* are susceptible to a number of different diseases of the respiratory system
  - adrenal and insulinoma cancer
  - cold and flu viruses
  - many diseases of dogs and cats
* are susceptible to the common cold and several strains of human influenza
  - same influenza viral strains that affect humans
  - telepathic
* are the complete opposite
  - coolest pets in the world
* are the largest member of the mustelid family, which also includes stoats and weasels
  - mink-like animals that pop up in movies or on TV every so often
  - most versatile of pets
  - only animal in the world that catch the same cold and flu that humans do
* are the third most popular pet in America, behind dogs and cats
  - in the United States after cats and dogs
  - too small to kill a woodchuck
  - truly companion animals that thrive on love and attention - the more the better
  - unique creatures, furry and extremely adorable
  - usually most active in the early morning and evening
* are very adaptable pets
  - clean animals and normally never use the bathroom where they sleep
  - dramatic animals
  - finicky about where they do their 'business'
  - intelligent and learn quickly
  - intelligent, very playful, very sociable animals
  - neat animals and like to have a separate place for their bathrooms
  - playful, kind of like a permanent kitten
  - social animals and prefer to live together with other ferrets
  - social, affectionate, and interactive animals
  - voracious predators and their kills are often larger than they are
* are vulnerable to bubonic plague and canine distemper
  - common respiratory infections, including colds and flus
  - wild animals
* are, essentially, little tornadoes consisting of fur and pure energy.
* bear more resemblance to polecats than stoats.
* bite in two manners.
* can also be litter-box trained
  - picky eaters
  - develop special attachments to certain toys
* can be adventurous at times when trying new foods
  - litter-trained
  - messy so cages can contain their mess
  - very agile and quick animals
* can become aggressive from adrenal gland hormone overproduction
  - critically ill very quickly due to their small size and fast metabolism
  - de- hydrated and be in serious trouble in a matter of hours
  - frightened and nip when manhandled by children
  - sick just like people from contaminated water or even a change in water
  - catch a cold and the flu from people
  - develop ulcers on their own in times of stress
* can get along well with cats and dogs, and occasionally other animals
  - with other pets and even with children
  - cancer, pneumonia and other sicknesses
  - heartworms from mosquitoes
  - up inside of some refrigerators and get hurt on the fan
* can have a lot of different colours and markings on their fur
  - health problems just like any other animal
  - ingest goat's milk since it contains little lactose
  - make good pets
  - produce a skunk-like spray
  - spray when angry or frightened
  - very quickly suffer from dehydration
* combine the best features of dogs and cats with some unique features of their own.
* come in a variety of colors and patterns, ranging from self to fine point
  - such as sable, albino white, cinnamon, silvermit and black
* commonly break with the disease again after exposure to a clinically ill animal.
* compete in sack races, tube races and cup tipping.
* die from just about anything.
* do get rabies
  - make comical, adorable pets if properly cared for
  - occasionally have adverse reactions to vaccines
* drink less water from bottles than bowls
* eat depending on how hungry they are just like humans
  - many small meals a day due to their short digestive tracts
  - prairie dogs and have been reintroduced into some areas
* eat prairie dogs and live in prairie dog burrows
  - prairie dogs' burrows
* enjoy chasing games
* even suffer from some orthodontic conditions.
* experience death
* feed on prairie dogs.
* follow prairie dogs, their food of choice.
* frequently develop dry brittle coats when deprived of sufficient fat in the diet
  - kill adult kiwi
* generally prefer poultry and beef flavors over fish.
* get bored very easily, so provide a variety of toys for it to play with.
* go crazy as they try to bite the red and white plastic balls.
* have a black tip on the tail very much like stoats
  - distinctly musky scent that some people find offensive
  - high metabolism
  - knack for opening things
  - long and slender body covered in soft fur
  - musky odor, which is caused by scent and oil glands in the skin
  - natural light musky odor
  - reputation for being potentially vicious, even as pets
  - slight musky scent
  - tendency to develop more allergic reactions to vaccines as opposed to dogs and cats
  - very thick skin and play very roughly with each other
  - waterproof coat that is difficult to dry
* have an acute sense of smell and therefore use odors as an important form of communication
  - excellent sense of smell
  - undeserved reputation of being smelly
  - anal sacs filled with a strong-smelling secretion
  - color vision, but poor eyesight
  - difficulty using or digesting vegetable proteins
  - excellent hearing
* have extremely flexible bones, but they can be broken easily
  - tough skin and they play rough with each other
  - keen senses of hearing, smell and touch
  - long, slim bodies and short legs
  - no sense of direction in large areas
  - one central artery in the neck
  - relatively poor eyesight but a keen sense of smell and hearing
  - sensitive respiratory systems, and shavings can cause health problems
* have sharp teeth and occasionally bite when startled, excited, or handled improperly
* have short attention spans, so the more litter pans, the better
  - the typical teeth of a carnivore, including pronounced canines
  - three to four hour digestive tracts
  - tough skin and kits have sharp litter teeth
* have very short digestive tracts and a very high metabolism, so they have to eat often
  - specific nutritional needs
  - thick skin and bite the living tar out of each other without much fuss
* includes brains
  - breasts
  - cell membranes
  - cells
  - chest cavities
  - chests
  - corpi
  - cytoplasm
  - faces
  - nuclei
  - pedal extremities
  - piluses
  - plasma membranes
  - rib cages
  - sections
  - skulls
  - sterna
  - vacuoles
  - vertebrate feet
* instinctually seek out corners to urinate and defecate, so they are litter box trainable.
* lack a homing instinct, and with their incessant curiosity, quickly become lost.
* learn quickly and can be trained to come to cues such as bells or whistles.
* leave their scent.
* like to be outside
  - chew on leather, plastic, and rubber
  - ham it up and pose for pictures
  - hide under things
  - pounce, grab things in their mouths, and chew on spongy objects
  - rearrange their surroundings, which often means flipping their bowls
* literally beg for their Bandits.
* live by whatever schedule their owners adopt
  - exclusively where prairie dogs, their primary prey species occur
* live in a variety of habitats, most notably, forests and temperate scrublands
  - individually
  - only in prairie dog burrows and eat their hosts, almost exclusively
  - roughly for about forty five most preferred toy or for sleeping
  - up to ten years and are on the endangered species list
* love the excitement and sociability of being out and about
* love to chase the ball around the loop
  - climb into the base of open recliners and can be inadvertently crushed
  - dig in dirt
  - play in tubes or other semi-tight places
  - steal loose objects and wrestle
  - worm their way into any little hole
* make a delightful pet mainly due to their curiosity
  - construction difficult
* make good pets because of their playful nature and their affinity for people
  - if properly cared for and well handled
* make unhealthy choices
* metabolize beta carotene very much like humans.
* move in a prancing fashion when running.
* naturally emit a musky odor that varies in strength.
* naturally have a light, musky odor
* need attention
  - carbohydrates
* never spray their scent as do skunks.
* normally tremble for two reasons.
* occasionally have reactions to vaccinations.
* often have some sort of medical disorder in their lives
  - shake and tremble, esp after they just wake up
  - sleep together for comfort as well as warmth
* play hard and sleep hard
* pose less a risk to native species than cats and dogs.
* prefer corners so place the litter box in a corner away from food and water.
* prey on small animals
  - young rabbits
* range from geriatric to postoperative.
* reach sexual maturity usually in the spring after their birth
  - their adult weight by six months of age
* react like humans to the influenza virus.
* rely almost entirely on prairie dogs for food and shelter.
* require A LOT of attention
  - a lot of attention and supervision to be happy and healthy
  - annual vet visits
  - at least a portion of one adrenal gland to live
  - daily interaction with people, and a chance to explore and exercise
  - high amounts of meat protein and fat
  - large cages, preferably with multiple floors
  - love and lots of it
  - veterinary checkups with annual vaccinations for canine distemper and rabies
* retain their playfulness throughout their lives.
* return from near-extinction.
* routinely have a thinning of their haircoat during the spring and summer.
* secrete more oil to replenish what is lost from bathing.
* seem especially prone to intestinal blockages from swallowed foreign bodies.
* shed twice a year and do so in about two weeks time.
* sleep in strange positions
  - much of the time, but when awake are both curious and highly active
  - quite a bit, even adults
* spend a good portion of their day sleeping.
* stay underground most of the day and hunt at night, so they can be hard to spot.
* tend to be more juvenile in behaviour compared to polecats
  - chip their canines on various things
  - have itchy skin
  - tolerate chemotherapy well, usually with few significant side effects
  - urinate and defecate within a few minutes after waking up
* turn affectionate in their own time.
* typically enjoy interacting with other pets in the household.
* use their front paws like little hands to grasp, groom, and dislodge food particles
  - long bodies for many different things
* usually hunt at night and sometimes eat animals such as snakes, squirrels and mice
  - like to sleep piled together in a heap
  - lose fur twice a year when they shed - in spring and in the fall
  - reach full adult size by the age of six months
+ Ferret, Characteristics: Mustelids :: Pets
  * It looks like a weasel or a rat, with a long thin body. Ferrets can have a lot of different colours and markings on their fur. A lot of ferrets in one place will sometimes have a strange scent. This is because of natural oils produced by the ferrets.