A Happy Ending

In March last year, I had just set off for a walk along the Ridgeway with a friend and her two black labs when with great camera excitement I noticed something moving in the undergrowth. It was a Ferret!  A second look confirmed it and Dylan was already investigating.I was a little surprised to see him and also how calm he was around the dogs, but by this time all four dogs had gone over to say hello. We watched him for a while and after some discussion with my friend I decided that he was obviously tame and if left would no doubt get eaten or run over as we were not far from the main road.

He was quite happy exploring the area while the discussions took place. A few more photos were taken! I couldn’t resist! He looked so sweet and harmless.How do you catch a Ferret? They have big teeth and don’t let go if they get hold!

My friend was on crutches so she would not be able to participate in the catch! However, like a knight in shining armour came a neighbour on his mountain bike and stopped to see what we were doing.  I explained that the plan was to capture the Ferret and put in one of my dog cages. So off I trotted back to the car, got the dog cage, and the fun began!  I won’t bore you with the detail but the brave knight got behind the Ferret, picked him up (Gloves on) and hurled him (gently of course) into the dog cage! BRAVO!

I took him back to the car, and left him in there while we walked the dogs. I gave him a towel I had in the back to snuggle into.  It wasn’t until we were half way round that I started to panic, … what if he escaped and I had visions of him shredding the car in his desperation to escape!!!

I was rather relieved to find him asleep when I returned. So home he came and I moved him and the cage into the shed, he was rather smelly so there was no way he was coming into the house and it was evident from the little black dots now moving all around the towel that he was infested with fleas too… what a delight and what to do with this little fella…

After a little search on the internet I came across STA Ferret Rescue and sent them an email. I got a very quick response and they said they would not be able to collect him until the morning… Phew!  Little Ferret was happy in the shed and had enjoyed the chicken breast I had given him for supper!

The next morning he seemed happy enough,  was waiting at the front of the dog cage for breakfast and had some more chicken before he was collected at lunchtime.

I checked up on him later that day and Claire confirmed he had arrived safely she said that the Poor little boy was covered in ticks as well as fleas, but he was very patient and let her take them off without objecting. He was quite nervous and gripped onto her like a little koala, and she had got the feeling he’s been kept in a very small cage as he pooed in the nest box and eating area which apparently is not normal for a ferret, as they are very clean animals, and tend to “do their business” as far away as possible from those areas. He was named Pip as in Pipsqueak because he was so small.

She said he was a sweet boy,  was eating well and would now have the chance to find a lovely home.  He had also been booked in to be castrated and would they would try to mix him with a friend. – All in all a very lucky boy!

I came across his photographs a couple of days ago and wrote to ask if he had been rehomed!  Of course he had. Click on this link to see him all cleaned up. He was rehomed in April 2014.  http://www.starescue.org.uk/pip/4583734592I am glad he got the chance to have a good life.

Thank you for reading this post.