Canadian Ferrets

[lefertmama]

Hi I live on Vancouver Island in British Columbia Canada, ferrets have been a large part of my life for almost 19 years and I have found that Canada is very limited on resources for ferrets owners. Especially in western Canada. I contacted our local shelter here and asked if they ever receive ferrets and they said that they don't, I kind of find that hard to believe and I fear they just euthanize them if they come in.  I want to start a rescue here to help find homes for these babies but can't find any info on how to do so, super limited info on ferrets, everything is cats and dogs.  Does anyone else in here from Canada find it hard to get good ferret care, supplies, bylaw and rescue information?

[Heather]

It's hard work and often you have to go out of country for good supplies (buy in US and UK). I'm lucky, if I've got shelter questions I just ask either Ferret Aid in Mississauga or the Ottawa shelter/rescue. Both are relatively local for me. I looked into it many years ago.....talked with Randy (ferret aid) about it and decided that I couldn't deal with the regulations and restrictions (I feed raw and I don't believe in vaccines the way you need to when running a shelter) I've worked with a couple of smaller shelters and rescues but for the most part I do rescue in my immediate area on my own. Hospice and rehabbing biters is what I really work with. It's fantastically rewarding, often frustrating, definitely heartbreaking and very expensive even with the breaks offered at the vet's office.
ciao

[Celene]

lefertmama I live in Vancouver (the city, not the island ) and find it difficult/impossible to find ferret-specific supplies. I had to kill time the other day and wandered into Petsmart. Nearly all their ferret food was Marshall's (I had no idea they made so many varieties of crap) and some 8-in-1. Super depressing.

In BC there is a small rescue in Maple Ridge (ABC Ferret Rescue) and Ferrets North which is based in Prince George (although from my understanding they have a network with fosters all over Northern BC. There is also a facebook page called BC Ferrets R Us which isn't a shelter, but more of a network and have an annual ferret picnic (last year's was in Surrey) which many people attend with their fuzzies.

Ferrets don't seem to be really common here, but that lack of general knowledge/support leads to SO MANY craigslist posts trying to sell/give away ferrets. We took in Mocha and Nova from a lady who was giving them away for free - NOT because we weren't willing to pay an adoption fee but because we were terrified of the sort of place they would end up in, being giving away free "first come, first serve" from a lady who asked me absolutely no questions about my home/knowledge/ferret experience

[Deleted]

Jan 18, 2015 15:51:22 GMT -5 lefertmama said:

Hi I live on Vancouver Island in British Columbia Canada, ferrets have been a large part of my life for almost 19 years and I have found that Canada is very limited on resources for ferrets owners. Especially in western Canada. I contacted our local shelter here and asked if they ever receive ferrets and they said that they don't, I kind of find that hard to believe and I fear they just euthanize them if they come in.  I want to start a rescue here to help find homes for these babies but can't find any info on how to do so, super limited info on ferrets, everything is cats and dogs.  Does anyone else in here from Canada find it hard to get good ferret care, supplies, bylaw and rescue information?

There used to be a ferret shelter (FIRST= Ferret Information & Rescue Society Trust) but I don't think they operate anymore. I believe that Little Mischief IS still running however, and you can always get in contact with them to find other shelters to volunteer for as I think they would know better than I who is running rescue operations. My old vet in BC told me that all ferrets are basically transferred from the SPCA to ferret rescues or kept at his or another ferret-vets' office until they are rehomed. This particular vet works very closely with the SPCA (does exotic and wildlife rescue, and SO MANY routine spay/neuters) and their van is literally parked in front of his office 5 days a week dropping off animals so he would know.

There are also many cases of the ferrets being surrendered to vets, and being rehomed through their offices rather than setting foot in a shelter. As for supplies, I don't find it particularly difficult as I make my own bedding, and purchase "cat food" and "cat toys" and "cat health supplements" and "cat litter" and "pre made raw cat food" for Rolo..... the pet store staff would never know I owned a ferret except for the fact that I sometimes bring him with me to visit, as I have a pet stroller and he loves riding around it in it. He will stand on his hind legs and hold onto the mesh and stare out as we ride along!


Anything really hard to find, such as Rolo's litter box or food/water dishes (which most stores carry) you can always order from Amazon! Their Canadian pet shop gets better and better selections every day.

[Celene]

Truthfully, since I make hammocks and beds and such, and feed them raw I really have no need for "ferret-specific" items. I think the only purchased ferret thing I own is their harnesses... And their cage obviously. @henrika, what cat toys does Rolo like? I always buy dog toys since they tend to be more resistant to chewing.

As for rehoming, I think a HUGE amount of it is done through craigslist. Although ferrets aren't very common here and most pet stores don't carry them.

[Deleted]

Mar 16, 2015 21:37:15 GMT -5 Celene said:

Truthfully, since I make hammocks and beds and such, and feed them raw I really have no need for "ferret-specific" items. I think the only purchased ferret thing I own is their harnesses... And their cage obviously. @henrika, what cat toys does Rolo like? I always buy dog toys since they tend to be more resistant to chewing.

As for rehoming, I think a HUGE amount of it is done through craigslist. Although ferrets aren't very common here and most pet stores don't carry them.

Rolo really is not a chewer. Like, at all lol. He mostly just enjoys stashable stuffy toys and ADORES tennis balls.... he will line them up in a row. He sleeps with his stuffed animals all horded up in the crinkle tunnel which he shares with the cats. He also adores his dryer duct tubing, and there are some teaser toys he loves to play with but only when I'm around to supervise so he doesn't get strangled/tangled in them.



As for ferret supplies, there are TONS of stores in BC that carry them - Bosleys, Mr. Pets, Pet Culture, PetLand, Petsmart, etc. With the exception of Petsmart and Bosleys, all those stores sell ferrets. Mr. Pets generally does a great job across all locations caring for their live animals, and with the larger stores like PetCulture & PetLand it is more location dependant. My brother actually just started working at Pet Culture and at his location they take the ferrets out every day to run around the store on harnesses or put them in a playpen with different toys etc. His location also has them displayed properly in a Ferret-Nation type cage, though I can't remember if it was actually the FN brand.

The Mr. Pets my mom shops at also takes their ferrets out - they're often playing in a pen or on harnesses when she goes in to buy cat food. I once went in after work and was waiting for my mom to meet me there to buy cat food & go home, and they were cleaning the ferret cage so the employees literally just handed the ferrets out to people to play with. (They keep them super well socialized and I've never head of this particular store turning out a biter.)