Volunteer Meet

For those living in Prince George and area that are interested in volunteering with Ferrets North Information and Rescue Society or who are simply curious ABOUT the society, we are having a gathering July 12 from 2 to 3 pm at Fort George Park. We will be meeting by the band shell and can be identified by the fact that we will most likely be the only people in the park with our ferrets.
See you then!

(Society Ferrets are magic and can defy the laws of gravity)

Making Progress...

The purpose of Ferrets in the North was to connect ferret owners, enthusiasts, future ferrents and people who wanted to re-home their pets, as well as those who were simply curious about the animals... not content to sit idly by, we at Ferrets in the North are taking it ONE STEP FURTHER! Ferrets in the North is becoming a real-life ferret rescue!
Our formal BC government approved name: Ferrets North Information and Rescue Society. Our goals are to educate, rescue and re-home ferrets in Prince George and (as we grow) Northern BC.


We are having a volunteer meet as well as an information day July 12 (location to be determined - we are hoping for Fort George Park), so any interested parties can feel free to attend. We will also be having a member sign up and FERRETS ARE WELCOME! Bring your fuzzies along for the fun! Details of the event will be posted as soon as they become known, so stay tuned!

For those who enjoy reading this blog: don't worry! It will still be here! After all, a little extra ferret information is always a good thing!

The Case for Cat Milk

When a ferret requires a bit of fattening up, many people recommend different supplements and foods such as ferretvite (in the tube, not the multivitamin water additives), cream, ensure, baby food and so forth. One thing that I have never heard recommended, and I feel should certainly be used is Whiska's cat milk, rather than cream.

Cream, due to the lactose, can cause an already weakened ferret's condition to worsen as many ferrets cannot digest cream properly. In other words: if a ferret is already weak, does it make sense to be giving them what amounts to a high fat laxative? This is not a problem with Whiska's cat milk.
Cat milk is a high fat, reduced lactose cream supplement designed specifically for cats who, like ferrets, are often unable to digest lactose as adults. In my experience, I have found that most ferrets that will drink cream LOVE cat milk. Cat milk provides the same benefits as cream is supposed to with a reduced risk of causing your ferret to suffer from diarrhea! Cat milk can also be used to hide the taste of small amounts of Pepto-Bismol (which is great for preventing ferret tummy aches), and, as an added bonus, cat milk is fortified with a small amount of taurine!

Deafness in Ferrets: A bit about Waardensburg Syndrome

If you are familiar with ferrets, you have undoubtedly heard that blaze ferrets are more prone to deafness than other ferrets. This is true. The reason behind it is a genetic condition known as Waardensburg Syndrome.Waardensburg Syndrome results in the underdevelopment of the cochlear of the inner ear, and is found in ferrets with white heads* such as blazes, pandas and DEWs. The same genetic codes that cause the ferret to have a white head can also cause the ferret to be deaf or hard of hearing. This is not to say that ALL ferrets with white heads ARE deaf, simply that they are genetically predisposed to deafness. In other words: ferrets with white heads are not all deaf, but they are MORE likely to be deaf than, say, sable ferrets.

*Albinism is caused by a genetic condition which is entierly different than Waardensburg Syndrome; albinism is not an indication of deafness but, due to the complications with eye development resulting from lack of pigment, albinism in ferrets has been attributed to poor(er) eyesight and potential blindless