Flood of ferrets prompts rehoming plea

The Scottish SPCA has had an influx of ferrets to its rehoming centres.

The charity is currently caring for more than 60 of the mustelids across its nine animal rescue and rehoming centres.

Its Angus centre has cared for 16 ferrets this year alone and the longest resident has now been there for more than 12 months.

Graeme Innes, deputy head of field operations, said the reasons behind the sudden influx of the animals is unclear and they can make ideal pets with the right owners.

He said: “We’re currently caring for more ferrets than usual across all our centres.

“Sadly, these animals are consistently overlooked for rehoming and tend to stay in our care for a long time. It’s a shame as they can make fantastic pets in the right homes.

“We’re not sure what’s driving the increase in ferrets coming in to our care. It could be that people didn’t want them any more when the reality of owning one of these animals set in!

“Although they are great for adult homes, or homes with older teenagers, they’re not really suitable as children’s pets as they can nip.

“They also need a lot of enrichment and exercise as they’re highly social, intelligent creatures who love interacting with their owners. They shouldn’t just be left in a cage and forgotten about.

“However, if you’re willing to put the time and effort in to caring for them they can be incredibly rewarding animals to own. They’re very inquisitive and cheeky and will definitely bring a lot of fun in to their new owners’ lives!

“If anyone is looking for a friend for their existing ferrets, we’d love to hear from you as we have so many in our care that we’re sure we can find the perfect match.

“If anyone is also thinking about becoming a first-time ferret owner then please consider adopting an animal and giving them a second chance.”

Centre receptions are open from 1pm until 4pm daily and and enquiries be by telephone or by dropping in with any questions about adopting one of these animals.

Graeme added: “We’d love to see these overlooked animals start to generate some interest and get the loving forever homes they deserve.”

Details can be found on the Scottish SPCA website.