Charity in business to rehome ferrets

Oscar is just one of more than 78 ferrets currently seeking a new home.

The animal welfare charity is caring for over 78 of the mustelids after an inlflux of them across their nine animal rescue and rehoming centres, with four residing in the local Petterden centre alone.

The organisation looked after 321 across their centres in 2022.

Rachael Maclean, Scottish SPCA rehabilitations operations lead, said the number is unusually high

She said: “We’re not sure what’s driving the increase in ferrets coming into our care. It could be that people adopted these animals on a whim and then had to face up to the responsibility of caring for the pet long-term.

“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 when excited.

“Ferrets 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 have at home. They’re very inquisitive and cheeky and will definitely bring a lot of fun in to their new owners’ lives. If anyone is also thinking about becoming a first-time ferret owner then please consider adopting an animal and giving them a second chance.

“We also have a number of lovely personalities who would make excellent companions for existing ferrets.”

Among those seeking homes are Oscar and Arthur, who have been with the charity since last August. Oscar was found abandoned and Arthur was a stray.

Rachael added: “Sadly, ferrets like Oscar and Arthur 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.

“Please do get in touch if you’re interested in adopting a new furry friend. We’d love to see these marvellous mustelids start to generate some interest and get the loving homes they deserve.”

The charity can be contacted on 03000 999 999 and all the ferrets can be viewed and applied for at https://bit.ly/3alhGnL.