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Representatives of the order Carnivora descend from miacids; mustelids separated from them during the Eocene, approximately 40 million years ago. The first representatives of the genus Mustela appear in the Miocene, approximately 20 million years ago and gradually give rise to ermines, minks, weasels and polecats. The domestication of the latter is what gives birth to the ferret. In Europe, the domestication of the ferret, probably from the North African polecat, precedes the appearance of the cat by more than five centuries. The use of the ferret by man for hunting rodents and rabbits can be traced back to the 4th century BCE. The spread of the ferret throughout the rest of Europe was the work of the Romans. The Greeks and Romans used various mustelids for rat control and hunting, making it difficult to precisely distinguish the ferret in ancient writings. The nature of the Greek iktis is still subject to debate. In the 1st century BCE, Strabo describes rabbit hunting in the Balearic Islands (Gymnesiae insulae); to combat the massive proliferation of leporids, the inhabitants ask for help from Emperor Augustus. He sends them an animal specially trained for rabbit hunting, which is muzzled and put in rabbit warrens to drive them out. The procedure thus described corresponds exactly to the use of the ferret for hunting. From the 1st century, Columella clearly distinguishes between the ferret and the polecat. Pliny the Elder, his contemporary, describes ferret hunting in the same way it is practiced in the 21st century. The ferret, like the ermine, remained a companion animal throughout the Middle Ages and the use did not fall completely out of fashion until the Romantic era. The famous painting "Lady with an Ermine" by Leonardo da Vinci, a portrait of Cecilia Gallerani, attests to this fashion. However, the enormous animal, whose size in relation to the lady's hand can be estimated between 45 and 55 cm compared to 22 to 32 cm for an ermine, and whose front paws are not sufficiently stocky, is obviously an albino ferret, even if Leonardo intended to depict the ermine, symbol of purity.

As with the dog, the domestication of the ferret has led to the appearance of marked behavioral neoteny in this mustelid, in other words, the ferret retains juvenile behavioral traits throughout its life. This domestication process has also developed its educational capacities, thus facilitating cohabitation with its owners. Concerning its defecation, it does its business in a specific place, like a cat. But unlike the latter, ferret owners often resort to multiple litter boxes distributed throughout the home. Indeed, the urgent nature of the ferret's needs does not leave it time to travel long distances to reach a single litter box. Unlike the dog, the ferret does not necessarily need walks. It is not possible to let a ferret go outside alone because it would eventually stray and get lost; the leash is therefore mandatory. For the same reason, when the ferret's owner has a garden and wants their animal to enjoy it freely, the garden must be enclosed and not present any possibility of escape. An electronic microchip allows the animal to be found more easily if it is lost. It is mandatory if it travels within the European Union. The ferret integrates poorly with punishments; education is thus based essentially on rewards, making it primarily an education of positive incentives. It is perfectly possible to teach various tricks to a ferret, however, in accordance with the type of education required, the ferret will always act in function of an expected reward and never to please its master as would be the case with a dog (hierarchical relationship). Pavlov's reflex plays an important role in the ferret's learning. Although naturally crepuscular, the ferret can be educated to a diurnal lifestyle. The ferret is a social animal and needs to evolve in a gregarious domestic environment. It can be raised with other ferrets or other carnivores such as a cat or dog and will then have less need for its master to play. Play occupies an important place in its activities. It is an animal that likes to attract the attention of its masters and its instinctive curiosity drives it to incite them to play and to interfere in their activities. The ferret does not perceive itself in a hierarchical relationship like the dog; its obedience is thus more limited. The sleep of the ferret is a particularity among companion animals. Its master must thus adapt to this specific biological rhythm. The ferret sleeps approximately 12 to 18 hours per 24-hour period. When it sleeps, it enters a state of lethargy, and even if there is noise in its domestic environment, it does not wake up. Its body temperature drops from 39°C to about 37°C and its heart rate slows down. Upon waking, the ferret must recover its activity temperature of 39°C; it shivers strongly to warm up, giving the impression of shivering. Although being of ancient domestication, the ferret retains certain primitive characteristics. From a behavioral point of view, the bite of the young ferret distinguishes it from most companion animals. It disappears around the age of 4 to 6 months with education for 95% of ferrets but can sometimes persist in adulthood if the animal is poorly socialized or has not learned to control its bite. This is a rather particular case among domestic animals. Like other domestic carnivores, the ferret is a playful animal. But because of its instinctive curiosity and its grasping ability, domestic accidents with ferrets are much more frequent than with dogs or cats. This tendency has an impact on the relationship with its masters, which is more protective with a ferret than it would be with a dog or cat. Indeed, even an adult ferret requires close supervision.

Like all companion animals, the ferret is susceptible to being a vector of zoonoses. This applies both in the direction of anthropozoonosis (disease transmitted from human to animal, such as human flu) and in the direction of zooanthroponosis (disease transmitted from animal to human, such as rabies). Although a ferret is smaller than a dog or cat, it requires as much maintenance. It does not need daily walks unlike a dog, but it must be able to get out of its cage for at least 2 to 4 hours per day. The ferret must be treated against internal and external parasites. A baby ferret must be wormed every month for its first 6 months then once it is an adult twice a year (every 6 months), as well as be treated regularly against parasites such as fleas or ticks. Usual antiparasitic treatments (topical drops) also protect the animal's ears. The ferret is sensitive to otitis mites called "ear mange." Since the ferret's ear sebum is naturally brown, the usual diagnoses for dogs or cats are not applicable to ferrets. In case of suspected infection, ear cleaning is done at two-week intervals using an antiparasitic topical (for ferrets or for kittens or, failing that, for dogs with adjusted doses), or by products adapted and prescribed by the veterinarian if the condition does not improve. Toenail trimming is generally performed depending on their wear and length. The wear depends on the terrain on which the ferret moves. Bathing is not necessary for the ferret. On the contrary, baths that are too frequent or with unsuitable products damage the mustelid's skin and can cause excessive sebum. A sand box for it to roll in is more appropriate. As with other domestic carnivores, it is recommended to vaccinate the ferret against distemper, a still incurable fatal disease. Although it is almost eradicated in France, it still appears sporadically. Only the C valence is necessary; in the absence of a vaccine with only C valence, a vaccine with CH valences is generally used. Like any carnivore, the ferret can be contaminated by the rabies virus; moreover, anti-rabies vaccination is mandatory in several countries and for border crossing. It is required if the ferret circulates within the European Union. The ferret is particularly sensitive to vaccine-induced distemper on initial vaccination because of the use of vaccines for dogs (live attenuated virus or other types), the only vaccines available in Europe.