Sable

Representatives of the order Carnivora descend from miacids, the mustelids separated from them during the Eocene, approximately 40 million years ago. The first representatives of the genus Mustela appeared in the Miocene, approximately 20 million years ago and gradually gave rise to ermines, minks, weasels, and polecats. It is from the domestication of the latter that the ferret emerged. In Europe, the domestication of the ferret, probably from the North African polecat, preceded the appearance of the cat by more than five centuries. The use of the ferret by humans for hunting rodents and rabbits can be found as early as 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 remains a subject of 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 request help from Emperor Augustus. He sends them an animal specially trained for rabbit hunting, which is muzzled and placed 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 onwards, 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 pet throughout the Middle Ages and this use did not fall completely into disuse until the Romantic period. 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 compared to the hand of the lady can be estimated at between 45 and 55 cm against 22 to 32 cm for an ermine, and whose front paws are not stocky enough, is clearly an albino ferret, even if Leonardo intended to represent the ermine, symbol of purity.

Like the dog, domestication of the ferret has resulted in pronounced 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, facilitating cohabitation with its owners. Regarding its defecation, it relieves itself in a specific place like a cat. However, unlike the cat, ferret owners often resort to multiple litter boxes distributed throughout the home. Indeed, the pressing nature of the ferret's needs does not allow it time to travel long distances to reach a single litter box. Unlike the dog, the ferret does not necessarily need outings. It is not possible to let a ferret go outside alone as it would eventually wander off and get lost; a leash is therefore mandatory. For the same reason, when the ferret owner has a garden and wants their animal to enjoy it freely, the garden must be enclosed and must not present any possibility of escape. An electronic microchip allows the animal to be more easily found if it is lost. It is mandatory if it travels within the European Union. The ferret tolerates punishment poorly; education is thus based essentially on rewards, making it primarily an education through positive incentives. It is perfectly possible to teach a ferret various tricks; however, in accordance with the type of education required, the ferret will always act based on an expected reward and never to please its owner as would be the case with a dog (hierarchical relationship). Pavlov's reflex plays an important role in ferret 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 of its owner for play. Play holds an important place in its activities. It is an animal that likes to attract its owner's attention and its instinctive curiosity pushes it to incite play and involve itself in their activities. The ferret does not perceive itself in a hierarchical relationship like the dog; its obedience is therefore more limited. The sleep of the ferret is a peculiarity among pets. Its owner 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 approximately 37°C and its heart rate slows. Upon waking, the ferret must recover its activity temperature of 39°C; it trembles strongly to warm itself, giving the impression of shivering. Although 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 pets. 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 due to its instinctive curiosity and its grasping ability, domestic accidents with ferrets are much more frequent than with the dog or cat. This tendency has an impact on the relationship with its owners, which is more protective with a ferret than it would be with a dog or cat. Indeed, a ferret, even as an adult, requires supervision.

Like all pets, the ferret is susceptible to being a vector of zoonoses. This applies both to anthropozoonoses (diseases transmitted from humans to animals, such as human flu) and zoonanthroposes (diseases transmitted from animals to humans, such as rabies). Although a ferret is smaller than a dog or cat, it requires as much maintenance. It does not require daily outings unlike a dog, but it must be able to come out of its cage at least 2 to 4 hours per day. The ferret must be treated against internal and external parasites. A baby ferret must be dewormed every month during its first 6 months and then once an adult 2 times per year (every 6 months), as well as regularly treated against parasites such as fleas or ticks. Usual antiparasitic treatments (spot-on drops) also protect the animal's ears. The ferret is sensitive to otoacariasis called "ear mites". Since the ferret's ear sebum is naturally brown, the usual diagnostic methods for dogs or cats cannot be applied to the ferret. In case of suspected infection, ear cleaning is done at two-week intervals using an antiparasitic topical treatment (for ferrets or kittens or, if necessary, for dogs with adjusted doses), or with products prescribed by the veterinarian if the condition does not improve. Claw trimming is generally performed based on their wear and length. 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 excess sebum. A sand box for it to roll in is more appropriate. Like other domestic carnivores, it is recommended to vaccinate the ferret against distemper, a still incurable deadly disease. Although this is nearly eradicated in France, it still appears sporadically. Only the C valence is necessary; in the absence of a vaccine with only the C valence, a vaccine with the CH valences is generally used. Like any carnivore, the ferret can be contaminated by the rabies virus; moreover, rabies vaccination is mandatory in several countries and for border crossings. It is required if the ferret circulates within the European Union. The ferret is particularly sensitive to vaccine-induced distemper upon initial vaccination because of the use of vaccines for dogs (attenuated live virus or other types), the only vaccines available in Europe.