Helping Others

Even though our main goal at Ferrets North Information & Rescue Society is to help ferrets and ferret owners in Northern BC, we do, on occasion, assist with the rescue of ferrets elsewhere. This can be in the form of alerting the appropriate rescue to the situation of a specific ferret, bringing a classified ad in their area to their attention, or even, in extreme cases, raising the money to get a ferret in another part of the province out of harm's way.

Recently, a classified ad was brought to our attention and, because the ad was in the lower mainland, we brought it to the attention of someone in the lower mainland who is looking at starting up another rescue in that area to help deal with the overwhelming numbers of ferrets in need of assistance and rehoming.

The ad was for a pair of free ferrets. It stated that the ferrets were approximately 5-years-old and in need of a new home, as it was believed that the female ferret was developing adrenal disease, but was otherwise healthy. The ad did not mention any health concerns with the other ferret.

After contacting the people numerous times, the rescuer was finally contacted back and arrangements were made for her to pick up the ferrets.

She was expecting to find a pair of 4-5 year old ferrets - one healthy and one with mild adrenal disease which would need treatment as the disease progressed but was otherwise healthy.

Here is, in her words, what she found

"Zoe and Frank are the sweetest ferrets ...so gentle and cuddly. It is so sad that they have had 4 homes in their 7 years of life [vet records from their first home indicated their true age]. The cage that [the former owners] said was theirs was clearly the rabbits cage, the bedding stunk of mold and not been washed in forever. It was a sad state.

"The poor boy has cataracts in his eyes; he is pretty much blind. He cannot walk, his hind legs are just being dragged. They are both so skinny skinny and ate like they had not seen food in weeks.
The girl has no hair from the shoulder blades down and hind end weakness, her vulva is swollen and bloody.
They have both been started on prednisone and have had been given Lupron shots.

"The mites have been cleaned out of their ears and the fleas picked from their bodies, they have clean bedding , beds and hammocks. They were being rehomed because the dad did not want the vet bill.
I lost it. I asked them why I should [be responsible for] for the vet bill and was told that because I was a rescue, it was up to me to make them healthy because they [the owners] did not care if they made them [their pets] healthy or not. These two have not been loved in a while, and they deserve to be loved and cherished for their last days here on this planet."

Now, it is not often that people are prepared to take in such sick animals at the drop of a hat, and these two beautiful ferrets have more than their share of health problems. As such, their rescuer  could use some assistance in giving these two the best days of their lives. Anyone that is interested in helping can contact her at  ferretsfolly@gmail.com and find out how they can help. One of our volunteers has offered to supply the rescuer with a couple of melatonin implants for the pair, but more help is needed. If you are willing or able to help wit their ever increasing vet bills or in other ways please let her know - any assistance is appreciated. 

Ferret Cards!

So, when it comes to this time of year, people tend to send cards... Christmas Cards, Holiday Cards, Thank you cards... you get the idea.

Why not send some handmade ferret cards?

You can choose either to have us use pictures of our volunteer's ferrets, or have us make the cards using photos of YOUR OWN pets! And, to make things even more exiting, you can have us fill out the cards with the greeting of your choice - it can be as simple as a Merry Christmas, or as complex as a poem of your own composition!

 Cards are $3.50 each or 5 for $15 (before shipping).


To make this fundraiser even MORE lucrative, if you are a busy person, we will even ship the card directly to a third party at your request.





Cards are made after the order is placed. To order please e-mail info@ferretsnorth.org and specify number etc. A paypal invoice will be sent to you following the placement of the order and construction of the cards will begin once payment is cleared.

Thank you for your support.

Ferrets North Information and Rescue Society.

Please keep this in mind when rescuing or adopting a ferret

This is a story, author unknown, about shelter ferrets. Please keep this in mind if you plan on getting a ferret, and consider adopting rather than encouraging pet stores to flood the market with baby ferrets while some many wonderful older kits and adults go without, waiting for a home to call their own

Now that I'm home, bathed, settled and fed, all nicely tucked in my warm bed, I'd like to open my baggage Lest I forget, There is so much to carry- So much to regret.

Hmmm... Yes there it is, right on the top, Let's unpack Loneliness, heartache and loss, and there by my carrier hides Fear and Shame.

As I look on these things I tried so hard to leave- I still have to unpack my baggage called Pain.

I loved them, the others, the ones who left me, but I wasn't good enough - for they didn't want me.

Will you add to my baggage? Will you help me unpack? Or will you just look at my things- and take me right back? Do you have the time to help me unpack?

To put away my baggage, To never repack? I pray that you do - I'm so tired you see,

But I do come with baggage - Will you still want me?

When it rains... a flood of surrenders!

We at Ferrets North Information and Rescue Society, got 5 new ferrets in last week. Two pairs of females, and one male. None are up for adoption at this time, however, they will be soon so keep your eyes peeled =)

The first pair:
One pair came from a very good home that, due to allergies that flared up after getting a second ferret, could no longer keep the animals. The two girls are young. The older of the two is 8-9 months old, cinnamon, and deaf. She has beautiful burgundy eyes and an extremely loving personality. The younger one is only 3 months old and absolutely nutso. She is an adorable sable that loves running about dooking, but due to an extreme amount of energy, will likely need to be near free roam. We would like to keep these lovely girls together

The second pair:
Again, one cinnamon and one sable, these two girls are a bit older. Their owners simply no longer had time for them and as a result, they wound up being caged far more than they would have liked. The cinnamon who, at this time is reeling from the trauma of a home change, is a very sweet five year old female. We are not sure if she has mobility problems at this time as she had been caged a fair amount; her foster family is assessing her and working with her to build up her muscle. We will soon be able to tell whether the troubles are simply muscle loss of whether she has some neurological issues. Her friend is a two year old sable who, though a bit high strung, has a real taste for adventure. She comes out of her shell rapidly and loves to play. At this time the sable female has a rectal prolapse. We are keeping an eye on it and, if it does not remedy itself, will likely need surgical intervention. Though this pair does not seem to be good with other ferrets, they would make a lovely addition to any home looking for ferrets.

The male:
At this time, he is afraid of other ferrets and not quite sure how to be a ferret himself. His former owners rescued him from an abusive situation; he had been kicked repeatedly by his first owners when he was a kit and had sustained severe injuries to his hind end. Though his rescuers were able to get him walking again, this little guy has long lasting neurological issues. Because we are not sure how these issues will progress, this little guy may not be adoptable and may end up being permanently fostered by an experienced ferret owner. We are continuing to work on mobility with him and are gradually introducing him to other ferrets to see how he reacts.

Please help Durango and Wrangler

As many of you know, a set of eight ferrets have been surrendered to Ferrets North recently. Of these eight, two are in dire need of vet care. Here is a bit about them and their situation:
Durango was very likely a handsome sable ferret at one point in time. Unfortunately, before entering the society's care, Durango sustained blunt force trauma to the left side of his face. We are unsure of what, exactly, caused the trauma, but his current caregiver who is working at nursing him back to health suspects that he may have received a kick to the head. Fortunately, this blunt force trauma did not cause him to lose his eye and he did not suffer from any brain damage from the blow, unfortunately Durango did suffer from several broken teeth, damage which prevented him from eating. Durango, who, judging by his size should weigh AT LEAST 2.5 lbs weighed a mere 1.07 lbs at the time of his surrender. Though his weight is improving with careful feeding and constant care, he will need some dental work done to prevent his teeth from causing him any more pain and he will never be able to eat hard food again.
Wrangler is a sable male who is worse off than he first appears. He was a teensey bit thin when he was surrendered, but his spleen was rather enlarged causing us to bring him along when we took Durango to the vet. We had hoped that he would be suffering from nothing more than an enlarged spleen. Unfortunately, this was not the case. Wrangler's spleen, as it turns out, has a mass in it. This mass will, best case scenario, mean that the spleen will need to be removed. At worst, this lump in his spleen is the result of more advanced lymphoma.
Both ferrets will require several vet visits and any financial help that can be given towards their care would be greatly appreciated as we are a volunteer run society with few resources. Donations can be made by contacting PG vet (250-563-1541) or visiting www.pgvet.bc.ca and making a donation in the name of Durango the ferret. Donations can also be made to Ferrets North Information and Rescue Society in the same manner.

Thank you for your help!

Update: Wrangler, it seems, has terminal lymphoma. He has been placed in palliative care in a permanent foster home where he will live out the rest of his days.

Update: Durango is gaining weight and looking better everyday. He has started doing the "I WANT OUT" dance when he is in his cage and is showering his foster family with affection.

Update: Wrangler, whose name had been changed to Choochoo Bear by his family, passed away from his lymphoma Friday, March 26 at approximately 2pm. Meanwhile Durango, whose foster family renamed him Iggy, is doing wonderfully.

Foster Forms Available Now

Can you help a ferret in need?

Over the last few weeks, we've had a few people expressing interest in providing a foster home for ferrets that have been surrendered to us. Fortunately, we haven't had a need for this service yet, but word about us has been growing, and we will soon be taking in some ferrets, assessing their needs, and then attempting to find forever homes for them. In the meantime, however, we will need more volunteers to provide caring temporary homes for these fuzzy friends.

As we get to know the needs of the individual ferrets, we will be sharing information about them with our volunteers, but in the meantime we hope that anyone who thinks they might be able to foster a ferret take a moment to read our foster requirements, fill out our foster application form, and email it to ferretsnorth@gmail.com, subject line "Foster". These are available on our main site, www.ferretsnorth.org/#volunteer, or you can download the forms by clicking on the links below. Remember, a little bit of kindness can change the life of a ferret in need!

Foster Requirement (.pdf version)
Foster Requirements (.doc version)

Foster Application (.pdf version)
Foster Application (.doc version)

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 purpose of this blog...

The purpose of this blog is not simply to talk about my pets, but rather to act as a source of information about ferrets, especially for those dwelling in northern British Columbia. It is my hope that this blog will provide relevant, useful information to both current and prospective owners, and perhaps even help connect ferret enthusiasts, people wishing to find new homes for their ferrets and those wishing to add a ferret to their homes. Yes, this little blog does, indeed have BIG aspirations, but with any luck, at least some of them will come true.