Hints from Heloise

Dear Heloise: My husband and I had four ferrets – it was like living with a circus. They are so much fun, but very curious, much more so than a cat. We would advise anyone who is going to obtain a ferret to first get a book on raising ferrets and make sure you have a vet who knows about caring for them.

Ferret-proof your house, making sure there are no holes or small places your ferret can get into where you can’t get to it. Ferrets like to play hide-and-you-go-seek. Also, they like to eat a lot of small meals and drink a lot of water, so that has to be available to them at all times. Only approved ferret food is advisable – not cat food.

It is better if you can obtain two instead of one. They get lonely if they are by themselves, and they are not good pets for small children under 10. They also take a great deal of time, patience and lots of love. Ferrets are considered exotic pets, so veterinarian bills can be expensive. – A Reader, via e-mail