The British Veterinary Association Animal Welfare Foundation (BVA AWF) has launched a new practical guide designed to enable owners to provide the very best of care for their pet ferrets.

Produced in association with the Ferret Education & Research Trust (FERT), the leaflet reflects the growing popularity of these intelligent and curious animals as household pets.

Carl Padgett, Chair of the BVA AWF Trustees explained that,

"while ferrets can sleep for a large period of the day, when they are awake they are very active and need a lot of stimulation to occupy their time. They live an average of eight to ten years so a high level of commitment and care is needed but our new guide should ensure that even the novice owner has all the information necessary to ensure their pet’s health and welfare."

Covering the basics such as housing, feeding, health care and toilet training, the guide also offers advice on ‘ferret-proofing’ your home and garden, advice on games – ferrets particularly love hide-and-seek – and, very importantly, breeding and neutering as well as vaccination against Canine Distemper should owners be tempted to take their ferret for a walk on a lead and harness.

The ‘Caring for your ferret’ leaflet is available to download from the BVA AWF website at http://www.bva-awf.org.uk/resources/leaflets.

(Doug Powell and Ben Chapman, left, not exactly as pictured).