Ferrets are extremely intelligent creatures that come off the showroom
complete with a high-end sensory system emphasizing the senses of smell,
hearing, and touch.  Of all the ferret's senses, perhaps the most
important is the olfactory; at least a third of the volume of the
ferret's skull is dedicated to the sense of smell.  The wide range of
sound frequencies heard and the large auditory bullae evidence the
importance of hearing.  Hypersensitive facial whiskers, a delicate nose,
and tactilely "touchy" tufts of guard hairs on the face, covering the
ears, and on the paws show the high value of touch to the ferret.  While
the visual system is not as emphasized as the olfactory sense, and not
much is known about the ferret's sense of taste (presumably enhanced
because in mammals it tends to be correlated to the sense of smell), both
are still quite important.  Not only is the ferret highly intelligent and
enjoys a fine-tuned sensory system, but they are also possessive of a
high degree of curiosity.  Comparative studies of polecats and ferrets
SUGGEST our pets have been bred for a heightened sense of curiosity,
probably to augment their desire to explore unknown burrows when ratting
or rabbiting.  It is the combination of intelligence, curiosity, and
sensory awareness that makes the ferret especially susceptible to the
twin problems of boredom and frustration, exacerbated by confinement in
limited space cages.  It is extremely important to understand that it
is not the size of the cage that causes problems, but the conditions of
captivity; a house can be as much of a cage as a tiny rabbit hutch.
Since a cage is a cage regardless of size, the only real solution for
the problems of confinement is an aggressive enrichment program.
 
All an enrichment program essentially does is to add interest and
stimulation to the daily routine of a ferret.  However, some people fear
enrichment programs are complex, difficult to apply, or time consuming,
but in truth, the best enrichments are simple, often free or low cost,
and only take moments of the owner's time.  Adding interest to the
ferret's life goes a long way to reducing long-term stress, boredom,
stereotypic behaviors, and social problems, so are time and
cost-effective in the long run.  Enrichment programs simulate activities
and behaviors done by wild members of the species, or physically or
mentally stimulate the animal using more artificial activities.  A
synthesis of the two (simulate-stimulate), where natural behaviors are
encouraged by artificial activities, is a very popular strategy.  For
example, dozens of sections of dryer tubing are connected with PVC pipe
junctions to simulate a burrow system, stimulating burrow exploration
behavior in ferrets.  The egg enrichment described earlier is another
example of artificial activities stimulating natural behaviors by
simulating egg predation.  Other types of enrichment have significant
value; walks in the woods, wrestling with owners, and even the
introduction of new scents are ALL various types of enrichments that
have value to ferrets.
 
There is a span of general pet care, ranging from "neglect" to
"outstanding." Likewise, a range of enrichment parallels the pet care
span, ranging from "none" to "frequent."  These two ranges are not
mutually exclusive, but combine to form a pet guardianship continuum.
The difference between "general pet care" and "pet guardianship" is
simple; "general pet care" is providing for a pets needs, but "pet
guardianship" goes beyond that level, providing ethical and moral care
for every aspect of an animal's life--you guard them from any type of
harm.  In essense, while "general pet care" decisions are made to benefit
the animal, those decisions may ultimately be made to profit the owner.
For example, giving a mink antibiotics to combat a disease may only be
done to command a higher price for the pelt once the mink is killed and
skinned.  Likewise, a laboratory animal is kept healthy so the researcher
can obtain better data.  In "pet guardianship", decisions are made to
ONLY benefit the pet, such as when a ferret is hand fed during their
declining years, or when expensive medical treatments are done despite
the low probability of cure.  Astute readers will recognize the
difference between the two types of pet care lies in who profits from the
decisions: the owner or the animal--it is simply a matter of perspective.
Enrichment programs, although increasingly seen as essential to the
long-term health of confined animals, are typically relegated to the pet
guardianship continuum rather than characteristically seen in general pet
care.
 
Because of the high intelligence and inquisitive nature of ferrets,
captivity without some sort of program designed to simulate their mind,
challenge their body, and strengthen their muscles and bones borders on
the edge of the definition of cruelty (the wanton infliction of pain,
distress, anguish, or psychological suffering, especially when long-term
and without the opportunity of escape or relief, including the infliction
of long-term unrelieved boredom).  Moreover, numerous studies have shown
mammals, including ferrets, have physical, physiological, and
psychological benefits from such a program that may include longer,
healthier lives, less disease, and reduced long-term stress.  An
aggressive enrichment program is a win-win scenario; you--or rather
your ferret--cannot lose.
 
Questions and comments are encouraged and will be answered in follow-up
posts.
 
Bob C
[Posted in FML issue 4228]