As a wildlife rehabilitator, we do see mink here from time to time.  Since
we also have a ferret shelter and many ferrets as house pets I am familiar
withwith both ferret and mink behaviors.
 
In behavior, even early orphaned mink who are raised by humans have
behaviors very different from a domestic ferret.  Mink, like most wild
animals do not make good pets.
 
You will find your biggest difference in how they react to anything
different from there normal routine, a noise, a smell, even change in
lighting, sometimes something so small that you can't perceive it can scare
them.
 
Wit)}~uh mink as with most wild animals, when scared confused, or hurt, they
will bite anyone holding them or even the cage containing them.  This makes
a mink very hard for most people to care for and they will need at least as
much care as your pet ferret.  Think how hard it is to cut some ferrets
nails, clean ears, give medication.  Now realize that you will have to do
this for a mink also but it is unbelievably strong and almost impossible to
get to release you when it has bitten.  If it gets loose, you will have to
trap it in a humane trap because it will not let you pick it upYou also can
never let it near your ferrets, it will kill them orat least try to.  The
one thing we have found about them that is easy is the fact that like most
wild animals,they keep their cage very clean only using one spot to dirty.
We care for injured and orphaned mink but it takes special equipment,
special training and not anything like the fun of caring for a pet ferret.
 
NOTE: Ever wonder why you must keep cutting a ferrets front nails but not
the rear?  Ferrets are digging animals so they would naturally wear down
their front nails faster, because of this the front nails grow at least
three times faster than the rear.
[Posted in FML issue 1487]