Fuzzy’s Story

When I got Fuzzy, I thought I had done all the necessary research. My biggest mistake was to look for my first ferret through the local paper. In the spring and summer there are a lot of adverts and kits are sold for as little as £5.

I answered an advert for polecat kits and we ended up with Fuzzy. He was about 9 weeks old, already massive and seemed placid enough. At no point did the breeder advise us against getting a kit, being totally new to ferrets.

Knowing what I do now, and looking back it’s obvious that none of the kits had had a lot of handling.

At this point we didn’t really understand what a polecat (poley) ferret was or the difference between that and a true polecat! So, we didn’t realise we had infact taken home a hybrid!

For the first week Fuzzy didn’t attempt to nip at all. I am now pretty sure that this is because he was so terrified he went rigid. We couldn’t just open the cage door and pick him up, he would hide away from us.

Eventually we were able to coax him out with some food on a Pringles lid and while he was eating we were able to slowly pick him up in a towel. For that first week, having not had a ferret before, I didn’t realise that he should have been a lot more active.

I couldn’t read his body language and thinking back that makes me feel so guilty. He used to just hang, rigid, back legs stiff while I held him. If I put him on my knee he didn’t move. It was after the first week that the biting started. When I say biting I mean biting and not nipping! We still had to coax him out with food but as soon as I put my hand near to pick him up or touch him he would lunge at me and bite, breaking the skin.

My hands were a mess. Then one day as he moved away from me while he was sat on top of the cage, I tried to be more confident with him and I went pick him up, but he whipped his head round and locked onto my thumb. He was clearly terrified and was making the most awful screaming and chattering noises. When he let go, I was in agony! He had bitten down to the bone and my thumb was oozing blood from both sides. I ended up at the doctors getting a tetanus jab.

It was then that Fuzzy and I lost all confidence in each other. I was heartbroken, and I admit, I was really scared to go near him. What worried me most is that I’m sure if he had bitten a child the same way they could have lost a finger.

By this time I had ‘found’ the internet and the wealth of advice available on forums. Through them I found TFR! Having spoken with Steve on the phone I knew had a decision to make. I had the choice of giving him up to Steve who promised he would work with him and give him a forever home, or to keep trying myself. I really did try, and for the next couple of weeks handled him with gloves and introduced him to ferretvite! My confidence was however , gone.

Everyday I looked at this stunningly beautiful animal and he looked back at me and it made me cry. I decided to take Fuzzy to visit TFR and get Steve’s opinion on him. It was the best thing I could have done. Steve confirmed that Fuzzy was very scared, he wouldn’t even come out from his carrier.

I had the chance to look round and handle some of the TFR gang and I couldn’t believe the difference! These ferrets ‘wanted’ to interact! They came straight to you when the cage was opened and I was entranced!

I took Fuzzy home again and looked at him sleeping in the carrier. He was so handsome, and it tugged at my heart strings. I made the decision to try again, one last attempt. I tried to put our bad experience out of my mind and remember what the ferrets had been like at TFR and all that week I worked with Fuzzy.

At the end of the week my hands were in shreds again and Fuzzy had also taken a leap at the back of my leg and given me a nasty bite there too. I knew I was never going to get my confidence back and I knew in my heart that Fuzzy deserved better. He deserved to be with people who had more experience than me,

I felt that all I was doing was making him worse and making him more afraid. So, Fuzzy went to live at TFR. By the time I actually came to handing him over I had done so much soul searching that I actually felt a great sense of relief. I know I made the best choice for Fuzzy, but I still feel guilty, like I let him down, to this day.

Several weeks later I re-homed a 2 year old jill, Spook, from TFR, she is bomb proof and gave me my confidence back. I also have her kit, Tao, who TFR handled and nip trained for me….. And later on a Luath joined us too. All 3 live together and I put all my trust in each of them.

They clamber all over me, they WANT to interact with me and they each give lovely ferret kisses - yes, I can even trust them to lick my face!

I have been to visit Fuzzy several times and get regular updates form Steve. Steve has done a brilliant job with him, and the last time I visited I saw a happy ferret charging about in his run, full of confidence.

He even comes to Steve to be picked up. He is enormous, with teeth to match! The first thing he did when I stroked him though was have a nip! They have long memories! I owe a lot to TFR, they have been fantastic.

I have learned a lot from this experience as well and would urge any new owner NOT to do what I did! Kits generally don’t make good ferrets for first time owners,(let alone hybrids) all kits need to be trained not to nip, so go to a rescue and rehome a ferret through them.

Nina (Fuzzys mum)