One of the Ferret Association of Connecticut's missions is to help find good, permanent homes for ferrets who can no longer be cared for by their owners. To that end, FACT operates a halfway house and shelter. Realistically, however, given that we have only one facility to cover the entire state of Connecticut and Southwestern Massachusetts, there are times when we are at capacity and cannot accommodate any more for varying periods of time.

Our solution to the lack of space is to provide this self-help brochure that provides tips and pointers for seeking a permanent new home for your ferrets. In the end, who better to decide where your ferrets should be placed? And who best knows all their personality quirks and traits. While the very best solution is never to have to give up your pet for adoption, unplanned life situations occur. Rather than placing your pets in jeopardy of becoming a shelter statistic, we encourage you to try to place them yourself. In both the short and long term, it is far less stressful to your ferrets to go through only one major shift in living arrangements rather than two.

With some of the tips inside, we hope to help you screen potential adopters more carefully as well as assist in easing their transition into a new home environment.

Advertising

We suggest you avoid advertising your ferret in a widely distributed newspaper. You will have more serious responses through small local or regional papers. Posting flyers in your vet's office, or at your place of employment can be especially effective. Also, some pet stores permit customers to place bulletin board ads. Through vet or pet store posters, you are more likely to
a) attract someone who lives nearby;
b) who may already have ferrets and are familiar with them;
c) has an existing relationship with a pet care professional (the vet or pet store); and,
d) can usually be expected to provide decent food and housing for your ferrets, rather than attracting replies from people looking for "something for nothing."

Charging

We feel strongly that there should be SOME kind of fee for adoption (or at least so indicate in your ad even if you later donate the fee to your local humane society or ferret shelter or decide to waive it). Having someone willing to pay a fee helps identify who is serious about ferret ownership. Further, if someone cannot afford a ferret, how will they ever be able to afford its care should it become ill?

If you do choose to "give-away" your pets, be sure you check veterinarian and other references carefully. You can never be sure unless you personally know the people what will happen to your animals. There are, sad to say, people who look for free pets to use to train attack dogs or as "feeder" animals. If you are that desperate to place your ferret, please have it humanely euthanized. No animal deserves to be abused or misused in such a horrible fashion!

Screening Potential Adopters

It is important that you do two things when someone responds to an advertisement. First, do an initial screening over the telephone and second, screen them more carefully when you meet them.
We can provide you a copy of the application FACT, Inc. uses to screen potential adopters. We ask people to complete the application and send it to us a week before the interview. This helps us minimize "impulse" adoptions and allows us to check references. During your first conversation, you can ask some key questions (e.g., have you ever had a ferret before or are you familiar with ferrets; what happened to your previous ferret, etc.) and even ask them to complete the application form at the interview or just use it to guide your discussion.

Why so long and involved a process, you ask? Well, if you've owned your ferret for much longer than a few days, you've already learned that they are unique little pets; highly demanding and with the activity level of a pre-schooler! If the person you are talking with has never had a ferret before, they need to learn about what their new pet needs to stay happy and healthy. The application and interview process helps to ensure that discussion takes place and no important details are overlooked.

Follow-up

We also suggest that you advise the new owner that 1) you would like to check up on your animals occasionally and 2) want to check their veterinarian references. If they already have a ferret, let them know that you wish to meet the existing animal. Seeing their present pet can tell you a lot about how well they will care for your pet. Look at their ferret's nails and teeth. Is the coat clean and skin free from parasites and abrasions?

This follow-up process is important in a couple of ways. First, it lets the new owner know that you really care about what happens to your pet. If they are reluctant to allow you to call, a warning buzzer should go off. What are they hiding? The ferret won't know you've called, so it certainly won't "disrupt" them or the adoption in any way!

Second, if the new owner doesn't have a veterinarian or one they have used regularly, you should be concerned. Rare is the ferret adopter that doesn't or hasn't had another pet. If your potential adopter is completely new to pet ownership, you may wish to suggest they adopt from a shelter where we are more experienced at screening and where we can guarantee that the animal can be returned if ferret ownership isn't right for them.

Returns

If at all possible, we suggest you take the animal back if the adoption doesn't work out. Please don't consider that your responsibility for your pet ends when you pass it to someone else, particularly if you've adopted to a new or inexperienced ferret owner. Offering follow-up advice on care or behavior may make the difference between the new owner keeping the animal or abandoning it. (You can also provide them the name of their local ferret organization for information and support).

New Owners

If you have a choice of homes, we recommend that you adopt to the more experienced ferret owner. Though not impossible, screening new owners can be more difficult. First and foremost, go with your instincts. Adopt your ferret to the person with whom you feel most comfortable. If you are the least bit hesitant with a potential adopter, don't just hand over your animal! Suggest they contact their local ferret shelter to obtain a ferret. As mentioned above, the shelter can take "returns" for any reason or provide a different animal if the personalities aren't working out (human or animal).

Collectors

FACT avoids adopting ferrets to "collectors." While there are some extraordinary people who live for their ferrets; too frequently there are those who indiscriminately take in free or "cheap" unwanted animals yet are unable to properly care for them all. Your potential adopter should be almost as cautious as you are about adopting and about the "fit" of your ferret with their existing pets.

Single Ferrets

A few things to keep in mind. If you are trying to place a single ferret, recognize that they all do not get along! Very frequently when introduced to others - especially if they haven't been with others in quite some time - they may fight. Usually these skirmishes are minor and pass within a few days. But recognize they can last a couple of months. If you adopt to someone with other ferrets, they need to be forewarned and prepared to deal with the squabbling for awhile. Again, if it doesn't work out or if you can't provide encouragement to the new owner through what can be a "trying time," you should be prepared to take your former pets back and try all over again.

Multiple Ferrets

Unless you KNOW your ferrets can be separated, don't! Ferrets bond closely to their cage or house-mates and can become seriously ill or even die if separated! If your ferrets "pal around" or sleep together - don't separate them. Be sure to insist that the new owner never separate them as well.

If you have more than 3 ferrets, you may have to consider separating them in order to place them in good homes. Finding anyone to take a multi-ferret household is tough. Carefully observe who "buddies-up" or naps with who and make the decision before you even start the search for a new home. Factor in how long they have been together; how well they play together as well as how long you have to look for a new home.

Timing

As you may have guessed by now, this process doesn't happen overnight! If you feel you need to place your pets, you should start looking for a new home immediately. If you change your mind, you can always tell people who call that they've been adopted or that you have changed your mind. Finding a new, good home can take several weeks. Don't sell your pets short of finding a proper home by trying to do it in a matter of days!

Adoption Contract & Application

We have one. You should consider using something similar as well. You may also wish to consider amending it to include topics such as keeping multiple ferrets together permanently; "returning" the ferrets to you if it doesn't work out; as well as what, if anything, of their adoption fee you will refund. A copy of the contract we use is available on request. Will a contract guarantee your ferrets will be properly cared for and will never be separated or abused? No, it obviously can't. But it is at least a signal to the new owner that you care and feel strongly about the commitment they are making.

Please contact us for a copy of an adoption application you can ask prospective adopters to complete and use in screening applicants or to guide an adoption interview.

Information To Provide

In addition to their full health history, be sure to provide the following information to the new owners:
What food (brands as well) that they eat. Ferrets are notorious for not being willing to change their food. What toys do they like? What drives them nuts? Are they good, bad or indifferent with their litter box. Do they use litter boxes or newspaper? What brand of litter (some ferrets will not accept a change of brand)? Do they get along with other pets? What good or bad habits do they have, etc.? The purpose of providing this information is to ease your ferret's transfer into a new home and to help make the adoption "stick!" You are not selling a used car where the buyer should beware. Cars don't have feelings and don't react if they are mistreated due to ignorance. If your ferret nips toes and you never broke them of the habit - be honest! It isn't the ferret's fault, it's yours. The new owner needs to know what they are working with.

We've had people tell us that they only fed a certain "premium" brand of food, when we could see immediately from their first "poop" that they had been eating a cheap, generic brand loaded with food dyes. Both we and the ferret suffered when the animals wouldn't eat the "premium" food we were told they ate exclusively.

Summary

Adopting out your own pets is not easy, but it can give you tremendous piece of mind. It also helps your local shelter because they can focus on dealing with ferrets whose owners cannot or will not take their responsibility to their pet seriously.

Be prepared to take some time searching. If you're moving, don't make it a "last minute crisis." Be choosy for your pets and you can give up your pets if you have to knowing you have truly done all you can for them short of keeping them. You'll feel better, and, ultimately, so will your ferrets.

When All Else Fails

If you have exhausted all resources and need to connect with a ferret shelter, one of the best sources of up-to-date information and links on ferret shelters is Ferret Central Ferret Organization and Shelter Resources List.