# ferret, polecat whats the difference? questions and advise wanted!



## katie harris (Oct 20, 2010)

hey,

what is the difference between a polecat and a ferret?
also can they be kept like a cat and dog. I.E. can they be litter trained and could they be left in a cat and dog enviroment with a cage?


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## miss_ferret (Feb 4, 2010)

a true polecat (ie not a polecat coloured ferret or a ferret/polecat hybrid) will still display wild animal like behaviours, so while a degree of tameness is achieveable with the right one they are nowhere near as happy in a home environment as a ferret. they tend to be a lot 'faster' (not the right word, but other than 'wick' i cant think of a better one atm) than ferrets.

the only guy i know with true polecats (kept them for 30 years, DNA tested, have never been hybridised with ferrets) keeps his outdoors. id imagine they can be litter trained to an extent, but in my opinion i cant see them being happy in a cat and dog environment. while there are exceptions, polecats are largely solitary animals, for preferance they like to be left alone by both people and other polecats/ferrets.

if you want a polecat then make sure you find an established breeder, not someone who claims they have one with no proof to back this up. bear in mind that 'its nasty and its dark coloured therefore its a polecat' is not proof in 99% of cases. if its the colour your after, go for a hybrid or a dark coloured ferret, makes life far easier : victory: wouldnt reccomened a polecat if you've never kept ferrets either, but dont know if you have or not.


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## ferretman (May 11, 2008)

can only echo what miss ferret has said as always shes on the ball :no1:


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## Kare (Mar 9, 2010)

I am new to ferrets, but it seems from those on the ferret forum they are actually having MORE problems with the hybrids than with pure polecats with regards to aggressive behaviour. 

Nothing with polecat genes is likely to make the best pet, imo just like cross breeds of dog though you can get them looking like anything from purely like one parent to purely like the other, and from acting like purely like one parent, in this case the polecat, to acting purely like the ferret. You just have no way to know which or more likely a bad combo in the middle of both.

I guess in a way slightly similar to wolves and dogs, a pure dog is a good pet (normally) a pure wolf is shy and avoids you (normally) a 50/50 hybrid can be a bad combo of not scared of you but equally doesn't wish to know you or have you around in anyway so can be much more dangerous.

I have polecat coloured ferrets, what use to be known as Fitches I am told frequently at work. Normal pretty little friendly pet ferrets. Which many keep as pets, pretty much free ranging around the house or in a room with access to a hutch/cage or hideout. Think you need to line areas with plastic in the corners as they may not ever be 100% with the toileting, but they can be very very close. I have one of my two that free range in the kitchen a few hours a day who I would say was close to 100% clean. The other, less so, but to be fair she picks to poop by the door where there is a corner but no pot, if the back door was open to a secure area then I am sure that is what she really wishes to do, just poop outside and so she does it as close as possible when I dont see her going.


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## naturalbirdslove (May 11, 2018)

*hello,*

Ferret is very friendly and lovable pet. You can keep them in cage where it feel comfortable and play joyful. I choose ferret because they are not harmful to human when polecat comes with the unpleasant smell which is produced by its secretion.


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## naturalbirdslove (May 11, 2018)

*Hello,*

According to me, Ferret is best as a pet than a polecat. Because when I was to buy a pet, I had confusion and I was lots of searching. Finally, I got the information that ferrets are quickly mixed with human. They are playful in nature. They have a sensitive nose, sharp teeth, small ear and long wiggly body. When Polecat have a long and lean body, short legs along with furs. They have poor eyesight, and with the sense of smell. They have smoky dark skin tone. These are the basic difference of ferret vs polecat


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