# I found a stray polecat/ferret - any advice!



## rakpeterson (Oct 10, 2007)

This afternoon I found a polecat curled up under a BBQ that I have sitting in my garden. Lucky for him I found it before my dogs did.

Picked it up with caution and a towel, as previous experience with polecats hasnt always been great ( I used to have one years ago and he liked to bite). Wasnt needed though, appears very tame.

He is safe now, in my house. I gave him some water which he drank and wet puppy food, as its all I had. I have since managed to get my hands on a bag of proper ferret food, but the ''pets at home'' brand so probably not brilliant. Not given him any yet though.

I have a few questions.

Im going to attempt to find his owner. how is best to go about this. Inform vets???

His eyes dont look quite right. a bit too watery. One in paticular, any ideas??

Do ferrets walk funny?? Its been so long since i had mine I cant really remeber, but he looks kind of uncomfortable when he moves. Its his back legs, and kind of reminds me of a penguine!!?? I tries to have a look and there is no fur on the inside of his legs. Is that normal, like a dog where the fur thins out to near nothing around their groin??

Any other tips or things to be aware of, for a ferret thats possibly been outside for a while and dont look to healthy??

I already have a vet appointment for him tomorrow.


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## missyrain (Feb 14, 2009)

:gasp: well done for finding him
i dont have ferrets or never had 
hope you find someone to help you x

can we have a picture if not to much trouble mite see if he looks healthy then :flrt:


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## elliottreed (Jan 9, 2008)

may sound odd, are you sure it's not a wild one?
i'm not too sure about ferrets/polecats in the wild but i've recently been told they're colonising in some parts of the UK.

but yes, would be worth ringing local vets to see if anyone has reported one missing etc..

xxxxx


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## fenwoman (Apr 15, 2008)

he could have fleas I suppose. Is it definately a hob?
Ask the vet to check for a microchip. Phone the copshop to see if anyone has reported one missing. Then put posters up. petsathome ferret food is fine. Mine don't even get ferret food, but cat biscuits and to be frank, all live long and healthy lives.


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## rakpeterson (Oct 10, 2007)

missyrain said:


> :gasp: well done for finding him
> i dont have ferrets or never had
> hope you find someone to help you x
> 
> can we have a picture if not to much trouble mite see if he looks healthy then :flrt:


I will get a pic or two but atm he's fast asleep, as he has been the whole time, and I dont want to pull him about just yet. Will do soon though!


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## rakpeterson (Oct 10, 2007)

fenwoman said:


> he could have fleas I suppose. Is it definately a hob?
> Ask the vet to check for a microchip. Phone the copshop to see if anyone has reported one missing. Then put posters up. petsathome ferret food is fine. Mine don't even get ferret food, but cat biscuits and to be frank, all live long and healthy lives.


Well it could be a jill. I had a quick look but really didnt want to pull it about too much. I'll double check later. Didnt notice any fleas, but luckily iv just treated the dogs for fleas and worms so I should be ok.

Got a vet appointment just before 3 for him tomorrow so i'll geet him checked for a chip then. Iv already told them and they said they have a couple on the books but none reported missing. Ill ring round tomorrow and puts some flyers about, but how would I ensure anyone who claims is genuine. It has no distinguishing markings. I can withhold info about sex I suppose, and advertise it as a ferret instead of a polecat, then ask what colour he is.

I was going to get cat food, but couldnt recall if it was suitable so opted for the £6 bag of ferret complete over the £3 cat food which I now know would have done it, but nevermind, its all for a good cause.


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## rakpeterson (Oct 10, 2007)

elliottreed said:


> may sound odd, are you sure it's not a wild one?
> i'm not too sure about ferrets/polecats in the wild but i've recently been told they're colonising in some parts of the UK.
> 
> but yes, would be worth ringing local vets to see if anyone has reported one missing etc..
> ...


The thought did cross my mind when i first saw it, but im sure its not. Firstly it made no attempt to flee, my dogs were in the garden and it was curled up asleep still. I would have expected to lose a finger whilst picking it up too, but it is really friendly, well seems to be. And i live on the edge of the town centre, not really ideal habitat.


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## elliottreed (Jan 9, 2008)

hope all goes well tomorrow and hopefully you DON'T find an owner, because he chose you to be his ferret parent hehe :flrt:xxxx


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## bosshogg (Nov 19, 2006)

hope you find his owner i would be worried if it was mine


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## freekygeeky (May 25, 2007)

elliottreed said:


> hope all goes well tomorrow and hopefully you DON'T find an owner


:O....


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## rakpeterson (Oct 10, 2007)

elliottreed said:


> hope all goes well tomorrow and hopefully you DON'T find an owner, because he chose you to be his ferret parent hehe :flrt:xxxx


Yeah, i wont be too bothered if i dont find his owner. Always fancied another polecat, a european, but the mrs wasnt keen, now she's seen one properly she loves it too, and as of tomorrow i will have spent £6 on food, £3.50 on ''ferret vitamins'' which I though might be handy, £23 vet consultation + treatment. My last ferret only cost me anout a fiver so this guy has been expensive and not even mine. But if it was me, and I had lost my pet, id be beside myself and very grateful to anyone who returned him to me, so I will do what I can to find his real owner.


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## elliottreed (Jan 9, 2008)

yep very honorable, keep us posted hun xxx


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## rakpeterson (Oct 10, 2007)

Would giving him a bath this evening be a good or bad idea?

Gives me a good chance to properly look him over and he does hum! (i know they do anyway but it is quite excessive)

But i only have dog shampoo?


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## weelad (Jul 25, 2006)

he will probably smell more after the bath as it will "oil" itself up again :lol2:


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## Kylie (Mar 12, 2006)

if the hair loss is pretty semetrical it sounds to me like adrenal disease which is an expensive disease to fight which could indicate why s/he has been kicked out

i wouldnt recommend bathing him just put some talc on your hand and wipe it over his back will help him to smell a bit fresher.

if he smells bad he wont have been neutered which also means he is probably not microchipped. 

you have done a fab thing by taking him in and offering him a warm bed for the night. With his weapy eye bathe it with some weak cold tea this is a great way of cooling and cleansing the eye. 

i would also check him over for ticks as if he has been out a while he will more then likely have them and they could be passed onto your dogs.

with his penguin walk, ferrets walk with there backs arched with "fred flinstone feet" if it looks like he is wobbling or finding it difficult he may have injured it so will need to rest it so plenty of food and sleep

well done you feel free to pm me

kylie

check with your neighbours 10 doors either way as they dont normally travel far when they escape


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

If you are lucky enough to find his owners I think it about time you got your own as everything about you says you are a good kind responsible owner. :no1:


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## rakpeterson (Oct 10, 2007)

Shell195 said:


> If you are lucky enough to find his owners I think it about time you got your own as everything about you says you are a good kind responsible owner. :no1:


Thanks very much for that. Means alot to me tohear someone say such a thing.!!!


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## rakpeterson (Oct 10, 2007)

Well, I have given him a small bath (maybe i shouldnt have, but wasnt sure what to do) The second he hit the water you could see all the crap coming off him. Turned the bath completely brown.

He is an intact hob as far as I can tell....has what looks like testicles and then what I assume is his bits, but looks more like a bellybutton??

The insides of his legs and around his groin area is bald and red, looks sore. He is currently licking at it. It also looked damp in that area.

He is very lathargic. Is it normal for them to sleep all day. I remeber mine sleeping in the day but not to the extent that you could pick him up without waking him, which is what this guy is like.

His eyes look alot clearer and brighter than before.

He is toileting normaly although his stools are very soft??


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## rakpeterson (Oct 10, 2007)

Kylie said:


> if the hair loss is pretty semetrical it sounds to me like adrenal disease which is an expensive disease to fight which could indicate why s/he has been kicked out
> 
> i wouldnt recommend bathing him just put some talc on your hand and wipe it over his back will help him to smell a bit fresher.
> 
> ...


OOopps, I did bath him. He does look alot better now though. I think he is walking ok ie not injured, but he looks a little uncomfortable which i was putting down to his sore legs.

Fleas and ticks did worry me at first but I have had a good look and couldnt see any, and both my dogs have been treated in the last couple of weeks so should be ok, I hope.


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## Talk To The Animals (Jan 10, 2008)

When we found a ferret in our neighbours garden she slept all day as well. We gave her to the RSPCA because we didn't have room for her overnight, but asked that we could have her back if nobody claimed her. We've now got her back and she lives with our other ferrets. She sleeps far more than the other 2, and you can pick her up without waking her up. Lazy!!

Hope your story has a happy ending, either a reunion or a new pet.


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## Kylie (Mar 12, 2006)

rakpeterson said:


> OOopps, I did bath him. He does look alot better now though. I think he is walking ok ie not injured, but he looks a little uncomfortable which i was putting down to his sore legs.
> 
> Fleas and ticks did worry me at first but I have had a good look and couldnt see any, and both my dogs have been treated in the last couple of weeks so should be ok, I hope.


 
if you have some sudocream or savlon put it on his sore bits that will make him feel alot better. 

he is probably very tired i do find when i get strays in they are amazingly sleepy for the first 48hrs his poo will be very soft as he is adjusting to eating again if it continues for longer then 48hrs you have a problem

good luck and well done!!


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## elliottreed (Jan 9, 2008)

took the words out of my mouth Shell, most people wouldve shoved it out of their precious BBQ! At least it's still Wintery and ferret burgers weren't on the menu  xxx


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## rakpeterson (Oct 10, 2007)

Kylie said:


> if you have some sudocream or savlon put it on his sore bits that will make him feel alot better.
> 
> he is probably very tired i do find when i get strays in they are amazingly sleepy for the first 48hrs his poo will be very soft as he is adjusting to eating again if it continues for longer then 48hrs you have a problem
> 
> good luck and well done!!


I have savlon cream and spray. Will it be ok if he licks at it???

Also the pads of his feet look quite red?? I cant realy remeber what colour my polecats feet were but his do look sore to me.


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## elliottreed (Jan 9, 2008)

i have used savlon cream on a rats tail before when we had nothing in and needed something antiseptic. it worked well and hasn't done him any harm, but if you're going to the vets tomorrow it may be worth waiting for them xxx


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## rakpeterson (Oct 10, 2007)

elliottreed said:


> i have used savlon cream on a rats tail before when we had nothing in and needed something antiseptic. it worked well and hasn't done him any harm, but if you're going to the vets tomorrow it may be worth waiting for them xxx


Yeah, I have vets tomorrow, not until nearly 3pm though. That was the earliest they had apparently.


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## Kylie (Mar 12, 2006)

salvon is tested on animals which makes it perfectly safe for them so i wouldnt worry too much if he licks it, ferret feet are quiet red so i wouldnt worry about that either 

i was thinking last night, the area you said had no fur and is red does it look like there is a sort of scratch up the middle from his malteaser area about an inch long? if so he may have recently been castrated which would explain the red and soreness, he will still like like his malteasers are there though as they leave an empty sack

ps, its defo not a polecat as you could never have bathed him without lossing your hand!:gasp:


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## Fixx (May 6, 2006)

Kylie said:


> ps, its defo not a polecat as you could never have bathed him without lossing your hand!:gasp:


Depends on the Polecat, we have and can bath Fidget our E. Polecat with no problems.


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## Snuggles (Sep 18, 2007)

I don't know if your anywhere near this place but they had 14 ferrets stolen/released in January.

Fourteen ferrets go missing from Medway animal rescue centre | KentOnline| News


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## saxon (Feb 26, 2007)

Fixx said:


> Depends on the Polecat, we have and can bath Fidget our E. Polecat with no problems.


 
She means a 'wild bred' european polecat not a polecat coloured ferret I should think. They are different although can interbreed.

I had a domestic bred european and I coudlonly just bath her if I was careful and she felt like it.

Mind a feral bred ferret wouldnt' be nice either.

If it were adrenal it would be going threadbare almost all the way up the front. Adrenal isnt' as common as people seem to htink, unless things have changed drastically int he last few years, every time someone saw a ferret with a bit of hairloss they used to scream 'Adrenal' all the time!!!

I once got a stray in and she was totally bald....3 vets said adrenal but after tests it turned out to be an allergy to grass believe it or not.. She grew all her hair back and lived until she was nearly 11 without ever going on grass again.


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

Snuggles said:


> I don't know if your anywhere near this place but they had 14 ferrets stolen/released in January.
> 
> Fourteen ferrets go missing from Medway animal rescue centre | KentOnline| News


Here is the rescues numberPam 01634 221010
It wouldnt hurt to call in case its one of the ones with a medical condition and she would probably let you adopt it if its one from there:2thumb:


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## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

Fixx said:


> Depends on the Polecat, we have and can bath Fidget our E. Polecat with no problems.


CB I take it?



saxon said:


> She means a 'wild bred' european polecat not a polecat coloured ferret I should think. They are different although can interbreed.


I think he meant it was a CB European Polecat not a Polecat Ferret. : victory:


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## Fixx (May 6, 2006)

saxon said:


> She means a 'wild bred' european polecat not a polecat coloured ferret I should think. They are different although can interbreed.
> 
> I had a domestic bred european and I coudlonly just bath her if I was careful and she felt like it.
> 
> Mind a feral bred ferret wouldnt' be nice either.


Fidget is a CB European Polecat not a Polecat Ferret and is stupidly tame (but has a mouth with sharp teefs so could bite). We have never tried to bathe his GF's but a friend has a female European Polecat (related to Fidgets GF's) who is so laid back it's ridiculous.


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

Id love an an update on the ferret


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## rakpeterson (Oct 10, 2007)

sorry to all for my delayed update.

The little chap was looking a lot better today, most likely due to the food, water, and warm safe place to sleep. He's alot less lathargic this evening and generaly looks happy. Definately very tame, someone obviously loved him once. He had a loopy 5 mins earlier, jumping and hoping about, lovely to see.

Seen the vet also.

Vets opinion was that he was in good health mostly. Possible ear mite problem, but he got some frontline ear drops to sort that. The sore back legs were not anywhere near as bad as they initially appeared. Hardly any fur loss in that area, but when I found him, his fur was a bit damp and parted in such a way that he appeared nearly bald. After cleaning him up and ensuring he was dry, the fur looks alot better. Still a bit red and inflamed, which the vet thinks is more likely an abrasion which was irritated more by the cold and damp outside and having to fend for himself. He checked the little guys eyes as i was worried about one which was a little weepy. He used the dye stuff to show up any damage or corneal ulcers, but thankfully no issues, again the vet has put it down to exposure to the elements etc.

Anyway I got a prescription of ''SUROLAN'', a cream/drops for bacterial and fungal infections, ear mites infections, anti-inflammatory and antipruritic (not sure what it is but its what the vet prescribed. I have to put a few drops in his ears twice a day and apply it to his sore areas.

So basically, fairly good news. Should be 100% fit in a week or so.

Phoned all the local vets and the local police station, probably get posting up some flyers tomorrow as neither the police or local vets have had any reported losses, not yet anyway.

Some photo's as I know how much you all like photo's. Taken just after bathing and drying him, oh and he got brushed hence the dog brush in the pic. Didnt lose any fingers although he didnt like to be bathed but could have been worse.


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## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

Looks like a young polecat coloured whole male. Did you figure out in the end if he was neutered?


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## rakpeterson (Oct 10, 2007)

He is intact. And the vet did say he is fairly young. He has brilliant white teeth.


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

Glad hes well:2thumb: Hes a handsome young man and looks like he already settled in to his new home


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## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

rakpeterson said:


> He is intact. And the vet did say he is fairly young. He has brilliant white teeth.


If he has been out wild for a while he could have been eating bones from bins aswell as dead rodents etc which would explain the white teeth if he isnt young. Judgeing by the pics though, he is about 8 months old.


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## rakpeterson (Oct 10, 2007)

wow, didnt realise he could be that young.

Not questioning your ability, but how are you able to guess age?? The vet couldnt tell me any more than he is a young adult.


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## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

rakpeterson said:


> wow, didnt realise he could be that young.
> 
> Not questioning your ability, but how are you able to guess age?? The vet couldnt tell me any more than he is a young adult.


Too much experience with rescuing stray ferrets, lol. I couldnt say for definite without seeing him, but by the pics I would say he is around that age. You kinda just learn these kind of things when rescuing ferrets on a regular basis : victory:


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## phoenixxx (Jan 18, 2009)

Can I just say it was so kind of you to rescue this little one :2thumb:
He's lucky to have bumped into you..


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## fenwoman (Apr 15, 2008)

Oh what a good name 'Bumper'. What a nice polecat ferret hob too. Will you get him castrated and get another as a pal for him?:flrt:


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