Ferret Facts

Ferrets were used to hunt rabbits as food and for rabbit population control. Ferrets enjoy running through burrows and seeking out prey. In ancient times they were muzzled to prevent the ferret from killing the rabbit underground and then taking a nap. There is also evidence that in ancient times, another method to prevent this was by holding their lips together with a metal ring. Once the rabbits came out, they were either caught by string nets, chased by dogs, or shot by hunters. This kind of rabbit hunting is still practiced in some areas of the world.

By the 20th century, hunting with ferrets was made illegal in most states of the United States. Fur farming of these animals never took a strong hold here, either, even though they were raised for this many centuries in Europe. A coat made of ferret fur is called a fitch coat. Ferret fur farming is much less common that in was back then.

Ferrets have also been used to transport cables through long pipes. For this, they have been used by oilmen, telephone companies, people on airline jets and camera crews.

The used of a mechanical device for this purpose has made this ferret use obsolete.

Ferrets have also been used for biomedical research in the 20th century. Their first use was for the study of the influenza virus, which they are susceptible to. They are also used for biomedical research in many other areas. Biomedical use of ferrets is the greatest in the United States because of the large-scale breeding facilities created to produce healthy ferrets in large numbers.