Southern Women Are ‘Mad Ferret’
By admin • Apr 8th, 2010Cats, dogs, hamsters and even fish have long been favourite pets with animal-crazy Brits, but it seems a new furry critter may now be in with a chance of claiming the title of the nation’s most loved pet.
According to recent research by the Ferret Education and Research Trust (FERT) round that the majority of owners of the animals live in the south of the country, suggesting they are a cosmopolitan pet favoured by city-dwellers.
Indeed, 27 per cent of the pet ferret population lives in the south-east, 61 per cent of owners are women, with most aged between 35 and 44.
And the ferret may be set to replace the tiny dog as the celebrity handbag pet of choice, with Madonna, Paris Hilton and Jonathan Ross all owning one of the critters.
Ferrets are sleepy creatures that are adaptable to change and they are also clean and attractive, which could make them the perfect pet for professionals living in the city.
However, as with any pet, it is important owners do not over indulge the animals as, despite being done with love, giving them too many treats could lead to weight problems.
Commenting on obesity problems among the pet population of the UK recently, Elaine Pendlebury, senior vet at the PDSA, said: "[Owners] are not deliberately feeding their pet cruelly. We like cuddly looking dogs and we don’t have an idea of what the ideal weight a dog should be is."
Would you consider a ferret as a pet?
I don’t think I could have a ferret as a pet. I already have a guinea pig and it is a handful. And a fish and a dog, somehow I always end up taking care of any animals we get.