The Scottish SPCA is appealing to the Ayrshire public to find homes for overlooked ferrets in their care after an influx of the animals arrived at their centres.
Scotland’s animal welfare charity is currently caring for 78 of the 'marvellous mustelids' across their nine animal rescue and rehoming centres, with eight in their Ayr centre, having looked after 321 across Scotland in 2022.
Scottish SPCA rehabilitations operations lead, Rachael Maclean, said: “We are currently caring for a lot more ferrets than usual across the society, including eight at our Ayrshire centre.
“Scooter and Freddy are just two of the lovely ferrets we have up for rehoming in Ayrshire.
“Scooter came into our care in March 2022 after being found in unsuitable conditions by one of our inspectors. He has now been with us for more than 290 days.
“This cheeky chap is very playful and will make you laugh with his antics. As with most ferrets, he can occasionally nip when excited so any owner will have to do their research thoroughly and know how to handle him.
“Freddy is another lovely male who is looking for his forever home. He has been in our care for a similar length of time, having been found straying in April 2022.
“Unfortunately Freddy arrived at our centre underweight and covered in ticks. Our team have since given him lots of tender love and care and both his health and confidence have flourished.
“Scooter and Freddy may all be able to live with other ferrets, pending successful introductions.
“Sadly, these animals are consistently overlooked for rehoming and tend to stay in our care for a long time. It’s a shame as they can make fantastic pets in the right homes.
“Although they are great for adult homes, or homes with older teenagers, they’re not really suitable as children’s pets as they can nip when excited.
“Ferrets also need a lot of enrichment and exercise as they’re highly social, intelligent creatures who love interacting with their owners. They shouldn’t just be left in a cage and forgotten about.
“However, if you’re willing to put the time and effort in to caring for them, they can be incredibly rewarding animals to have at home. They’re very inquisitive and cheeky and will definitely bring a lot of fun in to their new owners’ lives!
“If anyone is also thinking about becoming a first-time ferret owner then please consider adopting an animal and giving them a second chance.
“We also have a number of lovely personalities who would make excellent companions for existing ferrets.
“Please do get in touch if you’re interested in adopting a new furry friend. We’d love to see these marvellous mustelids start to generate some interest and get the loving forever homes they deserve.”
Scottish SPCA centre receptions are open 1pm until 4pm daily and their teams welcome anybody with questions about adopting one of these animals to give them a call on 03000 999 999 or visit their local centre.
All the ferrets that the Scottish SPCA currently have for rehoming can be viewed and applied for here: https://bit.ly/3alhGnL
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