We don’t know exactly when ferrets became domesticated and cherished by mankind, but as early as the 4th century B.C., ancient Romans raised ferrets as working animals and later as pets. I have no doubt in my mind that one sunny day while breaking bread in center square, an older Roman looked at his dog and then over to his companion’s ferret, then asked, “What makes ferrets great?”
The younger, ferret-toting fellow answered, “The great Aristophanes, Aristotle and Pliny consider ferrets ‘great enough’ to write them into their plays.” The conversation would eventually deepen with the more personal question, “What makes your ferret so great”?
Asking a ferret owner what makes their ferret great is not a wise thing to do, unless you have an inexhaustible amount of time and patience. This is because the ferret owner’s love for ferrets and their ferret in particular is, well … great.
For the full article, pick up the 2010 issue of Ferrets USA or click here to buy the issue.