"The Essential Ferret"

About the Book

About.com Rating 3.5 Star Rating

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From Lianne McLeod, DVM, former About.com Guide

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Year: 1999
ISBN: 1-58245-078-1 Description: paperback, 96 pages. The text is enhanced with many color photographs.
Consulting Editor: Betsy Sikora Siino, a prolific author of pet care books covering many species.

Review

"The Essential Ferret" is a decent book about ferrets, and contains essentially sound information. Some aspects of ferret care were covered quite well but I found the book a little lacking in basic care advice on topics such as picking appropriate cages and good foods and treats. Topics such as grooming and training were more detailed and useful.

Organization

I thought the book could have perhaps been a little better organized, covering topics in a more natural and flowing order. For example, "The Essential Ferret" starts out with a chapter that covers common ferret personality traits and behaviors, but then the sixth chapter also covers ferret facts and traits. Chapter six also covers deciding if a ferret is the right pet for you, and I think the information in chapter six would have been more logically included in the first chapter.

Information

The information that is provided in the book is mostly accurate and up to date (with a few minor exceptions), but I felt that certain important details were lacking. The section on picking out a cage was very vague, and basically advising pick a big enough one that "feels right." I would have liked to see more details on acceptable minimum sizes and a discussion of features that ferret owners should look for in a cage. Similarly, the section on feeding contained advice on the importance of protein, fat, and feeding a good quality food, but lacked details on how to evaluate whether a diet is acceptable. Advice is given on what not to feed, and a circular discussion of ferret vs kitten foods, but not specifically about choosing a good ferret food. There was quick mention of having food available at all times but I think this should be emphasized more given the unique metabolism of ferrets. The section on treats also gave examples of what not to feed, but didn't give any examples of recommended treat foods.

The one other area I would have liked to see a bit more detail was the vaccine section. Again, what was presented was accurate, but I think it is prudent to mention the the importance of using ferret-approved vaccines. While this may be more of an issue for vets to know about, I still think it is important for owners to be informed about the proper vaccines to use with ferrets because it is so important.

Despite the complaints I do have about the book, it is still a worthwhile book for ferret owners. The sections on ferrets traits captures the characteristics of ferrets quite nicely, and owners would likely find the sections on ferret behaviors and ferret-proofing useful. The health section covers the common health problems; little detail is given but important symptoms to watch for are covered. The section on grooming is quite thorough, and decent advice is given in the sections about nip training, litter training, travel and playing with ferrets. There are some lovely photos in the book, and there is also a pull out card that has space to attach your ferret's photo and write information about your ferret along with your vet's contact information, which would be handy to leave with a pet sitter.

Summary

While this is a decent ferret book, it would not be my first recommendation, especially to a new ferret owner. While it is entertaining to read and has some good information, it is lacking in some other important areas. It does a good job of capturing the nature of the ferret through descriptions and photos and is interesting enough to read, but it is lacking in providing specifics on basic care. It is a worthwhile addition to a ferret care library, but would not be my first choice.

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