For many years I belonged to two ferret rescue groups. The one in Kent was based on the other side of the county and fizzled out a few years ago. The one in Sussex is based way over in West Sussex. Although we used to do the public relations and shows, it was a long drive for us, especially getting back to do the zoo of an evening. When they didn't send my membership reminder, I assumed they too had fizzled out, but it seems we just slipped between the cracks. I've recently found one of the members on FB and today she called to say a ferret had been spotted not far from where we live. I rang the lorry driver who fed him during his break on an industrial estate and he gave my husband vague directions. We got there about 20 minutes later and eventually found the area. It was large and sprawling and having recently been fed, I thought the ferret would have curled up to sleep somewhere. We walked up and down for about 45 minutes with no luck and I eventually met up with my husband on the edge of the road used by 40 ton lorries. The path was overgrown, so there was nowhere else to go. Hubby was talking, but I looked down. I had been checking every storm drain I could find. Curled up in this one was a very skinny and yellow hob (male ferret). My husband was still talking and all I could think was I'd found him. It is now four hours later and he's been fed, checked over, had his claws trimmed and treated for fleas - not that I could find any. We installed him in our ferret room, where our current five ferrets free range with an assortment of toys, beds and an adventure playground. There was one very brief scuffle, but it's been quiet in there ever since. He will be taken to our specialist vet for neutering once he's put on enough weight
I remember in my youth a lot of the men had ferrets in the village which they use for rabbiting with there terrier dogs, it was one way of putting food on the table.
The driver who found this one told me his Dad used to keep working ferrets. He said they bit down to the bone. Ours kiss
