Cat v Ferret

Post corrected..

Phil

 

Err, perhaps you'd be so kind as to explain precisely what is the
difference between the two? It's generally accepted, I thought, that a
ferret is simply a domesticated polecat. Genetically indistiguishable,
like.

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Ace emerged from their own little world to say

Ferrets have been around for >3 millenia. AFAIK their genetic heritage is
unkonwn as there are a number of polecat species.

Ferrets mark their territory using their anal gland. It is possible that
selective breeding has produced a domesticated hybrid that produces a less
pungent scent. Selective breeding has certainly produced negative genotypes
e.g. Waardenburg Syndrome

When we lived on a farm my mum used to keep ferrets and they did not smell
much. I've never come close enough to a wild polecat to be able to smell
one.

 

SteveH emerged from their own little world to say

I had a cat that used to catch weasels. They are a lot smaller than ferrets
and I think the cat would have bottled out with a full grown, aggressive
ferret.

If kits and kittens are raised together then they usually get on. Although
the ferrets will want to play as mature adults which starts to piss off the
cat if they are the laid back or lazy variety.

 

We had a cat that caught a couple of stoats / weasels [1] in its time.

flook

[1] How do you tell which is which?

 

emerged from their own little world to say

Weasel is generally smaller. Stoats can be huge in comparison, especially
the ones bred for ermine.

BBC website has details:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factfiles/202.shtml
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factfiles/201.shtml

 

If the cat were Pinky then my money is definitely on the cat
http://www.big-boys.com/articles/pinky.html

Tony

 

Whinging Courier does something similar.

It *was* him farting on Saturday night at the EOSM, right?

 

*Groan*

 

Priceless
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Actually, both it and the ferret (and their seven offspring, the randy
little buggers) were "working" animals, not technically pets.

Good job I didn't mention the two goldfish, two rabbits, two dogs
(half-brother and sister) and their five pups then, eh?

 

I can't bloody remember. That was over twenty years ago - I can barely
remember what I had for lunch. I'd have to google for it, and I'm sure
you're quite capable of doing that yourself.

The ferret was female, and white - possibly albino? The smaller of the two.

The polecat was male, black and white, and larger.

Hmmm... perhaps it's the males (of whatever species you want to call it)
that are smelly?

They had a litter of seven, anyway, so they must have been fairly
closely related.

 

I had a friend who would take his ferret a' rabbiting. Which was an
experience and he made a bit of money from it.

He disapproved of the carrier bag and brick method [1] as opposed to the
traditional purse nets he had made himself.


[1] A Tescos bag with a brick in it is staked over the warren exits, send
in ferret, rabbits panic and go flying out the exits, straight
into bag and brick. Rather ingenious really.

 

There's the answer to the chicken problem - sling a pair of knotted
socks full of pahnd coins over their necks. That will not only
prevent flight into the tree, but will enable them to give a good
account of themselves should a fox come round. If they look like
losing the fight, they can always pay the fox off.

 

Superb. I used to know a cat like that.

 

Actually, this was when we lived darn sarf. Which proves something.

Well... no... but my Dad did used to go out and catch fox cubs.

 

We're forgetting that a chicken with a sock full of pound coins would not
hold onto said coins very long in the presence of TOG.

Before you say "Cluck Me" they would be relieved of their cash in exchange
for a Shite Old Roost each.

 

That is, indeed, the purpose for which our ferret and polecat were used.

My Dad used to carry them around in a box on the back of his pushbike.

Very high-tech, though, for the time - they used to have "ferret
locators", which were radio-like devices (possibly even just a normal
radio) that would pick up a signal from a device on the ferret's collar,
so that if the little bugger decided to stop and eat rabbit in the
middle of a burrow, you knew roughly were to dig.

Of course, there was always the risk that you'd put your spade through
the ferret, but fortunately that never happened.

 

"Fantastic Mr. Ed: Champion of the World"

 

1. How do we know that what have been referred to as ferrets back then
are the same as we have now?
2. There's no question that Ferrets and Polecats are the same
'species', as they can, and do, interbreed.
3. Genetic 'heritage' can be inferred from current genetic
interchangeability.

This is indeed possible, yes.

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