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Some people like to keep ferrets as pets, because they are really lovely and affectionate creatures. Several hundred years ago, they were used to help hunt rabbits, and today, some of us keep them as pets. Did you know the ferret well? What are the characteristics of a ferret? This article is to present you with the appearance, diet, habit and behavior, and some other characteristics of a ferret.

Appearance
The ferret is a mammal. Male ferrets are larger than the female ones, weighing nearly 5 pounds and 1.5 to 2 pounds respectively. The appearance of a ferret is very similar to that of the rat, but it is much longer and thinner. There is fur on its tail. The albino (white) ferret has white fur all over the body, with red eyes. The sable (bandit) ferret has black fur around their black eyes, with white face and ears, brown body and black tail. The bandit ferret has black shoulders and black legs. Some of the bandit ferrets have white toes and knees. On the average, the male grown-up ferrets are 18 inches long, and 5 inches tall; the female grown-up ferrets are 16 inches long, and 4 inches tall. All of the kits of the ferrets wear white fur when they are born. The albino (white) ferrets will remain white; the fur of the sable (bandit) ferrets will turn grey in one week, and four weeks later, their appearance become that of a typical sable ferret.

Diet
The ferrets are predatory animal, and meat is the main food for them. However, the domesticated ferrets eat everything edible, and they can enjoy water melons and some other fruits as well! Admittedly, it is not a good idea to feed them with fruits every day. The pet ferrets are fed with the ferret food which can be purchased in a pet food shop. It is important for the ferrets to have a balanced diet. The ideal diet is high in protein and energy, low in fiber.

Habit and Behavior
They sleep about eighteen hours a day, and they are very active at dawn or dusk. They are carnivorous animals, the predator of rats and other small rodents. However, they eat almost everything edible, such as water melon, bread, meat and so on. Though the rats are the preys of them, they often play with the rats, as if they are friends. They seldom move far from their homes but in the mating season. They are very cautious with their surroundings. When they encounter danger, they will act like cats, and they will fight or frighten their opponents away.

Character
Ferrets are friendly, and they seldom attack man. They even play with their

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