The ferret is such a cool weasel. They’re smart, affectionate, inquisitive little animals that love to play and explore. And they’re funny and happy companions.
Useful on the Farm
Historically, ferrets were used to hunt rabbits and rodents. Their lean bodies make them perfect for siding down holes to chase them out of burrows. And that’s the origin of the expression “to ferret out.”
In the American West, ferrets were widely used to protect grain stores from rodents between about 1860 and the start of World War II.
Terms: Jill, Hob, Gib, and Business
An intact female ferret is a jill, and a spayed female is a sprite. An intact male is a hob, and a neutered male is a gib. Baby ferrets less a year old are kits. A group of ferrets is a business or fesnyng (fez-ning).
Derived from the Latin word furittus, meaning “little thief,” the name ferret likely refers to the common ferret habit of hiding away small items.