Some interesting facts about ferrets:

• An unspayed female ferret is called a jill while a spayed female is a sprite. An intact male is a hob and a neutered male is called a gib. Baby ferrets are called kits.

• Ferrets have been domesticated for thousands of years; in fact, on the walls of some Egyptian tombs there are pictures of ferret-like creatures on leashes.

• Ferrets have no inherent fear of humans.

• A newborn ferret is so small that it can fit into a teaspoon!

• All ferret kits have white fur at birth.

• After kithood (6-8 weeks of age) ferrets make very few sounds.

• The average ferret lives to be 6 or 7 years old.

• Ferrets like to crawl into small dark spaces to sleep.

• Ferrets are members of the mink family.

• Ferrets can sleep so soundly that they cannot be woken up even when picked up and jostled.

• A small ferret may be able to squeeze through a hole just over an inch in diameter.