Queen Elizabeth the first, owned a ferret and he is in a painting with her.

Ferret Origins- Not very much is know about the ferrets past. The first mention of a ferret is in 350b.c. when Aristophanes described an animal with similar characteristics to a ferret.

By Roman times the ferret was most certainly domesticated. They used ferrets to flush out rabbits from their dens. This sport was called Ferreting. It was very popular by the end of the Roman Empire.

Working Ferret- Ferrets have done their share of work. They are excellent for rodent control and have been used for hunting rabbits in Europe for centuries. During the revolutionary war they were use on ships for rodent problems too. They are used today to run wires through aircraft tubes.

Ancestors- the Ferret scientific name is mustela furo. Furo means thief, which fits them well. The ferret’s closest relative is the European Pole Cat. The North American Black Footed Ferret is not related to the domesticated ferret at all. Ferrets are also related to the Beaver, Otter, Skunk, and Minx.