Stoat X Ferret.

[Ratreeper 441]

 

 

I bought two hob ferrets about 3 weeks ago supposedly 1/2 polecat whether that is true or not I don't know all I an say is that every polecat coloured ferret i've seen has had more of a white undercoat where as these are more yellowy colour. like a true wild polecat we used to see when my grand father had a chicken farm

 

I don't really care if they are 1/2 polecat im just after decent working line of ferret but they look more like one

 

atb bb

 

I bought a small hob from melton mowbray auction when i was about 15-16 and after the sale (I bought it for a £1) the seller came over for a chat and told me it was 50% polecat too. I do believe it because it was extremely dark colour (almost black all over) and never acted like a ferret and it never seemed to tame down entirely and it gave me the worst bites I have ever had off a 'ferret'. Anyway apart from being small for a polecat it was every part a wilder ferret and it turned out to be useless for working.

So just to warn you, if you get one anything like mine you are going to have to spend hours and hours trying to tame it properly and when you think you are OK it might just turn and clamp to your hand and you will start again. I gave mine to a friend, I would seriously suggest you get rid of them and get ferrets to save yourself a lot of unnecessary bother if they don't do the job in reasonable time.

 

So if a hybrid is this much trouble, how much worse will a full polecat be? could it be that you simply was sold a bad apple?

 

 

It might have helped if I had raised it from a youngster, it was young enough but I think the essential point is that a ferret is just a domesticated polecat and that people didn't go to the bother for no reason. I can't judge based on one example and I am sure it is possible to have a lovely tame polecat that does the job after quite a lot more effort, but it is still going to have a wild nature and going to get stressed more easily and need more attention. So I just can't see any benefit for the animal or for the owner, it's like getting a wolf to hunt rabbits when it would be better for both parties to get a lurcher instead.

[onthehunt 40]

Pure bred polecat unfortunately we lost the litter

sorry to hear that. it looks nothing like your average ferret though