CFWRS
CAMBRIDGE FERRET WELFARE AND RESCUE SOCIETY
Welcome to the Cambridge Ferret Welfare and Rescue Society web site.
You may be surprised to know that there are ferret lovers all over the world and the British are no exception. However the ferret is less known here as a domestic animal and that is why, in 1989, the Society was formed. The aim of the Society is to give people advice about ferrets both as working companions and pets and also to rescue, care for and re-home unwanted and abandoned ferrets. The Society is not a registered Charity but is a charitable cause. All monies raised going towards the care and promotion of ferret welfare, both as domestic pets and working animals; also the upkeep of rescued ferrets while they are in the Society’s care.
It is unfortunate that the ferret had acquired a poor image over the years. This may be partly due to the ferret’s low monetary value and its having been the subject of many a music hall ‘joke’. However, due to our efforts and those of similar Societies this image of the ferret has improved dramatically and continues to do so.
The Cambridgeshire Ferret Welfare & Rescue Society (CFWRS) hopes to demonstrate that ferrets are not spiteful, vicious, smelly animals as people have been led to believe, but are actually affectionate, appealing creatures, their mentality compared between that of a cat and dog. The Society hopes to eliminate the negative attitude towards ferrets and get them accepted as working companions and pets.
Ferrets are brought to the Society for a number of reasons, some have been cruelly treated, others neglected, some abandoned. Others are more simply lost or have found a means of escape from their caring handlers. In such cases, all efforts will be made to reunite lost ferret and owner. In all other cases the Society will care for the ferret for a minimum of three weeks before actively trying to find a new, caring home. A large number of rescued ferrets end up being taken under the wing of Society members. Once the ferret is re-homed either to a Society member or a member of the public the financial costs of the ferret’s upkeep and welfare are taken over by the new owner.
When a ferret arrives in the Society we will assess its health and temperament. Any veterinary attention is provided immediately. Where possible, a new home will be sought, but if this is not practical, the ferret will remain with the Society as a permanent resident. Ferrets are never put down by the CFWRS unless they are so desperately sick as to be judged by our vets as beyond further medical help.
The CFWRS offers its services to animal welfare organisations such as the RSPCA, Wood Green Animal Shelters, PDSA and the Police. Rescue ferrets are also taken in from Veterinary Surgeons and anyone who finds a ferret ‘lost’ or ‘dumped’. The majority of the ferrets that come into the care of CFWRS tend to originate with a frantic phone call from a member of the public along the lines of "HELP! I think I have got a ferret running around my garden (or in a building)".
Generally, Veterinarians in the UK do not know enough about the ferret. We are fortunate to have Veterinary Surgeons who have taken an interest in our work and support our cause. However, the Veterinary profession has recognised, especially over recent years, the upsurge in interest in ferrets and this had led to a greater knowledge of ferrets within the profession.
