A flurry of ferrets has arrived at the Scottish SPCA’s Tayside and Fife rescue centre in Angus.
The animal charity has seen a spike in the number of the mustelids coming in to facilities across Scotland.
Last year they looked after more than 320.
And welfare teams are currently caring for almost 80 across their nine animal rescue and rehoming centres.
Petterden pair
A group of ferrets is known as a business.
And the current tally includes two popular characters at the Petterden centre, between Dundee and Forfar.
Scottish SPCA rehabilitations lead, Rachael Maclean, said: “We are currently caring for a lot more ferrets than usual across the society, including four at our Angus, Fife and Tayside centre.
“Oscar and Arthur are just two of the charming ferrets we have for rehoming.
“Oscar came into our care in August last year after sadly being found abandoned.
“He arrived as a young and boisterous male but our team of staff and volunteers have spent a lot of time working on his manners
“He is now lovely to handle.
“Arthur also came into our care in August last year after being found as a stray.
“Unfortunately, he was never claimed.
“This cheeky boy has been at our centre for more than 170 days and is constantly making our staff laugh with his zoomies.”
Rachael added: “He needs an owner who can continue to work on his manners when being held.
“Sadly, ferrets like Oscar and Arthur are consistently overlooked for rehoming and tend to stay in our care for a long time.
“It’s a shame as they can make fantastic pets in the right homes.”
Mystery over spike in unwanted ferrets
The charity says it’s uncertain what is driving the rise in ferret numbers.
“It could be that people adopted these animals on a whim and then had to face up to the responsibility of caring for the pet long-term,” said Rachael.
“Although they are great for adult homes, or homes with older teenagers, they’re not really suitable as children’s pets as they can nip when excited.
“Ferrets also need a lot of enrichment and exercise as they’re highly social, intelligent creatures who love interacting with their owners.
“They shouldn’t just be left in a cage and forgotten about.
“However, if you’re willing to put the time and effort in to caring for them, they can be incredibly rewarding animals to have at home.
“They’re very inquisitive and cheeky.”
The Angus centre also recently put out a plea for a new owner for another unusual pet – a seven-year-old Royal Python called Taz.
How you can adopt a ferret or any other animal
Scottish SPCA centre receptions are open 1pm until 4pm daily and their teams welcome anybody with questions about adopting one of these animals to give them a call on 03000 999 999 or visit their local centre.
All the ferrets the Scottish SPCA currently have for rehoming can be viewed on the charity’s website.
