Scottish SPCA appeal to Edinburgh animal lovers after receiving a large number of ferrets

The Scottish SPCA are asking Edinburgh locals to consider rehoming overlooked ferrets, after an influx of the animals arrived at their centres.

The animal welfare charity is currently caring for over 60 of the pets across their nine animal rescue and rehoming centres. So far this year, the Edinburgh centre has taken in a total of 19 ferrets.

Scottish SPCA deputy head of field operations, Graeme Innes, has urged animal lovers to consider giving a ferret a home.

He said: “We are currently caring for more ferrets than usual across all our centres.

“Sadly, these animals 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.

Mr Innes said he was “not sure” what was driving the increase in ferrets coming into their care, and added: “It could be that people didn’t want them any more when the reality of owning one of these animals set in!

He continued: “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.

The Scottish SPCA are urging animal lovers to consider adopting a ferret.

“They 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 own. They’re very inquisitive and cheeky and will definitely bring a lot of fun in to their new owners’ lives!

“If anyone is looking for a friend for their existing ferrets, we’d love to hear from you as we have so many in our care that we’re sure we can find the perfect match.

“If anyone is also thinking about becoming a first-time ferret owner then please consider adopting an animal and giving them a second chance. Our centre receptions are open 1pm until 4pm daily and you can give our teams a call or pop in with any questions you might have about adopting one of these animals.”

All the ferrets that the Scottish SPCA currently have for rehoming can be viewed and applied for here: https://bit.ly/3alhGnL