■ The British Ferret Club
http://www.britishferretclub.co.uk
This is the Official British Ferret Club Website, a website with tons of information for ferret lovers.
The British Ferret Club was established in 2000. Its purpose is to bring together people who rear ferrets with respect and affection. Its membership covers huge areas of the British Isles.
You can become a member of the club. Membership entitles you to a trice-yearly newsletter, free entry to the members’ class at all of the club’s shows, and advice on many ferret issues. This advice includes things like ferrets diets, claw clipping, and ear cleaning.
Caution: this website has music, mostly a tuba and drums. The music is a little too bouncy for dull men. You may want to turn down the volume on your computer when viewing this website.
Ferret Racing in Longstock, Hampshire
Rules for Racing Ferrets
http://www.britishferretclub.co.uk/racingrules.htm
This page of the Official British Ferret Club website has the rules for Ferret Racing. Dull men like rules – especially these ferret rules as they are so practical. For example, one of the first rules is that you need someone to start the race. That rule makes a great deal of sense. You also need someone to record the race results, another sensible rule.
The race courses consist of three pipes of equal length. Ferrets run through the pipes. The rules say the pipes can be any color. We recommend gray or beige. You may have some not dull members involved, however, who may prefer brighter colors. Perhaps you can request gray pipes for your ferrets, let others use the brighter pipes.
It is recommended that, to have enough competitors to make the race a race, there should be from 9 to 21 ferrets entered in the race.
Ferret History
http://www.britishferretclub.co.uk/ferrethistory.htm
The Romans, who used ferrets to hunt rabbits, brought ferrets to Britain in the first century AD. Since then ferrets have been used to control not only rabbits but also rodents. Because of their smaller size, ferrets proved to be better than cats for hunting rodents on ships.
In the twelve century, only the noble born were allowed to hunt rabbits for food. In 1390 a law was passed restricting ownership of ferrets to persons with income great than forty shillings per year in order to prevent the working classes from using ferrets to poach rabbits.
Ferrets throughout history are shown on this website. The picture above is “The Ermine Portrait of Queen Elizabeth the First.” Below is a picture by Leonardo Da Vinci, “Lady Ermine.” Painted something between 1485 and 1490.
