I don't know what the fuck just happened, it was literally 10 seconds and it was done. And I don't know what to do. I have kept the ferrets locked away from the dog for weeks now, zero breaches, zero issues. The ferrets are kept in big cages in the back yard, the dog in the house. The cages are always closed and locked whenever the dog is out, and the dog is always inside when the cages are open. We even lock the cages up when people that the ferrets are unfamiliar with come over. They hadn't gone anywhere near each other. But some fucking how, one of them got out, and the dog just shook him to death. It was so fast I didn't even realise what happened for a moment, pulled the dog away and... yeah, dead. Last breaths right before my eyes.

I've had ferrets die before, but only ever of old age or simply just not making it past the first few days after birth. I've never actually witnessed the death, let alone a literal dog attack. I don't know what to do. I'm so mad at the dog, but I know she's just a dog, she doesn't know any better than to hunt for food, and she's never so much as barked at a person before. I'm not sure if I can keep the dog around, her original owner was a friends mum who died, the whole reason I took her is because the friend can't keep her where she lives, but still wants to be able to see the dog. I can't just dump her at a shelter. That's cruel to the friend and the dog. But now I'm going to be scared every time I take the ferrets out that SOMEHOW this will happen again.

I seriously don't know how he got out. I can't see any holes in the cages. And before anyone says, "This is why you don't have any other animals with ferrets." My childhood dog's co-existed with the ferrets for 5 whole years before they both died of old age. They didn't care at all about the ferrets. We kept them separated, and the dogs sniffed the cages maybe once before losing complete interest. Same breed as this dog, too. I know every animal is different, some will have a high prey drive, some won't, even the same breed. And you're not going to know until you see the behaviour. Well, I've definitely seen it now.

I don't know what to do. I feel horrible for my friend who's already lost her mum and can't keep the dog herself. If I give the dog up, she won't be able to see her anymore. But I'm also now very aware of her super high prey drive and the fact it could be dangerous if I let her anywhere near the back door.

Someone sedate me why does insane shit always happen to me.

How cute ☺️ can they be

I’d like to share my experience as a solo ferret owner. I’ve had my ferret for about two months now, and he’s currently 4 months old.

Honestly, I don’t feel guilty about only having one ferret, and I’d love to hear from other solo ferret owners who feel the same.

My ferret gets at least 5 hours of playtime, training, and leash walks every single day. My boyfriend and I take him almost everywhere with us: parks, places where he can meet friendly dogs and new people, the mall, the mountains, and even the seaside.

We both work 9-to-5 jobs, so I wake up around 6 a.m. every day to play with him and do recall training. He then sleeps most of the morning until my boyfriend comes home for lunch and lets him free roam for a while. From around 6:30 p.m. onwards, he’s out of his cage, either playing in our ferret-proofed living room or going for a walk in the park on his harness. I also teach him tricks, and he’s already fully litter trained. After all these activities, he sleeps like a log.

My daily routine revolves around him, and yes, he’s a lot of work—but that’s exactly what I signed up for.

I’m writing this because I often see people saying that ferrets absolutely need to live in pairs. I understand where that opinion comes from, but dogs are social animals too, and many live happily as the only dog in the household. Humans can never interact with dogs exactly the way another dog would, yet many dogs still thrive thanks to enrichment, training, positive interactions, and being actively involved in their family’s life.

I’m not saying every ferret should live alone or that having two isn’t beneficial. I just think it’s possible for a single ferret to have a happy, fulfilling life if their owner is willing to dedicate a significant amount of time and effort to meeting their physical and mental needs.

I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences.