Ferrets As Pets In California

They are endangered species who were brought to the u s over 300 years ago.
Ferrets as pets in california. Illegal in london york and east york. As a result state officials are concerned that gerbils who escape or are released into the wild could establish feral colonies that would damage crops and native plants and animals. Like ferrets gerbils are popular pets in the united states. You must know are ferrets legal to own as pets in california.
Finally ferrets can t really be trusted with smaller pets such as mice rats and even rabbits if these pets are already part of your family then a ferret is probably not ideal. I just find it amazing that they can put so much effort into worrying about what is basically a harmless animal. The main reason why ferrets are illegal in california is to protect agriculture and wildlife. The california natural resources agency which includes the department of fish and wildlife bans a variety of exotic pets one of them being ferrets.
Saturday april 2 is national ferret day but there will not be much celebration in california. Here s why non native animals like hedgehogs sometimes desired as pets are not a good idea or legal under current regulations. You should also contribute to the legalization of ferrets in ca because you know they are harmless. As of 1999 ferrets are legal to keep as pets in new york city.
By the same token cats and dogs probably can t be trusted around a ferret particularly unsupervised even friendly cats and dogs can risk hurting a ferret during rough play due to their size advantage. Cdfw receives frequent inquiries about why various non native species are restricted from being kept as pets in california. Ferrets as pets are illegal. Pet ferrets are legal in wisconsin but an import permit from the state department of agriculture is required to bring one into the state.
One man is trying to change that. Call ferrets the forbidden fruit of pet ownership. The black footed ferrets are cousins of domestic ferrets. Funny thing is there s an estimated 300 000 to 500 000 ferrets in california though illegal to own there the state has the highest population of domesticated ferrets.
The golden state and hawaii are the only states to ban domesticated ferrets. It s considered a misdemeanor punishable by a 1 000 fine or 6 months in jail. Why ferrets are illegal in california. In california you can own a ferret after applying for a permit from california department of fish and game.
However california s climate is similar to a gerbil s natural desert habitat.