STA Ferret Rescue

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Willow's story

On 10th March 2011 we had a call from the RSPCA asking if we could take in a jill who was in a bad state. Of course we would. We got quite a shock when the little lady arrived...

The RSPCA inspector was so appauled by her condition, that they agreed that the RSPCA would help with treatment bills.

It was clear from the size of her vulva (which was a massive donut) that she had been left in season for a very long time, so the first thing was to get her across to our vet to be jill jabbed to bring her out of season and get an initial check over to see if there was any other visible reason for the baldness. Her feet and claws were very grubby and uncared for, so clearly she had not been lving in good conditions and was very underweight. As she had been handed to the RSPCA as a 'found' it was unfortunately not possible for the RSPCA to take action against the owner for neglect.

What we couldnt tell is what internal problems there may be as a result of having been left in season so long (aplastic anaemia and pyometra being bigs concerns, or whether it was something like adrenal disease that could also be the cause of the fur loss). All we could do was wait for the jill jab to take affect, then get her in a week later for spaying when Steve our vet could also see what was going on inside.

In the meantime she was happy to be cuddled, and make new friends and play with some of the permanent residents at the centre.

Willow on the day she arrived at the rescue

On 17th March, Willow was spayed. Steve was able to have a good look around at her organs and fortunately all appeared fine, and there was no sign of adrenal.

By now Willow had quite a following on Facebook and various ferret forums, receiving lots of well wishes and interest in how she was doing. We received many offers of new homes for her, but it was Mia who had fallen in love with this little bald lady who was lucky enough to get agreement to adopt her provided she improved in the 4 weeks that followed.

Willow 19 days after arriving at the rescue, playing wit Fiennes

Willow 1 month after arriving at the rescue

Despite all she has been through Willow is such a gentle, friendly and playful ferret.

As you can see she has put on weight (she certainly enjoys her food), and has a lovely white coat of fur coming through.

On 12th April 2011 she was well enough to leave the rescue to go and live with her new family where she will receive all the love and care she so deserves.

Unneutered jills need to be brought out of season, its not a myth that they can die if they are not!

Fortunately Willow has got through her ordeal. Speak to your vets about the best options for your jill if shes' not been neutered already. Speying is permanent and a one off cost; Jill jabs will bring a ferret out of season (but can fail) and need to be done each season; Implants (chemical neutering) are a new approach and will need applying every 18-24 months (currently expensive); Vasectomised hobs can be used, but this can be rough for your jill and may not always be successful. We have all jills that come into the rescue speyed before rehoming as adults.

Please help us..

Help more ferrets like Willow.

We get between 150 and 200 ferrets each year through the rescue. We receive no support from the Government, and rarely receive assistance from other organisations who pass ferrets or other small animals onto us.

So we rely on the generosity of people to help raise funds to pay for food, vet bills and transport costs. If you would like to help by making a donation (every penny helps), simply click the Donate Now button above. You can also help in other ways...

Please help us help them
just text STAR35 £2 / £5 / £10 to 70070 to donate now

Read Fienne's Story >

Willow 1 year after arriving at the rescue

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