Housing and Environmental Enrichment of the Domestic Ferret: A Multi-Sector Survey

Seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in household domestic ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) in Spain, 2019-2023

SARS-CoV-2 is the causal agent of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in humans that emerged in late 2019. This virus is able to infect humans and different animal species. Among pets, cats and ferrets are more susceptible to be infected by the SARS-CoV-2. Epidemiological studies are an important tool to provide information under natural conditions of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 virus. In comparison to cats, limited epidemiological studies have been performed in domestic ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) reporting the presence of antibodies in this species. This study analysed the presence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in 432 cliend-owned ferrets from different geographical areas of Spain during the different waves of COVID-19 outbreaks from December 2019 to May 2023 (42 months). For this purpose, anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were detected by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent method (ELISA) using the receptor binding domain (RBD) of Spike antigen and confirmed by serum virus neutralization assay. Eighteen of the 432 ferrets included were seroreactive by the in-house ELISA (4.17%, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 2.65-6.49). In this sense, the wave of COVID-19 with the higher number of seropositive ferrets occurred during the seventh wave when the different Omicron subvariants were the dominant virus variants. Our results suggest that the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in domestic ferrets in natural conditions is low. Further research is need to evaluate the potential risk of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from human to pets.

Meeting Ferret Enrichment Needs in Infectious Disease Laboratory Settings

Environmental enrichment is a necessary component of all research vivarium settings. However, appropriate enrichment decisions vary greatly depending on the species involved and the research use of the animals. The increasing use of ferrets in research settings-notably for modeling the pathogenicity and transmissibility of viral pathogens that require containment in ABSL-2 to -4 environments-presents a particular challenge for veterinary and research staff to ensure that enrichment needs for these animals are met consistently. Here, we discuss the species-specific enrichment needs of ferrets, enrichment considerations for ferrets housed in research settings, and the challenges and importance of providing appropriate enrichment during experimentation, including when ferrets are housed in high-containment facilities. This article is organized to support the easy availability of information that will facilitate the design and implementation of optimal environmental enrichment for ferrets used in diverse research efforts in vivarium settings.

Behavioral Evaluation of Laboratory-housed Ferrets (Mustela Putorius Furo) in Different Enclosure Sizes

The domestic ferret (Mustela putorius furo) is a common research model for infectious disease and behavioral studies. Ferrets are social animals that are commonly pair-housed. The United States has no species-specific regulatory standards for housing ferrets. Optimal enclosure dimensions have also not been investigated in this species, and cage sizes reported in the literature vary. Adequate space is an important animal welfare consideration, as smaller cages have been linked to increased incidence of stress- or boredom-related behaviors in some species. Here, we evaluated activity budget and space utilization in 2 different enclosure sizes for pair-housed female ferrets (n = 12). Single cages measured 78.7×78.7×45.7cm; double cages were comprised of 2 single cages connected by a short tunnel measuring 17.8 cm. Three pairs of ferrets were housed in each cage size and continuous video recordings were captured for 2 wk prior to crossover to the other cage size. The overall activity budget was similar between groups, with the predominant behavior being inactivity (89%). Stereotypic behaviors, such as cage biting or escape attempts, were infrequent (<0.1%) in both groups. Ferrets in double cages remained in the same cage as their partner 96% of the time, suggesting that social support is very valuable. Our results suggest that ferrets in both cage sizes experienced satisfactory welfare conditions. Our findings also suggest that while cage size is not the only determinant of conspecific aggression, larger cages may be an effective intervention to ameliorate aggression in certain ferrets based on signalment or behavioral history, with particular utility as a potential alternative to re-pairing or single-housing. This study provides valuable information to guide animal care and use programs regarding appropriate ferret housing.

Review of the Effects of Enclosure Complexity and Design on the Behaviour and Physiology of Zoo Animals

The complexity of the habitat refers to its physical geometry, which includes abiotic and biotic elements. Habitat complexity is important because it allows more species to coexist and, consequently, more interactions to be established among them. The complexity of the habitat links the physical structure of the enclosure to the biological interactions, which occur within its limits. Enclosure complexity should vary temporally, to be able to influence the animals in different ways, depending on the period of the day and season and throughout the year. In the present paper, we discuss how habitat complexity is important, and how it can positively influence the physical and mental states of zoo animals. We show how habitat complexity can ultimately affect educational projects. Finally, we discuss how we can add complexity to enclosures and, thus, make the lives of animals more interesting and functional.

No indication for SARS-CoV-2 transmission to pet ferrets, in five cities in Poland, 2021 - antibody testing among ferrets living with owners infected with SARS-CoV-2 or free of infection

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was first identified in China by the end of 2019 and was responsible for a pandemic in the human population that resulted in millions of deaths worldwide. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the role of animals as spill-over or reservoir hosts was discussed. In addition to cats and dogs, ferrets are becoming increasingly popular as companion animals. Under experimental conditions, ferrets are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 and it appears that they can also be infected through contact with a SARS-CoV-2 positive owner. However, there is still little information available regarding these natural infections. Here, we serologically tested samples collected from pet ferrets (n = 45) from Poland between June and September 2021. Of the ferrets that were included in the study, 29% (13/45) had contact with owners with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections. Nevertheless, SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies could not be detected in any of the animals, independent of the infection status of the owner. The obtained results suggest that ferrets cannot be readily infected with SARS-CoV-2 under natural conditions, even after prolonged contact with infected humans. However, due to the rapid mutation rate of this virus, it is important to include ferrets in future monitoring studies.

Pet Owner Perception of Ferret Boredom and Consequences for Housing, Husbandry, and Environmental Enrichment

Boredom is a potential chronic but overlooked animal welfare problem. Caused by monotony, sub-optimal stimulation, and restrictive housing, boredom can therefore affect companion animals, particularly those traditionally caged, such as ferrets. We surveyed owners' (n = 621) perceptions of ferrets' capacity to experience boredom, behaviours they associate with it, and whether their perception of their ferrets' capacity for boredom influenced training techniques, housing, and environmental enrichment (EE). Most (93.0%) owners believed that ferrets could experience boredom, but owners who doubted that ferrets experience boredom (7.0%) provided slightly but significantly fewer EE types to their ferrets. Heat map and classification tree analysis showed that owners identified scratching at enclosure walls (n = 420) and excessive sleeping (n = 312) as distinctive behavioural indicators of ferret boredom. Repetitive pacing (n = 381), yawning (n = 191), and resting with eyes open (n = 171) were also suggested to indicate ferret boredom, but these overlapped with other states. Finally, ferret owners suggested social housing, tactile interaction with humans, and exploration as most important for preventing boredom. These results suggest that pet ferrets are at risk of reduced welfare from owners who doubt they can experience boredom, highlighting an opportunity to improve welfare through information dissemination. We recommend further investigation into ferret boredom capacity, behavioural indicators, and mitigation strategies.

Correction: Dancer et al. Housing and Environmental Enrichment of the Domestic Ferret: A Multi-Sector Survey. Animals 2022, 12, 1065

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