You can’t find your ferret! You have just spent the last hour or two looking in every nook and cranny in your house or apartment! Your ferret was asleep behind the TV or so you thought when your company was leaving! Your ferret was asleep in the bedroom when you took out the garbageor when you opened the door for just a second!

Before starting your search outdoors, you will need the following:

• Pictures of your ferret: the more recent the better it  and who doesn’t have tons of pictures of their fur babies on their phone or laptop
• Squeaky toy: that you have used to train your ferret to come to you with.
• Treat bag: that you normally shake and he comes running for his treat
• Flashlight: if it is after dark

Step One:

1. Leave the front door ajar slightly – in the off chance that your ferret will come home while you are out looking. Do this only if you have someone home to watch the door. I have gone looking outside; positive the ferret had escaped only to be greeted by said ferret at the door when I came home.  You don’t want your ferret leaving the house while you are out looking! Stranger things have happened!
2. Call your ferret, squeak that toy, shake that bag of treats.  Your neighbours will hear you even if your ferret doesn’t and you can alert them to the fact that you are looking for your lost ferret.
3. Check the perimeter of the house/apartment block. Ferrets instinctively avoid being out in the open
4. Check under bushes and shrubs.
5. Ask permission to check out garages that have their doors open
6. Check under decks, asking permission if you must go on someone else’s property.
7. Check in woodpiles, asking permission if you must go on someone else’s property.
8. Alert all your neighbours in a two or three  block radius, north, east, south and west.
9. Enlist the neighbourhood children ages 7 or 8 and up to help you look. Show them a picture of your ferret. Tell them not to try and pick up the ferret but to call for help.  Offer a small reward. Children know all the best hiding spots from playing hide and seek.
10. If you have multiple ferrets, take the lost ferret’s cage mate out on a leash and walk the neighbourhood.  The scent of the cage mate you are walking may guide your lost ferret home.

Step Two:

1. Print up lost ferret notices and drop them in every mail box for 4 or 8 blocks in every direction. Yes, ferrets can travel that far!
2.  Drop off a poster of your lost ferret to every pet store in the area
3. Drop off a poster of your lost ferret to every vet clinic in the area.
4. Call the Humane Society and alert them to your lost ferret
5. Call the MFA and alert them to your lost ferret (didn’t think I should have to put this one in, but, for those who were to upset to think, just a gentle reminder that folks will often call us to come capture or pick up a lost ferret.)
6. Call the local radio station that does lost alerts
7. Use social media to alert them of your lost ferret. Lost Dog Alert will post regarding lost ferrets. use every lost alert facebook page you can reach

Step Three:

1. Take your ferret’s carrier (with food, water and blanket)  or cage if  possible and set it outside by the door. The smell of food and his blanket  just might help guide him home.
2. Some folks will offer a reward and this is something to consider
3. Retrace your steps, checking the same areas several times. A friend of mine was following her ferret’s paw prints in the snow. They went around the house and back and around again. She stopped and looked behind her to see her ferret had been following her. So, your ferret may be following your scent.