Ferrets cruelly abandoned in alleyway want to be treated like goddesses

Three ferrets left in a cage down an alleyway in Hertfordshire are looking for kind and expert new owners.

The trio were spotted behind Macrae Close in Stevenage on the morning of September 29 by a member of the public who contacted the RSPCA.

All three were skinny but otherwise in good health. The bare cage they were confined to was strewn with faeces and did not have any toys or props, which typically ferrets need for enrichment.

RSPCA animal rescue officer Nick Jonas picked the ferrets up and transported them to RSPCA Martlesham Animal Centre, which is run by RSPCA Suffolk Central Branch.

“There was no CCTV in the area and although I put up a notice on a lamppost at the location to see if I could get some information about how these poor ferrets were left in such poor circumstances, sadly no-one has got in touch,” said the animal rescue officer.

“It does make you despair why someone would do this and it was fortunate these animals were found relatively quickly – it was likely they had been abandoned the night before.

“They were in a large cage and ferrets do need large enclosures, but they also need a lot more from their owners. They are agile and lively pets who thrive on outdoor exercise as well so they can explore and play.

“We don’t pick up many abandoned ferrets, so this was an unusual abandonment. But to care for these animals properly does take time as well as a bit of expertise. So it may be that whoever left them has not been able to show that commitment, although they should have sought help before they took such a senseless course of action.”

RSPCA staff at Martlesham have named the ferrets, who are all female, Artemis, Athena and Aphrodite after the Greek goddesses of wild animals, wisdom and love respectively.

They will rehome them after they have been neutered.

Animal centre manager Zoe Barrett-Lamb said: “Artemis, Athena and Aphrodite (pictured top to bottom, above) were very skinny when they came in, but they’ve put on weight over the last two weeks and will soon be ready for rehoming. They will make good pets for new owners who can provide them with plenty of space so they can play and exercise.”

Anyone interested in adopting the trio can contact RSPCA Suffolk Central Branch on 0300 9997321 or by email at [email protected]

The RSPCA has launched a month-long Adoptober rehoming campaign because it is facing its biggest rehoming crisis in recent memory. The animal charity’s rescue centres and branches are full to bursting with unwanted animals as more animals come into care than are being adopted.

The number of animals rehomed dropped by five percent from 2021 to 2022 falling to 25,535 animals in 2022, compared to 26,945 during the previous year, while there has been a longer-term collapse in rehoming rates which have fallen by 34% from three years ago (in 2019) – when 39,178 animals were rehomed.