Motor City Ferrets: Saving Metro Detroit, One Ferret at a Time
Story by Andrea Grimaldi | Additional material by Jeff Lilly Photos by Bernie Laframboise and Jeff Lilly
Nanci Frazier, director of Motor City Ferrets, will be the first to tell you that ferrets are not easy pets. But don’t let this fool you; she believes they are worth every moment of trouble. And she speaks from experience; since opening Motor City Ferrets, Nanci and co-director Alex Oeming have personally saved over 1,000 ferrets.
Motor City Ferrets is a registered non-profit shelter and rescue service in Hazel Park, run out of Nanci and Alex’s home. Currently, the shelter has thirty critters available for adoption, and can have anywhere between 20-50 ferrets at a time. The ferrets all receive personal attention and play time. Most of the basement of the house has been transformed into a safe, warm, clean play area for the ferrets (and ferret owners.) Safe, spacious cages line one wall. The floor is easy-to-clean linoleum, scattered with tubes (ferrets love to crawl through tubes) and other toys; tubs and open cages lined with blankets and ferret hammocks provide places to rest.
Although MCF comes first in Nanci and Alex’s lives, both work outside of the home to help fund the rescue. Nanci has worked many jobs, including organizer and office worker. Alex is a science teacher. The shelter is a non-profit and can be quite costly to operate, so donations (monetary and supplies) are always welcomed and appreciated.
Because it is a private residence, the shelter does not have regular business hours. Instead, they offer private adoption events and personal appointments for interested adopters. Keeping the shelter’s address private helps prevent people from dropping off unwanted ferrets in dangerous conditions; for example, 3:00 A.M. on a frigid night. While Nanci and Alex are happy to take in surrenders, they don’t want to risk animals getting sick or hurt while unattended on their porch.
Nanci wants everyone to know that ferrets are domesticated animals and thus, “they have no clue how to survive in the wild.” They’ve lost the instinct to hunt and cannot fend for themselves; the average ferret released into the wild won’t last a week. If you see a ferret loose outside, please contact Motor City Ferrets immediately. Ferrets also lack the ability to find their way home. If they get out, it’s unlikely they’ll come back. Due to their flexible bodies, ferrets can squeeze through tiny openings; Nanci says that dryer vents are a common means of escape.
On the other hand, ferrets are fun, gentle, social animals, and it’s a real blast to watch them play. Most well-socialized ferrets love to cuddle and play. Just be careful of loose objects; if a ferret likes it, they’ll likely steal it and drag it off somewhere to hide. While ferrets may sleep up to 20 hours a day, they’re very active while awake, and taking them out of their cages to roam and play (in a safe, ferret-proofed area) is a must. Nanci often describes ferrets to a would-be parents as a cross between kittens and human toddlers. In other words, ferrets are positively adorable and a true delight to be around, but they can also be a great big handful!
Motor City Ferrets offers a lot for ferret fans. In addition to adoptions, MCF offers temporary boarding and many ferret supplies for sale. Miss Sophie’s Weezily Wares, the ferret specialty shop operated by MCF, sells a variety of cages and accessories. Handmade blankets, beds, cleaners and ferret-themed gifts are all available. 100% of proceeds go towards vet bills and other operating costs of the rescue. Regardless of where you got your ferret, visit the shop for inexpensive but high quality supplies.
When you adopt from a specialized shelter, you gain access to experts on your new pet. Nanci has owned ferrets for nearly two decades. Within that time, she has seen most of the health and behavioral problem that ferrets can have and has met specialized veterinarians in the area. Nanci and Alex like to keep in touch with adopters to make sure the ferrets are healthy and the owners are happy. The Motor City Ferret Facebook group has over 1,000 members posting pictures, questions and stories daily. From health concerns to silly home videos, the group is supportive of ferret fans everywhere.
Interested in becoming a ferret owner? Nanci strongly suggests reading “Ferrets for Dummies” first or perusing the Facebook page to see what a ferret family experiences. Visit the MCF page at www.motorcityferrets.org to learn about open houses, adoption events and more about the organization. The rescue can be reached at motorcityferrets@hotmail.com, or 248-219-9023.
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