As the cage stood in my living room on the coffee table, distress consumed me. While they weren’t evil, they were young and energetic creatures who would give me bite marks and scratches.

I never knew ferrets existed until my mom came home one day with two ferrets in separate boxes. My mom decided to adopt them. As time went on, I began to grow used to the furry animals running around in my bedroom. Eventually, we had to give them away because they needed more attention than my mother and I could provide.

In 2018, Asuna, my new furry friend became an amazing addition to the family. When we first had her, she was the light inside of my heart; I instantly fell in love the moment I saw her running around in my parents’ bedroom. My mom was trying to keep it a secret from me so that it was a surprise, but I already knew what was going on.

Asuna is a cheerful ferret who barks at everything in an exciting manner. She loves to play an amusing game of tag where she chases you around the house and bites at your feet. My parents think she is a slow runner, but I think she is immensely fast and persistent in reaching her goals once she finds an interest in anything her eyes come across, such as shiny objects or things she can hide so we can’t find it.

Once we set up her cage, I came to realize it was going to be difficult to clean out her cage and the bedding from my bedroom floor. When we bought her cage, Asuna would dig her nose in the bedding, as if to nudge it out from her cage; this resulted in a huge messy area round my carpet.

The first time I had to vacuum my bedroom floor was only a week after adopting her; this was when I learned Asuna hates vacuum cleaners. When I clean my bedroom floor which has the bedding on it, she will hiss, back away and try to hide from the loud noise. Because she is in her cage, she can’t go anywhere, so I put her in the bathroom where the noise isn’t as loud.

One time when I was at school and my step dad was home, he let Asuna out of the cage and let her roam around the house. Less than 10 minutes later, he found his wallet being taken by the small weasel who was happily dragging it across the carpet floor. My step dad thought it was one of the cutest things he had ever seen, which I would have to agree.

About a month after getting her, she developed a foul odor that made me want to give her a bath. Generally, it is recommended to only give ferrets a bath once a month.

When I first gave Asuna a bath, she flipped out and backed up into a corner once I turned the tap water on and sat her down in the tub. To make sure she didn’t feel afraid, I picked her up gently and slowly, resting my palm against the lower portion of her body. Now, she hardly ever gets panicky when I give her a bath. She likes it when I throw a towel into the tub after it is done draining so I can watch her furiously dry herself.

Asuna has become a huge part of my life since we first adopted her. When I take her out of her cage every now and then to snuggle her, she has a happy aura while I pet her. She is always so full of energy and life that it is almost frequently tiring. As soon as she is fully rested and awake, she is hopping and running everywhere every time I let her out of her cage. We almost can never let her out of the cage without her being hyper and full of life.   

Sometimes, she tends to be vastly clingy because she recognizes me and my smell; she will grab at my hand with her teeth when she is most happy as a way of saying “play with me.”

I have only had her for half a year and I can say I am thrilled to have her as a part of my family. Having her has made me feel more content and cheerful; there will be many more cherishable memories in the future, guaranteed.