Sables, a species of marten, small omnivorous mammals found in forest areas of Russia, Siberia, Northern Mongolia, Kazakhstan, China, North Korea, and Japan.
Sables are incredibly popular on the internet due to their attractive and innocent appearances and playful nature.
Despite their cute appearances, Sables are often illegally hunted and traded in the pet markets for their fur.
For ages, the fur of Sable has been highly expensive and used in decorating traditional clothing items.
Surprisingly, Sables are not listed under any special status in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Are Sables Good Pets?
After achieving fame on the internet, many pet lovers around the world showed interest in keeping European Sables as their pets. But many people often have similar questions about if a sable is a good pet.
(Credit For The Video: AnimalLove Stories).
Sable ferrets are considered exotic pets. Naturally, Sables are wild by nature which prevents them from being recognized as pets in most of the states and countries around the world.
Sables are usually intelligent, curious, and fun-loving pets. If you can train them, Sables can be amazing pets as they are very social.
However, it is also important to remember that due to their wild nature, it is not easy to train Sables; only a person who has great knowledge about wild animals and pets can train them.
Sables have very sharp teeth and they bite even their owners whenever they feel threatened. Hence, it might not be a good idea to have Sables as pets if you have young children at your home.
Being social animals, Sables can live together in a small group. Also, if you have other pets at your home, Sables can easily get along with them.
Sables have a lifespan of 5-10 years in the wild. However, with proper care and nutrition, they may live more than 15 years. Hence, Sables can accompany you as pets for many years.
Due to legal issues, Sables may not be available in pet markets, but you may find them at $150-$400 in the illegal pet markets. You may also check online platforms to find Sables as pets.
5 Tips To Remember Before Buying A Sable As Pets:
Here we discuss 5 important tips that you must remember before buying a Sable as a pet. If you are a beginner then it might be very useful for you. We believe these 5 facts may change your mind about having a Sable as a pet.
- Due to their wild nature, Sables are very difficult to be domesticated. You might train them but biting and chewing are their nature. They even bite their owner when they are afraid. Hence, they are not suitable pets if you have kids and old people at your home.
- Sables have a very strong and unpleasant odor which they use to mark their territories. However, Sables are also very prone to rabies. Thus, frequent vaccinations and consultation with veterinarians are a must for them.
- You must have a cage for your Sable ferret which is at least 18 inches tall and 24 inches wide so the pet can move freely. Multi-story metal cages are best as the Sables cannot chew the metals. You’ll also need to feed plates and litterbox nearby.
- You can’t train the Sables easily but potty training is something that the pets can easily learn due to their high intelligence. Whatever you train them, you cannot prevent them from biting and chewing. Hence, try to teach them as much positive behaviours instead of negative acts.
- Sable ferrets need at least 2-3 hours of playing time in a garden every day where they can run, jump, and play with their toys to stay fit. Also, Sables wants a lot of attention and care from its owner. If you can’t give them time and space to play, avoid them as pets because Sables may cause trouble.
Other Important Facts About Sable Ferrets You Must Consider:
Is It Legal To Keep Sable Ferrets As Pets?
In many countries around the world, Sable ferrets are considered exotic pets. In many states such as California, New York, and Hawaii, it is totally prohibited to keep Sables as pets.
However, in other states, keeping sables is not completely banned but there are a significant number of rules and regulations are present that you need to abide by.
In some provinces in Russia and Siberia, people often domesticate and farm sable ferrets and other mustelids.
When Do You Need To Avoid Sables As Pets?
If you have babies, young children, old age people, or small pets such as rabbits, hamsters, birds, etc at your home, you must rethink about adapting sables as pets.
Animals belonging to the weasel family, including sable ferrets, are not typically domesticated like cats or dogs. These mustelids may stay at your home, and eat whatever you give them, but they don’t form emotional connections with owners like dogs or other pets.
Sables have sharp claws and teeth. They can harm and injure anyone, especially young children and old people. Hence, keeping sable ferrets as pets is not a good idea if young or old people are present in your house.
You may train the ferrets but biting and chewing are their nature. Hence, they can bite and chew whatever they find in your house.
Preparation For Sable Ferrets As Pets:
Although sables are small and cannot be domesticated, they still require more care and attention than dogs. You can keep your sables in a cage but they require a large playground where they can run, jump and exercise for hours to stay healthy.
It will be a good idea to keep ferrets in pairs as sables are social animals. Vaccination is probably the most important thing you need to consider as sables are more prone to rabies.
However, don’t forget sables have a naturally unpleasant odour that they use to mark their territories. If you plan to keep sable ferrets as pets, you must adjust to such unpleasant odour.
Cage:
The thumb rule for any cage is the bigger, the better. The smallest size recommendation for an individual sable is six cubic feet (volume). 18 inches tall and 24 inches wide and deep cage is sufficient for one adult sable ferret.
As sables love to chew, metal cages are the best for them as metal cages cannot be chewed. You may also include a litter box that helps them with potty training.
Best Food For Sable Ferrets:
Similar to cats and dogs, sable ferrets require foods that are particularly designed for them. Ferrets are strictly carnivorous and fruits or vegetables must be avoided from their meals.
Being only meat lovers, ferrets require only 4-10% of their diets to be fibre content. You may give them specialized packaged foods that are designed for carnivorous animals.
You may feed them with baby meat or freshly cooked meat as treats. Always ensure fresh water is present inside the cage for drinking.
Additionally, you can provide them with vitamin and calcium supplements but it is advised to feed those supplements only after consulting a vet.
Trainings:
Generally, it is not easy to train sables unless you are an expert. Still toilet training is something that you can easily teach them.
Potty Training:
Sable ferrets are quite smart animals and can easily learn litter box training. Paper pulp boxes are preferable for training; clay or clumping litter may stick to the sables and irritate them.
In the beginning, you need to move their faeces to the litter box. Once they smell it, they’ll run to the box to release their faeces from the next time.
Chewing Training:
One of the worst habits that ferrets have is chewing. They can literally chew everything that fits in their mouth. Training is very important for them to understand good or bad behaviour.
Instead of punishing them, you may try to distract them or show them the good behaviour that they can follow. Or you can reward them for good behaviour that will encourage them.
Health Issues:
Sable ferrets are prone to parasitic and bacterial infections. Brucellosis, hypothermia, and hyperthermia are the other health issues that a sable may have.
Most of the Sables found in illegal pet markets are illegally captured and unhealthy. Hence, before buying any Sables from an illegal pet market, check it properly. However, if you find a Sable ferret breeder nearby, don’t forget to ask him about its origin and health certificates.
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