Lost Ferret

by Stephanie Brungardt
(Bentonville, Arkansas)

My brother got a ferret about 3 weeks ago. He found out after he got it that they can't be left alone for a long period of time. He goes to high school during the day and I'm a stay at home mom so he asked if he could bring her to my house during the day. I live next door to them.

Anyway, yesterday I was laying the kids down for a nap and that's usually when she goes to her bed to eat then sleep so I didn't bother her until the kids woke up. When I went to her bed she wasn't there.

We looked all over, under and in beds and furniture. My husband soon noticed that the hose to the dryer was off. She got out through the vent which was on pretty tight with a tie around the dryer part so it couldn't fall off.

I have been so worried about her because she wasn't in the backyard.

Do you think she will return. I put her bed and litter box outside so she could smell it and maybe return.

We haven't seen her for 22 hours. I hope she is still alive and returns.

Can they live outside when its cold? And can she follow her scent back home if she is still alive?