In February 1997, Modern Ferret Magazine published my article on the history of ferrets in its 9th issue. I wrote the piece to examine and dispel several myths and to document factual information about the interaction between humans and members of the mustelid family, including the domesticated ferret, over the centuries.
Modern Ferret Magazine was a fantastic resource for ferret owners and, sadly, stopped publication in 2003. A website with more information about the magazine still exists at http://www.modernferret.com/
I found a single copy of this issue while going through a closet full of books, journal articles and writings from college, grad school and my early career. I'd long ago lost the original manuscript in a hard drive crash and thought that with Modern Ferret Magazine's demise the article had been lost for good.
I've revived the article here in blog format and hope that the font size is readable. Apologies for the typos that slipped past the editing process.
Enjoy. Feedback, comments and questions welcome.
Below is Leonardo Da Vinci's painting "Lady with an ermine" (1489/90). The painting's permanent home is Czartoryski Museum in Kraków, Poland. It is currently being displayed at Wawel Royal Castle while the museum is under renovation. Seeing the original painting is on my bucket list.
