Monday, June 04, 2007

An unusual pet

As a rule, dogs are not allowed on Sydney beaches. However the northern end of Shelly beach is a dog beach where you can take your pet for a walk - provided you pick up after him. On Sunday I made an unusual encounter there. He is called Stinks and loves to bury his head in the sand. He was fun to watch! Want to know what animal that is ? Click here. This very active animal loves exploring, with more curiosity than common sense: he is very good at getting into holes in walls, doors, cupboards, or in or behind household appliances such as dishwashers, fans and other dangerous items which will get him into all sorts of trouble. Also this distant cousin of the polecat has a fairly strong body odor. This exclusively carnivorous animal can be quite nippy as a kit but properly trained should rarely bite the human hand, and being very playful, is (I have read) really fun to have around. Would you enjoy having one as a pet ?

En général les chiens sont interdits sur les plages de Sydney mais la partie nord de Shelly Beach est une plage à chiens, où vous pourrez promener votre animal - à condition de ramasser ses besoins. Dimanche j'y ai fait une drôle de rencontre : il s'appelle Stinks et adore enfoncer son nez dans le sable. Savez-vous ce que c'est ? Pour le savoir, cliquer ici. Faisant preuve de plus de curiosité que de bon sens, cet animal adore farfouiller et explorer, ce qui l'entraine parfois dans des recoins inaccessibles dont on a du mal à le sortir (trous dans les murs, les portes, les placards, gaines, gouttières, ventilateurs etc). Par ailleurs ce cousin du putois a une odeur corporelle assez forte. Enfin ce carnivore adore mordiller, et l'animal doit être bien dressé pour ne pas décourager son maitre par ses morsures. Moyennant ces précautions, c'est un animal joueur et très amusant ! Ca vous tenterait comme petit compagnon ? vv
vv

31 comments:

Nathalie H.D. said...

Ah! Comments finally enabled again after much trying and frustration.

See some of the viewers' comments on this subject under previous post.
Thanks all for your patience and understanding...

Olivier said...

ah enfin, on a acces a tes commentaires. le furet (a part etre le nom d'une tres grande librairie à lilles) est un animal tres à la mode en France. Apres les rats, maintenant les furets.
J'ai laisse un mot à l'ami Jack

Anonymous said...

I like this picture. It is a ferret, isn't it?

Abraham Lincoln's kidney stone attack...
I rolled on the floor, puked, screamed, and passed out. When I woke up the neighbor was gone.
Brookville Daily Photo

Anonymous said...

I just wanted to say my sister used to own two of these. They make nice pets but are smelly at times. I used to own a skunk for about six years and they make wonderful pets. Even went in the litter box. Some states you are not allowed to own a wild pet but in PA you are as long as you carry your permit papers with you.

Jilly said...

That's a super photo, Nathalie. I love that you see the sea in the background. I know people who keep ferrets love them but I'd be scared to death. I believe they can give a nasty bite. And basically, let's face it they are rodents.

Just as well we don't all like the same things.

Anonymous said...

The wikipedia entry is interesting. It's longer than the one on Tony Blair, and a much better read

Peter said...

I really looks like a nice little pet.

I did not know too much about it - except that it seems to get popular, so I had a look on the Wikipedia link.

A lot of interesting info, including: "Ferrets have been used to run wires and cables through large conduits. Event organizers in London used ferrets to run TV and sound cables for both the wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales to Lady Diana Spencer, and for the "Party in the Park" concert held in Greenwich Park on Millennium Eve."

Amazing!

Gudl said...

One of my sons used to have a ferrett, too. I personally prefer cats or dogs....
thanks for showing it though and thanks for visiting my blog!

M. CHRISTOPHE said...

Hello Nathalie

Ferret is fashion here in France, more than dogs and cats...it is so common to have a dog !!
Fashion it is to have a snake, a crocodile ...a small one...etc..
You will find the and of the fence story on my blog :
http://laurent-christophe.blogspot.com/

photowannabe said...

Fascinating creatures but too rambunctious for me. Look at those sharp claws. I could see them doing a number on the furniture.

Bergson said...

the ferret would have to be released

to be able to sing

It runs, it runs the ferret the ferret of wood,
Mesdames
It runs, it runs the ferret
The ferret of pretty wood
It passed by here
It will pass by again by there
It runs, it runs the ferret
The ferret of wood, Mesdames
It runs, it runs the ferret
The ferret of pretty wood.

as in our youth (not so remote that that)

Alex said...

Adorable! Il a l'air si mignon sur la photo du bas et son pelage tres soyeux. Nous avons un gros matou et je ne crois pas qu'ils feraient tres bon ménage... surtout s'il mord! et qu'en plus il sent mauvais!! No thanks. I keep my Romeo instead.
Merci pour ce post tres sympa:-)

Anonymous said...

Crikey!

A ferret in the sand, and look at those claws!

Pod said...

oh sweetness! perhaps not as a pet, but i would certainly like to squeeze it and touch its ears for an afternoon!
they climb up sleeves too
hope all is well
x

Sally said...

Can't say I'm a fan of ferrets.

There used to be an alternative newspaper here in Oz, called "Nation Review" - it had a reputation of being iconoclastic....its masthead claimed it was "lean and nosy like a ferret". It came about based on a drawing by cartoonist Michael Leunig:
Newsday folded, and Leunig gravitated to Nation Review. “It was very daring paper then, edited by Richard Walsh, who had a good eye for the quirky and cheeky. One day he was peering over my shoulder as I was drawing a lean, nosy, sniffing dog. He thought it was a ferret, and gleefully adopted it as the paper’s symbol.

More here:
http://www.curlyflat.net/interviews_2.php

As to Bankstown and suburbs. I strongly believe that even in the most unprepossessing circumstances, there is something interesting in EVERY location, and I am sort of making it my mission to "ferret" out the interesting aspects of Sydney's farther reaches! - I hope not to give up this blog til I've found something in every suburb! (Several years work ahead...)

Anonymous said...

I hate these things. They smell like a mix of urine and fur, because they are a mix of urine and fur. My college roommate had one, blind and on its last legs...named it Frodo....and kept it in the closet. Disgusting thing....
because of that, will always hate them.

Cergie said...

Que de merveilleux messages tu as écrit pendant mon absence !
Et que de magnifiques photos
Les mannequins, les immeubles dorés vus depuis ton balcon, les petits perroquets, et j'en passe
Bien sûr tu habites un pays de rêve mais tout de même il faut réussir de telles photos et savoir regarder
De mon séjour en chine je n'ai pu ni osé ramener ces photos que tu sais saisir, des personnes au travail par exemple
Parce que toi tu habites à sydney, que tu peins ce que tu vois sans avoir des yeux de touriste et que tu établis des liens avec les gens et les rues avant de les saisir par l'oeil de ton appareil
Alors bravo Nathalie pour le beau travail que tu fournis
Pour "l'ensemble de ton oeuvre" en quelque sorte.

En effet découvrir des tas de messages à la fois permet d'avoir un regard plus global.

AH ! J'adore l'allée d'eucalyptus aussi si fraîche et légère
Le reportage maison et travaux n'est pas mal non plus

PS : il est presque 4 heures du mat à Paris mais j'ai pas encore fait le décalage horaire !!! (10heures AM à shangai)

Ming the Merciless said...

Ferrets are illegal here but many New Yorkers keep them as pets too. They are supposedly very intelligent, friendly and clean.

Gorgeous picture!!

sonia a. mascaro said...

He looks adorable and curious, too!

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