what ferret
Scientists give animals classifications to make it easier to study them. The ferret is the domesticated member of the Order Carnivora, Family Mustelidae and Genus Mustela. This means that ferrets are meat-eaters and one of the members of the weasel family. A common misconception is that ferrets are rodents. This is absolutely not the case, as rodents are a completely different scientific order. Scientific classifications then break down animals into specific species.
The ferret (Musteia putorius furo) is a domestic pet. It is not a wild animal, though ferrets are descendants of the European polecat (weasel) and are, therefore, close relatives of skunks, mink, otters, and badgers.