Mustelids including ferrets, mink, and polecats have complex behavioural needs that make them challenging to keep well in captivity, whether as pets or in commercial production systems.
Mustelid welfare in captivity spans the spectrum from companion ferrets to intensively farmed mink. Commercial mink farming represents one of the most comprehensively documented welfare failures in animal production, with decades of research documenting pervasive stereotypy, aggression, and self-injury in barren wire-floored cages. Companion ferret welfare improves substantially with social housing, species-appropriate diet, and adequate active time outside of enclosures. The evidence for commercial mink farming welfare failure is sufficiently strong to support the ban trend seen across Europe.