Imagine if you bought a purebred Toy Poodle at a rock-bottom price only to discover it was really a giant ferret pumped up on steroids. That would never happen, would it?
Welcome to La Salado, Argentina’s largest bazaar. Here, you will find a wonderful selection of gorgeous Toy Poodles that are not Toy Poodles at all. They are ferrets on steroids, groomed into Poodle-ness by masters of the blow dryer. They sell for $150 each. What a world. (This reminds us of our story last month, about the Capybara who fosters orphaned puppies.)
Back in Argentina, The Daily Mail reports, a retired man from Catamarca became suspicious when he realized that the two Poodles he bought started to look like the infamous “Brazilian rat” — which is what some people in the area call ferrets. When he brought his lovely dogs to the vet for the vaccinations like a responsible dog owner, he discovered he really owned two giant ferrets who had been fed steroids since birth.
Don’t you hate it when that happens?
And the man is not alone. Another woman said she bought a ferret that was sold to her as a Chihuahua. Perhaps she had never seen a Chihuahua. Or a dog.
The man and the woman declined to file complaints. Maybe they love their ferrets?
Should you ever be in the position of suspecting own a ferret pumped up on steroids instead of a Poodle, the Daily Mail offers a handy guide outlining some differences between the two. We recommend printing it and keeping it by your bedside:
Ferrets:
- Ferrets typically have brown, white or mixed fur and are around 51 cm (about 20 inches) in length — which includes a tail of about 13 cm (about 5 inches).
- They weigh around three pounds and have a lifespan of seven to 10 years.
- When happy, ferrets may perform a routine known as the weasel war dance — which is characterized by a series of hops and frenzied attempts to bump into things.
- This is often accompanied by a soft clucking noise called rooking. When upset, ferrets make a hissing noise.
Toy Poodles:
- Toy Poodles are known for their intelligence and are around 25 cm tall and weigh around nine pounds.
- If a Toy Poodle exceeds 25 cm (about 10 inches) in height, it cannot compete in any dog show as a Toy Poodle.
- Toy Poodles have long lifespans and have been known to live as long as 20 years.
- Toy Poodles are described as sweet, cheerful, perky, and lively, and they love to be around people.
Via the Daily Mail
