Frisky Ferret

Original comic by SiberianLizard.

"A Furret has a very slim build. When under attack, it can squirm through narrow spaces and get away. In spite of its short limbs, it is very nimble and fleet."

— Pokédex, Pokémon Emerald

Ferrets in fiction are generally energetic characters. Being really hyperactive, they're depicted as Genki Girls or Keets with boundless amounts of energy. This often also means they have short attention spans, or in the case of Talking Animals, they might be a Motor Mouth.

This is Truth in Television. Ferrets are very lively and curious pets, even more-so than cats. They're prone to doing a "weasel war dance" when particularly excited. Some ferret owners even struggle to keep up with their ferrets because they're too energetic for them! Of course, however, this hyperactivity decreases as they get older, and they might not be as playful at ages 5-6 as they were when they were kits.

Sub-Trope of Animal Stereotype and Weasel Mascot. Compare Playful Otter for the aquatic equivalent. Contrast Wicked Weasel, Bad Ol' Badger, Rascally Raccoon, and Smelly Skunk for negative depictions of other musteloids.

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Examples:

Comic Books

• Peach, the titular ferret of Peach Fuzz. Her human Amanda is a pre-teen girl who didn't understand what she was getting into when she asked for a pet ferret, and starts the series confused or unhappy with Peach's energy and antics. For her part, Peach views the world around her as a fantasy realm where she goes on adventures and fights monsters (like the dread "Handra").

Literature

• The Middle Grade Literature series Elements of Genius is about Nikki Tesla, a preteen girl, and her pet ferret. Her pet ferret is a mischief-maker who pushes the button of Nikki's death ray and blows up her bedroom, causing Nikki to be sent to Genius Academy, a school for the gifted and the only place that can handle her.
• Polo from Guardian Cats and the Lost Books of Alexandria is a stray ferret who Marco befriends. He's an energetic Genki Boy who annoys several of the cats.
• Redwall: Averted twice with Bowfleg and Agarnu, both ferret rulers of the Fat Bastard variety who can't even get up from their chairs (though Agarnu's peg leg is probably also a hindrance).

Live-Action TV

• Beastmaster was an Eighties fantasy series in which Marc Singer as the title character was accompanied by two tamed ferrets which could obey his commands and perform feats like gnawing ropes and fetching cell keys.

Podcasts

• Parodied with one sponsor of The Hidden Almanac who sells pet food.
  Try our new Fuzzies Ferret Chow, and put even more bounce in your ferret’s already psychotically bouncy step.

Video Games

• Furret from Pokémon is stated in the pokedex to be speedy and nimble. Bonus: one of it's abilities is called Frisk.

Web Animation

• Happy Tree Friends: Tricksy is a ferret and the second winner of the Truffles' Video Bomb Competition by rainbowspetsnaz. The description written by Tricksy's creator is "A ferret with a knack for pranks and all kinds of practical jokes, Tricksy's never up to any good. When opportunity calls, Tricksy always answers. It never ends well for anyone, and unfortunately for him, he's no exception!"

Webcomics

• Dan and Mab's Furry Adventures has Wildy the ferret as the Pint-Sized Powerhouse at Lost Lake Inn. Her older brother is a crime lord in his domain, and even he's terrified of her. When there's a fight brewing, Wildy can be banked upon to leap into the fray with gleeful abandon.
• The page image is from Meems And Feefs, about the two eponymous ferrets (later three, with the introduction of Keeko). Feefs fits the trope most closely.
• Sluggy Freelance: Kiki is Riff's pet talking ferret and the Team Pet, who has a habit of being easily distracted and naively willing to touch anything shiny.

Western Animation

• Back at the Barnyard: While Freddy the ferret can be a Nervous Wreck and a Sad Clown, he's usually a foolish, energetic Cloudcuckoolander.
• Craig of the Creek: Slide the Ferret is a fictional franchise that consists of video games, comics, animated series, and other media, as a parody of Sonic the Hedgehog. Slide, the main protagonist, is an anthropomorphic ferret who shares many characteristics with Sonic, such as his demeanor, motivations, enemies, and abilities. Just like Sonic, he can run at supersonic speeds and curl into a ball.
• Mrs. Ferret from The Garfield Show is a hyperactive ferret with an equally hyperactive metabolism. As a result, many people who adopted her from the veterinary Liz returned her immediately and she's a nuisance for Garfield due to always eating his food in the blink of a second.
• The Legend of Korra: Pabu is a Fire Ferret who has a mischievous personality and occasionally plays practical jokes on Mako.
• The short Psyko Ferret is about two twins who own a pet ferret who's always running around.
• One episode of Wild Kratts featured a black-footed ferret named Bandito that Martin met in the praries. Even though he can be cute, sometimes he can be sneaky. This is shown by him popping up behind Martin and biting his behind.

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