HISTORY
Mustela putorius furo, the European domestic ferret, is a member of the weasel family — polecats, minks, skunks, ermine, etc. — and was domesticated before the cat. Ferrets first came to the U.K. over 300 years ago on ships and were used for rat control. There are no populations of "wild" ferrets in the UK.
The North American Black-footed Ferret, which is an endangered species and just recently reintroduced to Wyoming, USA, is a separate species and distantly related to the domestic ferret. Pet ferrets have no hunting instinct. They may chase and catch rodents, but don't know how to survive on them.
ORIGIN
Ferrets are believed to have originated from European polecats. It has been suggested that ferrets may have been brought to Europe from Egypt and then breed with polecats.
In the past ferrets were used to rid farms and other industries of rodents by ferreting them out of their holes and into the ferretmeisters bags. The Black-Footed ferret is an endangered species and is found in the United States. The domesticated ferret is not a direct descendant of the Black-Footed ferret.