Ferret Care Guide: How To Look After Your Favourite Pets

As with any animal, the first responsibility of a ferret owner is to keep their pets well-fed and hydrated. Often called hypercarnivores, these weasels survive primarily on a meat-based diet.

In the wild, ferrets are considered opportunistic hunters whose main foods include rats, rabbits, and other rodents. They also occasionally hunt for fish birds and reptiles, but will even eat insects when the food is scarce. Unlike carnivores like cats who can eat a small number of plants, ferrets depend exclusively on animal protein to survive.

What Should I Feed My Ferret?

Usually, you can find pre-packaged commercial ferret food at your local pet store. Look for high-quality food that has, at least, five of its ingredients based on meat.

When selecting the best ferret food, the nutrition content plays a significant role. Foods with at least 35% protein and 20% fat are considered healthy, but make sure the fiber content constitutes below 5% of total ingredients.

If you don't want your pet ferret to live on processed food, you can create a healthy recipe with boiled or cooked meats. Animal parts, including organs, raw bones, and skin, also constitute a healthy option for a pet ferret.

Food To Avoid Feeding Ferrets

A common mistake with ferret owners is occasionally feeding their pets fruits and sugary treats for behaving in a desired way. However, a ferret's gastrointestinal system has not evolved to digest plants or sugars, often causing severe digestive issues when accidentally fed.

Similarly, the presence of theobromine makes chocolates toxic for ferrets. The effects of chocolate poisoning often lead to symptoms like vomiting, dehydration, hyperactivity, and seizures, even causing the ferret's death in severe cases.

How Much Water Do Ferrets Drink?

On average, an adult ferret can drink up to 300 ml of water in a day. The intake can vary, depending on the ferret's weight; the recommended daily water consumption is between 50-150 ml per kg of mass.

Water should be fully accessible to ferrets at all times and must be changed daily. Use a bowl that doesn't get toppled easily.

Unless your ferret is comfortably around you and no longer actively tries to escape, always house your pet in a strong metal cage that the ferret can't chew its way out of. Besides strength, the distance between the wires or metal bars should be small enough that the ferret can't exit.

Normally, for a pair of ferrets, a 10-foot-long cage should be plenty; the structure should also have a height and width of 10 feet each. Keeping them enclosed for a long time can make the weasels restless. As a way to keep them engaged, experts recommend a tunnel that leads to another enclosed structure inside the premises but outside the house. This will not just keep ferrets physically engaged, but it will also help them receive vital sunlight.

Bedding

Ferrets are not very demanding when it comes to bedding, they still need a cozy bed to fulfill their sleeping requirements. The easiest way to build bedding for ferrets is to shred a few pieces of paper and allow them to sleep on top of the shredded pieces. Normally, paper is preferred over wood shavings as paper can be effectively digested by the ferret's system in case of accidental ingestion.

Alternatively, pet parents are also known to spoil their ferrets by buying them bedding made out of fleece or comfortable hammocks.

Toys And Decorations

These are optional for a ferret cause, but toys and decorations are often linked to better mental health in these weasels. Balls, stuffed animals, and squeaky toys are some of the favorite options, as they can keep a ferret engaged for hours.

Besides toys, decorative items have also been associated with an improved lifestyle in ferrets. We're not talking fancy decorations but functional items that can serve a role in the pet's daily routine. For instance, extended tubes and tunnels can allow them to explore their surrounding environment without being physically vulnerable.

Ferrets can be potty trained to do their business in a litter box, rather than excreting on random spots around the house. You can train these mammals using a corner litter tray, or even a cat litter tray.

The tray should be filled with at least 5 cm of substrates. Normally, you can use shredded papers or wood shavings as substrates for the tray's base. However, make sure that the materials in the ferret's bedding and litter box are not the same, to prevent the pet from sleeping on its litter box.

For convenience, place the litter box where the ferret is known to normally pee or defecate. While you can train them to do their business in a desired spot, it might take months of training to accomplish.

Similarly, cleaning the litter box every day is also vital, as an unclean tray can pose health hazards to ferrets and their owners alike.

Ferrets can sleep for up to 20 hours in a day, which makes daily exercise mandatory for the domesticated species. Requiring at least 2 hours of exercise every day, ferrets can burn off their excess energy in the forms of walks, runs, and playtime.

Create a long tunnel that begins at the ferret's cage and reaches an enclosed area outside of the house. With only 30-40 feet of these tunnels, you can effectively keep the ferrets busy and physically active for hours.

At the same time, you can also train a ferret to adapt to a harness for daily walks. However, taking a ferret out on a walk can be risky. Besides breaking away from the leash, your pet may also be in danger of predators like dogs, cats, and other animals.

Although pet owners also use exercise wheels for rodents, ferrets are not designed to effectively run in a wheel, often causing spine problems. Instead, focus on building climbing structures that these mammals are naturally drawn to.

Grooming a pet ferret involves measures that are meant to keep the rodent clean and hygienic. Normally, in the case of ferrets, grooming consists of a few activities - brushing, nail trimming, ear cleaning, bathing, and drying.

How To Groom A Ferret?

Ferrets are considered clean animals due to their self-grooming habits. Still, they'll need a human touch occasionally to clean them.

If your pet doesn't get too dirty, brushing their coat with a comb 1-2 times a week can help get rid of loose or tangled hair. Besides maintaining personal hygiene, brushing can also prevent ferrets from accidentally ingesting hairballs.

Additionally, as pet ferrets don't need to hunt for a living, leaving their nails long and sharp can ultimately hurt the owner or other pets. Trim the nails regularly, with a clipper designed for humans or cats. However, this process should be applied with caution accidentally trimming the pinkish skin can cause significant injury to the ferret.

Brushing and trimming ferrets are important, but so are cleaning their ears and brushing their teeth. Only use products that are specifically labeled ferret-friendly to avoid any side effects.

Should You Bathe A Ferret?

Generally, a ferret's bathing needs are not much different than a cat's; it should also be bathed when necessary. As these rodents self-clean themselves, there is no need for baths unless the ferrets are explicitly dirty.

Meanwhile, body odor can be a factor motivating factor for pet owners to bathe their ferrets, now and again. Although the ferret won't mind the smell, the pungent odor can be uncomfortable for the owner to handle. Even in these cases, you should not bathe them more than 3-4 times a year. Use a mild shampoo to keep the skin from getting too dry after the wash.

Neutering or spaying a ferret is not just about keeping them calm, the medical procedure is also carried out to remove the strong smell that comes out of their bodies.

As female ferrets often go into heat during their first spring, it's recommended to spay them before that. Normally, female ferrets should be spayed when she's around 7-8 months old. Meanwhile, male ferrets should be neutered slightly younger, at about 5-6 months old.

Spaying a female ferret is directly linked to her survival, which makes the procedure so much more important. If an unspayed female doesn't mate with a suitable male, she can develop aplastic anemia and can even die.

On the other hand, neutering a ferret also comes with some risks. Undergoing the procedure can increase the risks of adrenal gland diseases in neutered or spayed pets. So, always consult a vet and explore all risks before neutering the ferret.

Ferrets prefer a temperate climate that is not too hot or too cold; the ideal temperature range for these rodents is between 65°F to 75°F. Both cold and hot weather come with their challenges, but summers are particularly harsh for ferrets due to their high sensitivity to heat.

1. Protection From Heat

Ferrets haven't evolved to live in hotter climates, which makes them incredibly vulnerable to issues like heatstroke. Temperatures above 90°F, or 32°C, are considered extreme temperatures for a ferret. If it can't find a water source quickly, the ferret can even die of heat exhaustion.

To ensure your pet is comfortable during hotter days, use fans or air conditioning to beat off the heat. At the same time, if these options are not available, keeping a frozen water bottle wrapped in a towel near the ferret is also effective in lowering body temperature.

If you suspect a ferret of overheating, observe signs like panting, drooling, or lethargy. If these occur, act quickly by cooling them with a damp cloth.

2. Protection From Cold

Ferrets tolerate cold better than heat, but they are still sensitive to extreme temperatures. Temperatures below 40°F (4°C) are considered too cold, especially if ferrets lack adequate shelter or warm bedding.

One effective way to keep ferrets warm during winter is to provide a living space that is well-insulated and free from drafts. Adding thick bedding - such as fleece blankets or hammocks - can reduce the coldness of the ground, while keeping their core temperature in check.

Similarly, if their cage is near windows or cold walls, consider moving it to a warmer spot. Heated pet pads designed for small animals can also provide a safe and consistent heat source.

While it is possible to raise a single ferret, it requires a significant commitment from the owner to provide the required care and attention. Besides becoming lonely or bored, a solitary ferret is also likely behavioral issues - including biting, excessive sleeping, and destructive tendencies.

Raising ferrets in pairs or small groups often results in happier, more well-adjusted pets. However, if keeping multiple ferrets isn’t feasible, owners must compensate by dedicating extra time daily to play and bond.

Companion Pets

Ferrets can often be raised with household pets like dogs and cats, but it depends on the temperament of all animals involved. Generally, ferrets who grew up together with canines and felines are more likely to develop a strong bond with either of these animals. However, introducing a new ferret to a house with an adult pet cat or dog can be risky, as they may perceive the ferret as a food source and try to attack it.

Besides cats and dogs, ferrets also tend to get along well with rabbits and guinea pigs. However, they should be housed separately from the ferrets and their playtime should be strictly supervised.

Animals To Avoid With Ferrets

Some pets are not suitable to coexist with ferrets; the differences in their size and nature can make them hostile towards each other. For instance, rodents like mice and hamsters as often seen as prey by ferrets, which can lead to fatal attacks even during supervised interactions.

Similarly, birds, especially smaller species like parakeets or finches, are highly vulnerable to ferrets. Ferrets’ climbing abilities and quick reflexes can put birds at significant risk, as they may attempt to hunt or injure them.