Living with Ferrets

by Vickie Stevens, living with 7 ferrets

Ferrets are fabulous, fuzzy, little creatures. We’ve seen them in the pet stores reaching out to be held, curious about who you are and what smells you have on your clothes. Maybe you’ve seen the rough and tumble play they have amongst themselves and you have to laugh at their antics. So if the cute little guys have you convinced that you need a ferret in the family, you will need to know the basics of ferret care to make sure you are ready for them, and to be sure they have the best environment.

Most ferrets that are purchased at a pet store are usually neutered or spayed. When altering a ferret, they are also de-scented, which is the removal of their scent gland. Ferrets that are not altered have many more health issues that you should discuss with your veterinarian.

My personal opinion is that ferrets do not make good pets for small children. They play rough and can bite pretty hard when in play mode. They are small creatures and children could cause them serious injury as well. Since they can play rough, remember to never hit or strike your ferret as punishment for biting, because they can bite! A firm NO and they will soon learn to cease.

Healthy ferrets have a 6-8 year life span. Ferrets reach adulthood at age 1 and are considered geriatric at around 4 years. Ferrets are prone to several diseases and cancers in their later years but they have an amazing fight for life. Given the illnesses that can plague a ferret, they may be portrayed as an unhealthy pet. But unlike us humans, where we have about 60 plus years to develop these illnesses, they only have about 6 years to do so. They can also be infected with human viruses such as the common cold, so if you have a runny nose, it can be passed to your little friend. So if you are sick, no kissing please!

Ferrets need serious interactive playtime and for that reason I believe that you should have at least 2 fuzzy friends. They love to play with their humans but they are pretty social and enjoy their own kind! Mine have many places to sleep and almost always all 6 are piled up together for their naps. They play hard and fast 4 or 5 hours in the day, usually not all at once, and sleep very hard the rest of the day. Some go into a deep sleep and you almost think they are in a coma.

Ferrets have a very fast metabolism and have to eat every few hours so a good high protein food should always be available as well as fresh water. They are carnivores so they need meat! NO SUGAR, NO GRAINS, NO DAIRY, and NO FRUIT & VEGTABLES. An improper diet in a ferret can cause very serious illnesses and in some cases lead to an early death. A raw diet is always best but if you can’t really watch that then there are companies that carry frozen raw products such as baby chicks and mice. There are also some canned pet foods on the market that are made up of meat, organs, and bones. When selecting a dry food make sure the first five ingredients are meat and meat products. No corn, flour, etc. I buy a very high quality protein dry food and make a “soup” with organic chicken and the bones.  I also give ferret laxative about once a week since they can easily get intestinal blockage. Check with your veterinarian about which laxative and the frequency of usage.

You will need a designated litter area for your ferret. Since they eat often, they potty often! I have two 2ftx2ft square trays about 4 inches high that I line with paper towels or potty pads. Ferrets back up into corners and to the edges so you might want at least the 4 inches in height to keep everything in the box! Since I am able to spend a lot of time with mine I change out the pads twice a day and bleach the trays about once a week. There are different litter products available that you can use. Cat litter is not recommended due to the dust and the fact ferrets like to dig. 

Also, another concern most people have when it comes to ferrets is that these little guys smell! Which results in a lot of these guys being given up or abandoned. In cases like this, it’s not the ferret’s fault, but the humans not being informed of what to do to keep your furry friend smelling good. Changing the bedding and litter is the number one way to keep the stink away. Bathing your ferret can be an experience that you’ll not soon forget! I would recommend about twice a year since bathing a ferret can produce the opposite effect of smelling pretty and clean! Their skin will work overtime to produce the new oils that you just washed away. So unless your little guy got into something bad, they don’t really need to be bathed. If you do give a bath, do one ferret at a time unless you have 6 arms and some goggles!

Ferrets are very energetic creatures that like to be held for about 3 seconds and then they are ready to go! So when you need to trim their nails or clean their ears, you can scruff them. Grip the patch of skin behind their neck and lift. His body will remain still and he’ll start yawning. Be sure this is the reaction so you’ll know that you are holding him safely. Some of the heavier ferrets will need a little support under their bottom, but the more support you give the more movement he’ll have.

As with any other pet, be careful with interaction of the other family pets. I have ferrets that are afraid of the dogs and I have dogs that are afraid of the ferrets! Always keep in mind how small the fuzzy guys are and can easily injured by larger animals.

Most ferrets are around 2 to 2 ½ pounds and have different markings and colors. Albino, dark eyed albino, black sables, silvers, sables, cinnamon, and markings of Panda, Shetland, and Siamese to name a few. Regardless of the markings you choose, you can bet that your new little guy will be curious, funny and offer lots of love. And always when selecting a new pet for your family be sure that their needs will fit your lifestyle and they will have a forever home.

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