How to Care for a Ferret
Get a cage that is large enough for the ferret to separate its bathroom business away from where it sleeps and has its comfort., Provide comfortable spaces., Provide at least one bed area per ferret., Clean out the cage every second day., Wipe the...
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Get a cage that is large enough for the ferret to separate its bathroom business away from where it sleeps and has its comfort.
A hammock adds more comfort for your ferret––they love to climb on them and sleep. , Though they do like to snuggle together, they all need their space. , It is important that you clean the cage every other day.
However, if you have more than one ferret, clean the cage daily to avoid odor. ,, After cleaning the cage and making sure it is completely dry, add fresh bedding or litter. , For washing machine safe items, use baking soda, as detergents or bleach may irritate your ferret's skin.
For hand-washing items, just use hot water. , Pine bedding or cat litters are not recommended, as the fumes and dust can cause your ferret to become ill with respiratory problems.
A cat scooper works well for removing ferret waste and soiled bedding or litter.
Completely replace all litter every three to five days. , You will need a non-spill food dish and a water bottle or non-spill dish.
Ferrets tend to make a mess, so it's a good idea to keep something under the eating area if you have a drop bottom style cage. , Providing healthy food is very important for your ferret.
Provide food designed just for ferrets, with high protein and high fat content.
It needs to be as close to zero carbohydrates and sugars as possible, as ferrets are carnivores.
There are two choices for a diet: kibble, or mice.
You can keep a ferret alive on kibble alone, and you can give it both mice and kibble, but never have it on a strict diet of mice.
Raw animals from the pet store help a ferret's teeth and can help it to live a longer life, while kibble keeps protein and fiber in balance.
Treats can also help to fatten up for winter and have a healthy source of taurine.
Ferrets are strict carnivores, which means no vegetables, fruit, nuts, or grains of any kind.
If you cannot find a treat that your ferret likes, you can, however, feed it very small amounts of banana or watermelon.
Any mildly flavored, non-acidic fruit can sometimes substitute for treats, but do not give it a lot or give it only fruit.
The ferret will not benefit from it, except for taste.
Another treat idea is warm––not hot––pieces of meat. , Grains will generally make your ferret sick, so it is important to avoid giving these.
Among other things, milk, chocolate, dog food, and cat food are not good for your ferret.
Ferrets have very delicate stomachs and these items can give them diarrhea and make them very ill.
However, this isn't a fact, as there are vets saying that you can feed ferrets kitten food, as long as the first ingredient listed is meat, and it doesn't include corn or grain. , Bi-odor can be put in the ferret's water to help reduce odors.
It is best to use bottled water, or have a water softener.
A ferret's water should be room temperature and not ice cold or it will avoid drinking as much as it needs and could risk getting a cold.
Ferrets need a lot of water or they will dehydrate.
To tell whether your ferret is dehydrated, pinch the skin on its scruff ( the back of its neck) gently, pull up, and let go.
If it snaps back like the skin of the back of your hand does, it's healthy.
If it takes a while to flatten or sticks up straight, see a vet. , Ferrets are smart and social creatures that need lots of exercise and interaction.
Let the ferret out of its cage at least once a day and play with it, or just let it romp around and sniff your stuff.
Ferrets get bored very easily, so provide a variety of toys for it to play with.
Switch out toys they can play with every other day.
While some people like to keep their ferrets in 'play pens' for playtime, ferrets do just fine roaming around the house with, of course, supervision.
Most ferrets generally get along with cats and dogs.
However, some like to nip or mouth, at which the other animals might get agitated.
Taking your ferret on walks is also great.
An ideal playtime for a ferret is four hours a day, at least. , Ferrets are, essentially, little tornadoes consisting of fur and pure energy.
They need a lot of attention to stay healthy.
If they are cooped up in their cage all day, they become more likely to damage the cage and/or themselves by ripping things up in an attempt to vent their energy.
Make sure you can commit to at least an hour of exercise a day for your ferret. , You can help keep it from getting sick, as well as catching illnesses earlier when it is still easy to treat them.
Ferrets have a high risk for immediate allergic reactions when it comes to vaccinations when compared to other domestic animals, such as dogs and cats.
These reactions are almost always deadly; try to avoid them if they are not necessary.
If concerned or unsure whether to vaccinate your ferrets, talk to your veterinarian.
Ferrets can catch a cold and the flu from people.If you are sick, wash your hands before touching ferrets and their stuff.
Avoid contact with your ferret until you are well.
This is hard to do but will prevent costly vet bills and having to give your ferret medicine. , This lessens the effect of cancer for your pet and helps keep the odor away from them.They will be much happier fixed and less cranky. , Bathing it too often can result in dry skin and over activated stink glands, causing even more ferret smell.
Some people advise not bathing it at all, and just relying on it to naturally clean itself.
You may wish to only bathe it if something is spilled on the ferret by accident.
Use ferret shampoo, which can be found at a pet store.
A ferret's coat is important to its health.
If its coat is soft, full and doesn't have an unusually smelly odor, then your ferret is healthy and kept well.
If any excessive hair is missing on a ferret, other than the tip of his tail, see a vet, because this could be a sign of adrenal disease. , Aside from playtime, your ferret needs its sleep to prevent it from getting sick.
Ferrets like to sleep in dark, quiet places, so cover the cage with some blankets when you're in the room and make as little noise as you can. -
Step 2: Provide comfortable spaces.
-
Step 3: Provide at least one bed area per ferret.
-
Step 4: Clean out the cage every second day.
-
Step 5: Wipe the cage down with a cleaner that is natural and safe for ferrets.
-
Step 6: Allow the cage to dry.
-
Step 7: Wash all hammocks
-
Step 8: sleeping bags
-
Step 9: and other ferret accessories once a week.
-
Step 10: Use a litter that is natural or designed for ferrets.
-
Step 11: Obtain suitable feeding containers.
-
Step 12: Put fresh food out every day.
-
Step 13: Avoid certain foods.
-
Step 14: Provide fresh water every day.
-
Step 15: Provide adequate enrichment for your ferret.
-
Step 16: Provide plenty of attention.
-
Step 17: Take your ferret to the vet on a regular basis.
-
Step 18: Get your ferret fixed.
-
Step 19: Bathe your ferret once every six months or annually to keep it clean.
-
Step 20: Ensure sufficient downtime and sleep time.
Detailed Guide
A hammock adds more comfort for your ferret––they love to climb on them and sleep. , Though they do like to snuggle together, they all need their space. , It is important that you clean the cage every other day.
However, if you have more than one ferret, clean the cage daily to avoid odor. ,, After cleaning the cage and making sure it is completely dry, add fresh bedding or litter. , For washing machine safe items, use baking soda, as detergents or bleach may irritate your ferret's skin.
For hand-washing items, just use hot water. , Pine bedding or cat litters are not recommended, as the fumes and dust can cause your ferret to become ill with respiratory problems.
A cat scooper works well for removing ferret waste and soiled bedding or litter.
Completely replace all litter every three to five days. , You will need a non-spill food dish and a water bottle or non-spill dish.
Ferrets tend to make a mess, so it's a good idea to keep something under the eating area if you have a drop bottom style cage. , Providing healthy food is very important for your ferret.
Provide food designed just for ferrets, with high protein and high fat content.
It needs to be as close to zero carbohydrates and sugars as possible, as ferrets are carnivores.
There are two choices for a diet: kibble, or mice.
You can keep a ferret alive on kibble alone, and you can give it both mice and kibble, but never have it on a strict diet of mice.
Raw animals from the pet store help a ferret's teeth and can help it to live a longer life, while kibble keeps protein and fiber in balance.
Treats can also help to fatten up for winter and have a healthy source of taurine.
Ferrets are strict carnivores, which means no vegetables, fruit, nuts, or grains of any kind.
If you cannot find a treat that your ferret likes, you can, however, feed it very small amounts of banana or watermelon.
Any mildly flavored, non-acidic fruit can sometimes substitute for treats, but do not give it a lot or give it only fruit.
The ferret will not benefit from it, except for taste.
Another treat idea is warm––not hot––pieces of meat. , Grains will generally make your ferret sick, so it is important to avoid giving these.
Among other things, milk, chocolate, dog food, and cat food are not good for your ferret.
Ferrets have very delicate stomachs and these items can give them diarrhea and make them very ill.
However, this isn't a fact, as there are vets saying that you can feed ferrets kitten food, as long as the first ingredient listed is meat, and it doesn't include corn or grain. , Bi-odor can be put in the ferret's water to help reduce odors.
It is best to use bottled water, or have a water softener.
A ferret's water should be room temperature and not ice cold or it will avoid drinking as much as it needs and could risk getting a cold.
Ferrets need a lot of water or they will dehydrate.
To tell whether your ferret is dehydrated, pinch the skin on its scruff ( the back of its neck) gently, pull up, and let go.
If it snaps back like the skin of the back of your hand does, it's healthy.
If it takes a while to flatten or sticks up straight, see a vet. , Ferrets are smart and social creatures that need lots of exercise and interaction.
Let the ferret out of its cage at least once a day and play with it, or just let it romp around and sniff your stuff.
Ferrets get bored very easily, so provide a variety of toys for it to play with.
Switch out toys they can play with every other day.
While some people like to keep their ferrets in 'play pens' for playtime, ferrets do just fine roaming around the house with, of course, supervision.
Most ferrets generally get along with cats and dogs.
However, some like to nip or mouth, at which the other animals might get agitated.
Taking your ferret on walks is also great.
An ideal playtime for a ferret is four hours a day, at least. , Ferrets are, essentially, little tornadoes consisting of fur and pure energy.
They need a lot of attention to stay healthy.
If they are cooped up in their cage all day, they become more likely to damage the cage and/or themselves by ripping things up in an attempt to vent their energy.
Make sure you can commit to at least an hour of exercise a day for your ferret. , You can help keep it from getting sick, as well as catching illnesses earlier when it is still easy to treat them.
Ferrets have a high risk for immediate allergic reactions when it comes to vaccinations when compared to other domestic animals, such as dogs and cats.
These reactions are almost always deadly; try to avoid them if they are not necessary.
If concerned or unsure whether to vaccinate your ferrets, talk to your veterinarian.
Ferrets can catch a cold and the flu from people.If you are sick, wash your hands before touching ferrets and their stuff.
Avoid contact with your ferret until you are well.
This is hard to do but will prevent costly vet bills and having to give your ferret medicine. , This lessens the effect of cancer for your pet and helps keep the odor away from them.They will be much happier fixed and less cranky. , Bathing it too often can result in dry skin and over activated stink glands, causing even more ferret smell.
Some people advise not bathing it at all, and just relying on it to naturally clean itself.
You may wish to only bathe it if something is spilled on the ferret by accident.
Use ferret shampoo, which can be found at a pet store.
A ferret's coat is important to its health.
If its coat is soft, full and doesn't have an unusually smelly odor, then your ferret is healthy and kept well.
If any excessive hair is missing on a ferret, other than the tip of his tail, see a vet, because this could be a sign of adrenal disease. , Aside from playtime, your ferret needs its sleep to prevent it from getting sick.
Ferrets like to sleep in dark, quiet places, so cover the cage with some blankets when you're in the room and make as little noise as you can.
About the Author
Joyce Diaz
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow practical skills tutorials.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: