Bringing a ferret into your home is very exciting, but it is important to prepare ahead of time for your new pet's arrival. We've made a simple step-by-step process for setting up your very first ferret home.
Step Three: Add A Litter Box. Your litter box will be a place where your ferrets can comfortable use the bathroom. It should be placed in the corner of the cage (an instinctual place for ferrets to 'go') and should be filled with at least 2 inches of ferret or all natural 'clay' cat litter.
Step Four: Create A Dinner Table. Add food and water dishes to your ferret habitat. We suggest that food and water dishes be placed securely on a second or third floor. This keeps them far away from the litter box and avoids contamination. Dishes that attach to the side of the cage are great for ferrets because they help keep them from tipping over.
Step Five: Make A Snuggle Area. Add some blankets. In the bottom of your cage, on the opposite side of the litter box place a layer of blankets or cloth items. Ferrets are natural diggers, but unfortunately most 'beddings' are not safe for ferrets. Pine beddings can be toxic and aspen beddings tend to cause eye irritation. That's why we suggest using a layer of blankets (baby blankets work wonderfully). It will give your ferrets and area to dig, stay warm, create tunnels, and rest in peace and dark.
Step Six: Add a 'Tent' Area. A tent area can be placed on any level. Basically a tent area is a dark spot- which can be a shoe box with a hole in one side, a small pet tent, or a ferret tunnel. This is a spot where your ferret can go during the day time and feel comfortable and secure. Make it comfy. You can put cotton fabric, baby blankets, fur, or feathers inside to insulate it. This dark area gives your nocturnal ferrets a sense of privacy and seclusion during the day.
Step Seven: Fill Empty Spaces with Toys & Accessories! Fill your little critter's new home with all sorts of entertaining things. Toys, hammocks, balls, cuddly items, tunnels, and anything that seems remotely entertaining. These items give your ferrets something to do when you are away from home and they cannot be free to run about outside of the cage. Not only do these prevent boredom but the ensure your ferret lives an active, healthy life even when you're away.
Click their name to learn more about this great rescue!
Step One: Pick A Home. We never suggest a 1 story cage for a ferret. They are very active creatures and the taller the better. We recommend at least two stories, but as we mentioned before the more space the more comfortable your ferret will be. Cage bars should be no large than 3/4 inch apart. This ensures your ferret's head cannot fit through, because if it does it may strangle itself trying to get out. The cage should have a solid bottom and at least 3 inches of space that can be used to put bedding in. The second story should also be made of a solid bottom- not a caged deck. On barred floors, a ferrets foot can easily slip through the cracks and get stuck (or worse, break).
Step Two: Fill the bottom with at least 2 inches of bedding. Look for aspen beddings. Even coconut substrate and dried moss work well for ferrets. Do not use any evergreen beddings (pine, spruce, etc) as these are harmful to a ferret's respitory system. Why does a ferret's cage need bedding? It helps insulate them and make a comfortable sleeping area. It also allows a bit of a cushion incase your excited critter gets excited and jumps off one of it's shelves. And lastly- it provides sanitation, by absorbing spills of food and water. Remember to remove any wet bedding as soon as you notice it- to prevent rot.
Step Two: Fill the bottom with at least 2 inches of bedding. Look for aspen beddings. Even coconut substrate and dried moss work well for ferrets. Do not use any evergreen beddings (pine, spruce, etc) as these are harmful to a ferret's respitory system. Why does a ferret's cage need bedding? It helps insulate them and make a comfortable sleeping area. It also allows a bit of a cushion incase your excited critter gets excited and jumps off one of it's shelves. And lastly- it provides sanitation, by absorbing spills of food and water. Remember to remove any wet bedding as soon as you notice it- to prevent rot.
Step Three: Add A Litter Box. Your litter box will be a place where your ferrets can comfortable use the bathroom. It should be placed in the corner of the cage (an instinctual place for ferrets to 'go') and should be filled with at least 2 inches of ferret or all natural 'clay' cat litter.
Step Four: Create A Dinner Table. Add food and water dishes to your ferret habitat. We suggest that food and water dishes be placed securely on a second or third floor. This keeps them far away from the litter box and avoids contamination. Dishes that attach to the side of the cage are great for ferrets because they help keep them from tipping over.
Step Five: Make A Snuggle Area. Add some blankets. In the bottom of your cage, on the opposite side of the litter box place a layer of blankets or cloth items. Ferrets are natural diggers, but unfortunately most 'beddings' are not safe for ferrets. Pine beddings can be toxic and aspen beddings tend to cause eye irritation. That's why we suggest using a layer of blankets (baby blankets work wonderfully). It will give your ferrets and area to dig, stay warm, create tunnels, and rest in peace and dark.
Step Six: Add a 'Tent' Area. A tent area can be placed on any level. Basically a tent area is a dark spot- which can be a shoe box with a hole in one side, a small pet tent, or a ferret tunnel. This is a spot where your ferret can go during the day time and feel comfortable and secure. Make it comfy. You can put cotton fabric, baby blankets, fur, or feathers inside to insulate it. This dark area gives your nocturnal ferrets a sense of privacy and seclusion during the day.
Step Seven: Fill Empty Spaces with Toys & Accessories! Fill your little critter's new home with all sorts of entertaining things. Toys, hammocks, balls, cuddly items, tunnels, and anything that seems remotely entertaining. These items give your ferrets something to do when you are away from home and they cannot be free to run about outside of the cage. Not only do these prevent boredom but the ensure your ferret lives an active, healthy life even when you're away.
Here are some of our top picks for ferret cages.
