How To Give A Ferret A Bath

Oh the musky smell of ferrets! Some adore it, some don't mind it, and some can't stand it. But if you're a ferret owner even the cleanest ferret begins to smell at some point in time. So how can you get your little critter clean while also keeping both of you sane? Here are a few cute and fun ways to make bath time fun.

Photo credit to the Ferret Rescue Society of Ottawa. 

Click their name to learn more about this great rescue!

Bathtub Play Time: Fill up your bathtub until one side is still dry and the 'deeper' side has an inch or two of water. Make sure the water is a little bit warmer than room temperature but not hot. Put a towel or shower mat along the bottom so your ferrets have something to 'grip' onto when they walk. Set them on the dry side and let them splash around in the big warm puddle! They'll love playing around in the cozy water and it will get them clean. You can use a ferret shampoo to help deodorize them, but this isn't a necessary step; playing in the water will get them plenty clean.

Tupperware Container: Half fill a "lasagna leftovers" tupper ware container with water and set it within your ferrets cage. A corner works best, so it doesn't slide too easily. Let your little furries dive in and out. They'll love splashing around. And when they're finished give them a dry towel to roll around in to dry off.

Cookie Sheet: Find a 1 1/2 to 2 inch tall cookie sheet and fill it with water. Set it on a towel on the floor and set your ferret on it. It's like a natural puddle that your little critter can pounce around in. Some ferrets love this and some hate it, so it really depends on your little furry's personality.

Damp Washcloth: For the ferrets who just won't swim, get a bowl of warm water and a wash cloth. Dampen the wash cloth in the water and slowly massage your ferret with the wet cloth. Don't 'scrub' but rather just rub back and forth like you would when you are petting it. This will keep it from being skittish and is probably the easiest way to clean a ferret who isn't a fan of splashing in water.

Spray Bottle: Another alternative to swimming is a spray bottle filled with warm water. Simply mist your little critter until it's damp. Set him on a washcloth in a small pen and mist him with 'rain'. Make sure the water is warm and you have a 'dry half' of the pen where your ferret can run to dry off. This is another good way to clean a critter who doesn't like being a fish.

Ferret Toy Ideas

Photo credit to the Fuzzy Dozen Ferret Rescue.

Click their name to learn more about this great rescue!

Feather Chaser: Simply take a few all natural feathers (don't use dyed ones from a craft shop, as they tend to have chemicals- instead look for chicken feathers that are not artificially colored) and tie them onto a string. Drag it across the room and wah-lah your little furry will be inspired to chase, pounce, bite, and tear into your little fake birdie. With natural feathers you can also let your little critter use them as a chew toy. They're 100% safe and edible for ferrets.

Furball Chaser: Take a bit of faux or real fur and glue it in a circle to the end of a rope. Just as with the feather toy you can drag this around and let your little critter wrestle it down. 

Cat Toys: Cat toys make great ferret toys. Plastic balls, cloth mouse toys, anything dangling, and pompom balls make amazing ferret toys. Most cat toys are made to inspire hunter instinct, and they can play the same role for ferrets. We love that!

Ping Pong Balls: Ping pong balls are light-weight and move easily. Your ferret will have a blast chasing these around, and because they cannot easily grip them with their teeth it will be a true challenge to chase these bouncing objects down.

Ferret Playtime Ideas

Let's face it, ferrets are just so adorable when they play! So why not inspire them to get their cute on with a few of these 'ferret friendly' playtime ideas?

Photo credit to the Fuzzy Dozen Ferret Rescue.

Click their name to learn more about this great rescue!

Digging Box: Take a box large enough for your critter to climb in (a clothes basket would work perfectly) and fill with old sheets, t-shirts, and blue jeans. Some people use plastic bags, but we feel they pose a safety hazard of choking and suffocating- so it's best to use fabric items. Once the box is filling put your little critter in it and let them dig and explore!

Tag: It seems like all ferrets will take naturally to this game. Get down on all fours, chase your little fur-baby, 'nip' or 'tap' it with your hand, and then quickly run away. Most likely your ferret will turn around excitedly, dance over to you, and attack you- then run away. Chase it and repeat the game over and over! It's so cute- sometimes they'll get so excited they topple over themselves.

Hide and Seek: All you need is one excited ferret to play this game. When they are really hyper and running all over, quickly run out of the room and peek around the corner. Wait until they spot you then pull your head back. Peek out again, and pull back again when they see you. Once they come running- go to another corner and do the same thing.

Sock Wrestle: Take an old sock and wear it on your hand like a sock puppet. Basically this is going to protect your hand from the playful nips that ferrets often make when they wrestle. Then take your hand and wrestle your ferret to the ground. Let it 'wrestle' and pounce on you to. It's give single ferrets a sense of companionship playtime, because they get to battle with something their size.

Ferret Tunnel Ideas

Photo credit to the Ferret Rescue Society of Ottawa. 
Click their name to learn more about this great rescue!

Old coat sleeves: These are really fun- especially with big fluffy parkas. Simply cuff of the sleeves and sew the ends shut so the 'stuffing' or 'down' doesn't fall out. The thick material should naturally stay kind of open, which will leave your ferret curious enough to wonder inside and dig it's way through.

Old blue jeans: Cut off the legs of an old pair of blue jeans and then sew them together to create an extra long tunnel. If you'd like you can glue plastic bracelets at the openings to keep them open instead of collapsing.

Flex Hose: You can find these at a home improvement store. They come in all shapes and sizes and make amazing long flexible (across the room, over the table, under the couch, to the ceiling) tunnels. They are versatile, durable, and hold up with even the most hyper ferrets. We love these and use them avidly throughout our ferret play areas.

Outdoor Activities For Your Ferret

Who said ferrets don't make fun outdoor pets? Ferrets love exploring nature just as much as humans do, and providing them with some outdoor fun time is a great way to keep them healthy, happy, and active! We always suggest keeping your ferret on a harness and leash or in a portable outdoor small pet playpen while outside. You can set up your playpen in different areas, but don't let your little ones roam independently- as they may end up lost.

Photo credit to the South Cheshire Ferret Rescue. 

Click their name to learn more about this great rescue!

Dig dig dig: There are a few fun ways to safely let your ferret dig, but one of our favorite is sandboxes. You can fill your sandbox with a variety of things. All natural sand, dirt (not potting soil- we don't want weird additives in it), and wood chips make fun digging textures for ferrets. Ferrets are diggers by nature and will absolutely love frolicking through a pile of dirt.

Climb a log: Ever found a big abandon log, or a piece of driftwood with all sorts of neat holes and such in it? Ferrets are easily entertained and very curious. Let them explore a big wooden object. They'll have a blast jumping over it, running through it, and exploring every nook and cranny.

Splash in a puddle: Just like little kids, ferrets love water. And they love splashing around! On a warm day take your little furred children out to play and let them bounce around in a shallow puddle. Make sure the puddle isn't too deep (or too muddy) and then let them play.

Play in tall grass: Tall uncut grass is so much fun! Ferrets love burrowing through tall weeds and have a blast chasing each other. Spend a few minutes letting your little loves chase each other around in a forest of grass.

Walk on a harness: There are specific harness and leash sets created for ferrets. They are the perfect safe way to let your ferret explore. You can take them on a walk, just like you would a dog.