The Basics of Ferret Behavior

Ferrets are playful, entertaining, and oh-so-adorable, but knowing what your ferret does and why it behaves that way is a good way to keep both yourself and your little critter safe. So what are the basics of ferret behavior?

Photo credit to the South Cheshire Ferret Rescue. 

Click their name to learn more about this great rescue!

Sleeping: Probably the first thing any ferret owner discovers is the fact that ferrets sleep a lot and by a lot, we mean up to 20 hours a day! Believe it or not this behavior is 100% natural. In the wild ferrets will only awake to hunt and eat- and once they're finished they will go back to sleep once again. This behavior is shared with domesticated ferrets who awake a few times a day- for one or two hours, just to play and eat.

Hunting Instincts: Ferrets are hunters by nature and it's completely instinctual for them to chase down another smaller (and sometimes even larger) animal and kill it. That's why it's especially important to keep fellow pets such as birds, rats, mice, gerbils, guinea pigs, and rabbits away from pet ferrets. On the other hand- it is a good thing to inspire your little fur ball to hunt. Play with chase toys where you can drag them across the floor and let your ferret attempt to 'kill' them. It's a great way to promote healthy natural behavior!

Playing: Although many people think hunting instincts and playing are the same thing, they are actually vastly different aspects of a ferret's behavior. Although they do consider hunting fun, it is done with 'intent'. Play, on the other hand, is usually between two or more ferrets or a ferret and their owner. It's a loving, bonding activity that can enhance your relationship with your ferret. You can play by wrestling, playing tag, and make fun activities that make your ferret 'chitter' in delight.

Bathroom Behavior: Unlike many animals, ferrets are extremely sanitary- and when using the bathroom they literally 'use a bathroom'. Typically they try to find a corner area with soft ground. This is why a corner litter box is extremely important in a ferret's cage. Instinctively they will go to the bathroom there.

Eating: Ferrets are eaters! When they're hungry, they'll eat, and when not, they won't! So they're pretty easy to feed. Supply fresh dry ferret food 24/7 for your ferret to munch on, and supplement with fresh meats 2 to 3 times a day. Get your ferret in the habit of eating a small meal the same time as you. Give them a bit of chicken, red meat, or fish to munch on as you eat your food. It's a great way to induce a healthy diet.

Bathing: In the wild ferrets would be in and out of the water quite habitually, hunting and adventuring. But indoors that opportunity to climb in and out of streams is not evident. So instead give your ferret the opportunity to 'play in water' once or twice a week. Not only will this keep your little critter from getting smelly, but it will promote healthy oils from your ferrets skin- that help coat the fur and keep it healthy and shiny.

Spraying: Spraying or a ferrets smelly way of marking their territory is a common trait among ferrets that are not descented or spayed/neutered. Although we are not the biggest fan of descenting- we do suggest you spay or neuter your pet- especially if you are keeping more than one ferret. Spraying is completely natural- but yes, messy and smelly. If you want to prevent such actions you can descent your ferret which can ultimately prevent the strong odor.

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 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.

How To Hand-tame A Ferret

Many people may adopt a ferret from a pet store or a shelter only to realize that the ferret is not tame, or fond of hands at all. Untamed ferrets will often bite, nip, or run away from hands when they are close to being touched. Hand-taming a ferret isn't hard, but it does take a bit of time and patience. Remember that time truly does make a difference and developing a healthy positive relationship with your ferret where you can handle them with ease does take a little while. 

Photo credit to the South Cheshire Ferret Rescue. 

Click their name to learn more about this great rescue!

Interact at night: Ferrets are nocturnal- which means they are most active in the dark. During the day many ferrets only want to sleep and get aggressive if they are handled. They get crabby- just like humans do, when they're worn out and want to rest. The best times to work with taming your ferret is dawn and dusk. Morning and evening are prime times to get to know your little furry family member.

Move slowly: Quick movements make any animal nervous. And for a ferret who may have been picked on at a pet store or never even handled before, a hand suddenly coming towards them would seem very scary. So move slowly. Make sure all of your gestures are kind and gentle. Don't be too quick and energetic- you're more keen to overwhelm your ferret by doing that.

Talk quietly: Loud noises are not a normal ferret thing. They themselves don't really have any extremely loud vocalizations, so screaming toddlers and boisterous laughter are foreign to them. Opt to talk in a quiet voice, slightly above a whisper. You'll sound more reassuring and approachable.

Sit next to the cage: For the first few days, spend a lot of time sitting next to your ferrets cage. Move the cage to a spot in your home where you are often at and let your ferret get accustomed to your company. Talk to them, let them get to see your normal movements, and just basically introduce yourself to them.

Place hand on outside of cage: A great first step to hand-taming a ferret is to let them interact with your hand through the cage bars. By placing your hand on the outside of their cage, you allow them to approach you with the safety of the cage keeping them away from you. Allow them to sniff, lick, and even lightly bite. This will show them that you are not trying to harm them, and it will get them used to your hand being close to them.

Feed snack through cage bars: Once your ferret sees that your hand means no harm, bribe them to come over to your hand regularly by feeding snacks through the cage bars. Find a bit of food that your ferret really enjoys and then feed it to them, from your hand, through the cage bars 3 to 4 times a day.

Place hand on inside of cage: Once your ferret begins to eagerly approach your hand, you can move it inside the cage. Don't approach your ferret. Simply rest your hand near the door, holding a snack. Let your ferret come to you. They may be shy at first, but be patient. If they take the snack and run away- that's okay. It will take time for them to feel safe enough to eat next to you.

Approach ferret with snack: After a while your ferret should begin to approach your hand excitedly when it enters the cage. Now you can begin to approach the ferret yourself. Bring the treat to them. Again, moving slowly and talking reassuringly. This simple action will let your ferret know that when the hand comes towards them they will not be hurt- but rather rewarded with a treat and love!

Set snack down, attempt to pet them: Once your ferret is used to you approaching them, set the snack down. As they eat, attempt to pet them. They may back away at first- and it may take many days (or even weeks) to get them used to you stroking their back. But over time the touch of your hand will no longer frighten them and you can slowly work on picking them up and holding them for extended periods of time.

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