The Basics of Ferret Care

Ferrets are loving creatures and make very rewarding pets. And that's why they deserve the best care available. They are loyal, sweet, entertaining and worth every minute you spend taking the proper care of them. And there are a few specific things that every single ferret needs.

Photo credit to the South Cheshire Ferret Rescue. 

Click their name to learn more about this great rescue!

Food: Just as with any living animal- ferrets eat! And they need food in order to survive. But not just any food- proper ferret pet food. You shouldn't feed your ferret commercial cat or dog food, but nor should you only feed them commercial ferret food. Commercial ferret foods are not exactly up to par with nutritional value. So substitute your ferrets dry food with meat products. There should always be a supply of food in your ferrets cage, and fresh meat should be fed at least every other day.

Water: We don't recommend a cage-side bottle water container for ferrets. In fact, we don't recommend them for any pet. They easily get clogged and can cause quick dehydration for your pet. If you'd like, you can have one, but there should always be a bowl of fresh water as an additional option in the cage.

Cage: A cage is NOT a permanent home for your ferret, but rather a 'safe haven'. It should be filled with plenty of activities, be fairly large in size (we suggest at least two stories), and it should have all of the basic necessities like food, water, and a litter box. Your ferret's cage should also be temporary. Keep your ferret in the cage when you aren't around the supervise, but your pet should never be left inside for more than 24 hours. You should leave the door open at least four hours (but we suggest six to eight hours) a day and allow your little fur ball to get out and explore.

Playtime: Just as we just mentioned- your little fur-babies need to get out and be active. So it's really important you give them the chance to come out and make mischief. Supervise them and have fun with them! They are adorable, sweet, and worthwhile- and as an 'owner' it's your responsibility to make sure the get attention each and every day.

Litter Box: Ferrets like to use the bathroom in a private area, specifically in a corner. This is natural behavior that is instinctive to all ferrets. Put a litter box in the corner of your cage to give your ferret a place to... do it's business. It helps keep the cage clean and gives your ferret a sense of security.

Dark Sleeping Area: Ferrets are digging creatures, they dig by nature, and they feel most comfortable in the dark. Many people think that a ferret's sleeping area should merely be a hammock. And hammock's are great! But you should also have a dark sleeping area for your ferret. A shadowy part of the cage or even a little hiding tent is perfect. Of course, all ferrets enjoy a hammock and a baby blanket, but you should also give them a place that is 100% private and entirely their own.

Companionship: Ferrets are social creatures and they do get lonely. If you choose to adopt a single parent then you are making the commitment to be it's best friend- which means you should devote 6 to 8 hours a day to 'companionship time'. If you can't make this commitment, get two ferrets. It spares you the heartache of a lonely ferret, and gives your furball a friend to keep it entertained while you're away.

Hygiene: Ferrets smell... it's true. But you can ease the burden of a 'musky ferret' by giving it a bath once a week. Fill the bathtub an inch with room temperature water or set a little tupper ware container of water in your ferrets cage. Let them play around and clean themselves. Overtime it will definitely prevent your ferret from gaining a strong odor.

The Ferret Diet

In the wild ferrets are purely meat eaters- and even though they are domesticated meat should still be their prime source of nutrition. Unfortunately many commercial ferret foods don't offer up a truly great array of ingredients. So that's why we recommend supplementing your commercial food with 'human food' that is almost always cheaper and sometimes more convenient. Here is a list of great nutritional foods you can and should feed. Make sure they are unseasoned and without salt. If they are store bought fresh or frozen they can be fed raw. On the other hand if they are a wild game meat we highly recommend cooking them to a rare setting to kill any bacteria or worms.

Photo credit to the South Cheshire Ferret Rescue. 

Click their name to learn more about this great rescue!

Bird:
Ferrets are feather hunters by nature. In the wild their most prized catch is a pheasant- so they looove bird meat. Unseasoned chicken wings, turkey legs, and wild bird scraps. Probably the best snack you can give your little fur ball. If you can afford them, we highly suggest making bird meat a staple of your ferret's diet.
Chicken, Turkey, Pheasant, Game Hen, Swan, Goose, Ptarmigan, Duck

Red Meat:
Making cheeseburgers tonight? Take a bit of the ground meat, cook it to a 'rare' setting (or to where it's a light brown with bits of pink left), let cool and let your ferrets go to work. It's super healthy and very tasty. You little fur balls will love it. All goat, beef, and lamb products are great additions to your little guys diet.
Goat, Beef, Lamb

Wild Game:
Yes- wild game! Get ahold of your local hunters and trappers and then pick up their scraps. This is the most affordable and definitely the healthiest meal plan for your pet. Everything from beaver meat to deer antlers to mice (ew, but they love it) can be incorporated into your meal plan.
Moose, Deer, Beaver, Lynx, Bobcat, Raccoon, Opossum, Mice

Eggs:

Eggs are a great source of protein. In the wild ferrets will often ravage nests and steal the eggs. These shouldn't be a regular part of the diet, but can most certainly be added once or twice a week. It's a thing that some ferrets love and some hates- it all depends on your pets personality.
Chicken, Goose, Pheasant

Fish:

Most ferrets love fish, and although it can cause them to have a bit of an odor it's really healthy for them because of its high protein content. Don't feed them completely raw fish- either freeze them, or bring them to a boil and let them cool. They do not need to be cooked all the way- just sterilized to avoid worms.
Whitefish, Salmon, Freshwater Fish, Cod, Eel, Fish Eggs, Fish Heads

How To Set Up Your First Ferret Cage

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.

Photo credit to the South Cheshire Ferret Rescue. 

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 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.

The 'Before You Buy' Ferret Check List

Bringing a new pet into your home is nerve-wracking enough without worrying about whether or not your 100% prepared. So we've done a bit of the work for you and created a 'must haves' ferret check list to mark off before you adopt your new ferret child.

2+ Story Cage
Bedding

Food Dish

Water Dish

Ferret Food (meats and packaged food)

Dechlorinated Water

Dark Sleeping Area (tent, tunnel, shoe box)

Litter Box

Ferret Litter

Toys/ Cage Accessories

    hammock

    felt mouse cat toys

    baby blanket

    a tunnel

Photo credit to the Fuzzy Dozen Ferret Rescue.

Click their name to learn more about this great rescue!

Bringing Home Your First Ferret

Before bringing a ferret into your home it's important to already have a proper cage set up. Once your future pet's home has officially been created, it's time to go find an adoptable love-bug to invite into your family!

Photo credit to the South Cheshire Ferret Rescue. 

Click their name to learn more about this great rescue!

We always suggest that you first check your local shelters. Many have ferrets that never find homes merely because people don't think to look for them outside of a pet store. Sheltered ferrets are usually more adapted to humans than pet store ones, have all of their vaccinations, and make loving forever pets. If there are no sheltered ferrets in your area, go to a reputable pet store or breeder. When looking for a ferret look for one that is active, plays well with others, is not thin and does not look overly tired or have 'foggy' eyes. Look for the healthiest ferret- as these are the kinds that will be more likely to make it past the stressful first few days of transition into your home.

When bringing home your ferret bring a small pet carrier (one appropriately sized for a cat or small dog would work perfectly) or a shoe box with a warm baby blanket on the bottom. Poke holes in the top of the box and ask your pet shop to place your ferret inside. The darkness will help settle your ferrets nerves on the ride home and keep it calm. The blanket will help insulate heat and keep it warm, while also cushioning it on the bumps. Use a large rubber band on both ends to secure the lid closed.

Once home, move your ferret habitat to a quiet, shadowy part of the home. A bedroom corner or a hallway make good beginner locations. Set your new critter inside and leave them to get used to their new home. You can sit beside the cage, talk to them quietly, and bring them out to play once or twice. But to avoid over-stressing them, let them remain in shadowy secluded spot for two to three days.

After your ferret has become accustomed to their new surroundings you can move their cage to a new permanent location. A living room, family room, or more 'open' part of your bedroom are all good locations. Make sure to keep it away from direct sunlight and cold drafty windows. Now you can begin working with your ferret and letting it out of it's cage for prolong times. Always supervise your ferret when it is 'free to roam' and keep a 'ferret safe zone' where they can play without getting into dangerous cupboards, doorways, stairs, and other off limits areas.