How Long Do Ferrets Live?

When you become interested in getting your first ferret, one thing that everyone wants to know is 'how long will I have them in my life?'

Unfortunately, this question is a little hard to answer.

The average age for a ferret in Australia and England is 8 years, and for the USA, 6 years.

Why the difference?

In the USA, most ferrets come from ferret breeding mills, huge ones, that are mainly breeding ferrets for research purposes ( :( ). These places are extremely harsh, and the mothers and babies are not well fed or socialised. The babies are then taken away from their mothers far too early and desexed far too early, before being taken to pet shops who advocate the cheap pet food that the mill recommends (because they made it.). An example of a mill is Marshall's. This early malnutrition and lack of healthy mother's milk causes medical problems and social problems, and the early desexing causes some hormonal problems and increases their chances of certain cancers and other illnesses.

More on that issue to come.

In Australia, ferrets come from limited stock due to import laws. Most ferrets come from backyard breeders/people deciding they want baby ferrets and a few from responsible breeders. Some of those breed hundreds of babies a year, others it's a once off thing, and there are of course varying conditions for those mothers and babies. Some they may as well have been in a mill, others have loving home care and stay with their mothers until they are 10 weeks old and are fed proper food.
In England it is similar however they have a much larger breeding stock available.

Diet has a large impact on the age a ferret will live to. Sugary foods can give them insulinoma which is very common in ferrets and cuts lives tragically short even with treatment.


There are so many bad things that can befall a ferret, their lives are in much more peril than a dog or cat. A ferret that may have lived until 13 can be lost at 3 from eating something they shouldn't and getting a blockage in their stomach. They can be squished by feet, falling items, rocking chairs, recliners, doors. They can drown in a bath or toilet. They can be attacked by dogs or cats or if they're outside, wild animals. They can escape from the house and not be found, and starve to death or die from exposure. They can die from heat stroke, even inside your house. They can develop adrenal disease or lymphoma.

On the other hand, two of my ferrets who did not have good starts in life lived until they were eight almost nine, and ten years old. I know of some very healthy older ferrets who are 13 and still playing and dancing, not sickly and weak and 'elderly' like my two were.

The average of 7 is really no guarantee either way.

At this age their future is so unknown!