Before You Get A Ferret

I have spent the past few days writing two one page articles, Before You Buy a Ferret, and Your New Ferret. I hope that people can hand these out to new ferret owners and potential ferret owners. Print them out and give them to your local pet shops (even if they don't sell ferrets!) and your local vets. Share the article on Facebook, gumtree or craigslist. You can print both articles double sided, so that they get both pieces at the same time. There is so much information about ferrets out there, I've chosen to focus on the very basics and the most important things. I have focussed on Australian ferret owners, as that's where I'm from. For American ferret owners, your ferret may be desexed already as a baby and may be descented. Live feeding may be possible for you. The temperature is given in Celsius.

I ask that you do not just copy and paste this information, it'd be nice to be credited or to get hits on my blog! :)

To the PDF File!

Before You Buy A Ferret              


 You Will Need: cage, blankets/hammocks,  Litter tray, non dangerous litter, water and food bowls, raw meat, toys, freezer space, emergency funds, cleaning supplies, a local ferret knowledgeable vet, time, patience, large ferret proof play area or house and access to a cool area in hot weather, pet sitter for holidays 

 

   A ferret, though small, is a time consuming pet and cannot just be kept in a cage all day. Commitment and effort is needed. Training is required as well as play and supervision.

 

·         Your ferret will probably live for 6-10 years if all goes well. Many ferrets do not rehome well and as they age they may require more veterinary care which can be expensive. Please consider your future availability, housing arrangements, family members and finances.

·         Ferrets are obligate carnivores and cannot digest grains or fruits and vegetables. Eating this food puts strain on their systems and can increase the chances of life threatening illnesses such as insulinoma and adrenal disease. A good diet is a balanced raw diet, including organs, flesh and bone from at least 3 different animals. This meat can be bought at supermarkets, human or pet butchers and then frozen for convenience. If you must feed a kibble, it should have meat as the first ingredients on the ingredient list, and be grain and vegetable free. No milk is necessary, and lactose will cause stomach upsets. Raw eggs and store bought  whole frozen baby rats, mice, rabbits and chicks can be good treats. Feeding live animals to ferrets is illegal in Australia.

·         A ferret should be provided with a sheltered large cage, litter tray with non scented litter (but not chemical or clay based in case it’s eaten), cloth bedding, no wood shavings, food and water bowls and at least four hours play time out of the cage a day. Give your ferret flat surfaces to walk on- walking on mesh will hurt their feet. Wooden cages are hard to clean and absorb smells and natural oils.

·         Though ferrets can be litter trained there will be accidents and a lot of cleaning is required in the care of a ferret! Multiple litter trays will be required if they are playing in the house.

·         Ferrets go best with a friend or two to play and snuggle with. They can become depressed at the loss of a human or ferret friend.

·         Hot weather is dangerous for ferrets- if it is over 25°C they may struggle with heat stroke and possibly die. They are however fine in cold weather as long as they have a sheltered bed/cage and warm blankets.

·         Ferret Proof your home. Make sure they have no access to the outside through windows, doors or flyscreens, that they can’t get inside walls, under ovens, rocking chairs or recliners, fall over stair barriers or through stair treads etc. Always walk and sit carefully when your ferret is out playing.

·         Please do not spray chemicals or essential oils near their cage or on them. They have sensitive lungs and can absorb chemicals and be poisoned. A clean cage, bedding and litter tray will prevent smells. 

·         Like all animals, ferrets bite. Ferret skin is much thicker than humans and they often don’t realise they are hurting you. Ferrets bite each other in play. You can train your ferret to not bite you by putting them in a small carry cage with nothing in it for 2 minute time outs, then back to the situation they were in before. Repeat as needed. Some ferrets respond well to a ‘yelp’ noise telling them you are hurting them or blowing in their face. Others can take this as an insult or challenge. Please never hit your ferret, ‘tap’ their nose or pull their whiskers as punishment. Scruffing can confuse them in the future when giving medications. Using gloves to protect your hands or bitter apple spray to make you taste bad is usually not recommended by experts. 

·         Your ferret, male or female, should be desexed at around 6 months old, and microchipped as soon as possible. There are also recommended vaccinations for ferrets, for example for distemper. 

  

          Ferrets love ‘dancing’, climbing, tunnels, crinkly noises, digging, boxes, towels, beds, and exploring. They also enjoy stealing and stashing their treasures. They can be taught tricks, be walked on a harness, raced through tunnels and cuddled. They make a ‘dook’ noise when they’re happy.

·         Each ferret has a different personality and different likes and dislikes!

Good Luck! More information can be found on the facebook group ‘Ferret Advocacy Society’ or our blog http://woozyweasels.blogspot.com.au

We recommend the sites: Holistic Ferrets Forum http://holisticferret60.proboards.com  and their facebook group,               SJ Ferrets www.sjferrets.com and Ferret-World  http://www.ferret-world.com