Your New Ferret

This is the other half of the double sided page! Find the pdf here: Your New Ferret. I'd prefer links to this blog rather than copying and pasting please (would be nice to get some pocket money along with helping ferrets)! But feel very free to print out the pdf and share it with vets, animal rescues, boarding facilities, breeders, new owners and pet shops. The recipe given was from Unwanted Fuzz, a great rescue in Victoria, Australia. Again, I'm Australian, so some details may not be exactly the same for those in other countries.

Your New Ferret

·         Very young ferrets may cry when they are removed from their mother, their siblings and their original home. Give them lots of attention and cuddles! Ferrets of any age may take time to settle in, this settling time may involve more hiding or biting as they are scared or nervous or they might be testing you to see if they can boss you around and be top of the hierarchy. Please give them time, it may take months.

·         Ferrets have a range of noises, though they are usually silent. A ‘dook’ is a happy, laughing noise for them. They can also dook rapidly when alarmed or nervous. They might hiss when they’re annoyed or telling you off for stopping them being naughty! A screech means fear or pain. A ferret can ‘poof’ like a skunk when they are surprised or scared. Luckily unlike a skunk this smell leaves by itself quickly. A ‘bottlebrush’ tail means fear or excitement. An arched back is a happy pose for a ferret. 

·         The ‘Weasel War Dance’ is a bouncing, clumsy dance they perform when they’re very happy and having a good time. They may open their mouth and wave their heads about.

·         Some ferrets ‘dead sleep,’ where they sleep so heavily they don’t wake up and are floppy and breathing only lightly. This can be very scary for their owner. 

·         Ferrets enjoy hammocks and soft blankets as bedding and prefer water bowls over water bottles.

·         We recommend cleaning cages with vinegar, bicarbonate soda and water on a regular basis, rather than chemicals such as ‘spray and wipe’. Spray and wipe can be used to clean tile or lino. To clean carpet there are many good and easy spot carpet cleaners which include a brush dispenser. To wash your ferret it is best to just use plain warm water. Overwashing of a ferret will strip their natural oils and force them to produce more, making them smellier. A desexed and well fed ferret will have only a light odour.

·         To start litter training your ferret, put litter trays in the cage and bedding blankets or food and water bowls everywhere else. They’ll naturally see where the toilet area is as they don’t like toileting on their beds. When you want to let them out of their cage either wait until you’ve seen them go to the litter tray, or put them in a room such as the bathroom with a litter tray in it. Place them repeatedly on the litter tray until they go to the toilet, then immediately reward them by opening the bathroom door for playtime. Every few hours repeat this process. If you catch them in the act of going to the toilet in the wrong spot, putting them in time out or back in the cage is a good deterrent for next time. Be patient, they’re like puppies. 

·         One recipe for a balanced raw diet is: 30% minced chicken frames (with bone included), 20% kangaroo mince or pieces, 20% beef mince or pieces, 20% heart meat, 5% liver, 2.5% kidneys, 2.5% brains (recipe from Unwanted Fuzz Rescue). Kangaroo, chicken and beef may be swapped with other animals such as lamb or pork or turkey but chicken frame mince is one of the easiest ways to get ferrets to consume bone properly. Other recipes and tips may be found online. Mix these meats together and freeze in daily food packages for your convenience. Beware of meat with heavy metals in it as it builds up in ferrets, slowly causing metal poisoning. 

·         Intestinal blockages are a real danger with ferrets and are often fatal, this can happen by the chewing of non food items e.g. rubber or polystyrene or clumping litter, or eating non ferret appropriate food. If you suspect they have eaten something they shouldn’t have, feed cooked, mashed, non seasoned pumpkin and observe their poo to make sure it comes out orange. This can push the blockage out or show you that there’s a blockage. If no poo at all or no orange poo is seen or they are lethargic or pawing at their mouth, take them immediately to a vet. If in doubt, a vet is the best option. Another very common cause of ferret death is being caught in furniture such as recliners. We recommend that no recliners or rocking chairs or other furniture or exercise machines with moving parts are ever accessible to a ferret. Find a ferret vet as soon as you get your ferret.

·         Ferrets sleep for 20 hours a day on average and though naturally awake during the early mornings and early evenings they will adjust themselves to be awake when you are. 

·         Many young ferrets will only cuddle when they’re sleepy, they’re very busy animals and feel that if they’re awake they should be doing something. It doesn’t mean they don’t love you any less. Ferrets show their affection by wanting to play with you and by trusting you. 

If you found this information useful or are a business that wishes to copy and distribute this page, please consider a small donation to the author’s ferret, craft and rent fund via paypal : notebookinhand@hotmail.com   J This page must be distributed as a whole including this message.