When someone says “Ferret”, a question might pop up in your head – Are ferrets good pets? Well, A Ferret can be an excellent pet if you have time to take them out of their cage and play with them on a regular basis.
Ferrets are naturally playful, quiet, and friendly animals who can bring immense enjoyment to your family. They become active at a certain time of day. But they can put themselves in danger if they are not supervised.
The first thing you need while taking care of your pet is to make sure it has a proper home. As a ferret lives in a cage most of the time, you should make sure you are setting up a good cage for it. Here’s how to do it.
How To Set Up A Cage For Your Ferret?
Making a cage by yourself is going to be tough, we know that. That’s why, alternatively, you can go for ready-made ones from the market.
There’s plenty of ferret cages available in the market. To choose the right one, you should keep in mind some points-
1.
Ferrets are active and curious animals. Therefore, they require spacious and safe cages with plenty of room for play and exercise.
2.
Make sure the cage’s bar spacing is specially designed for ferrets. If the bars are wider, your Ferret may be able to squeeze through them and escape.
3.
Make sure the cage has a strong door latch. What happens if you don’t opt to go for a strong latch, your little buddy may push the door open, and fall or escape.
4.
Avoid cages with wire floors. It leads their feet to get caught between the wires.
5.
The cage should at least have two vertical levels. Your Ferret will run on it. This will occupy it and can carry on its exercises.
As you have selected a suitable cage, now it’s time to place it. Place it in a well-ventilated area where you can control the temperature, as well. Make sure it is out of direct sunlight.
It’s also important to stock it with the right necessities such as soft bedding, a water bottle, food crock, and litter boxes. As ferrets are allergic to pine, try to avoid wood bases materials.
Provide a small basket or cardboard box or shredded paper as an alternative for your Ferret to sleep in and pad it with an old sweatshirt sleeve or pants leg.
It is necessary to put some safe toys in the cage to keep your Ferret healthy and happy. Anything you currently own can become a ferret toy, as long as his toys don’t have small parts that can be swallowed. Your Ferret may like being in a hammock or some tubes and ramps for entertainment.
Your Ferret set up will also need food and water. Attaches a water bottle to one side of the cage or can also offer a water bowl for the water
A Ferret can be poop trained. They never poop and pee where they eat. Therefore, the tray should be placed at one corner of the cage and the food and bed at the other corner. Ferrets are messy, so regular cleaning is also an important component of properly maintaining their cage.
How to feed your Ferret?
Without proper ferret proofing or nutrition, ferrets might very sick at a young age, and it will charge you expensive vet bills. As ferrets are carnivores, raw meat is the best option you can offer them.
You also can offer your ferret cat food like Iams or ScienceDiet, but don’t give them dog food. Only actual ferret food or certain high-quality cat foods have enough of the proper nutrients for your Ferret.
Ferrets have very short digestive periods – from the time of ingestion, it only takes 3 to 4 hours for food to be digested. Because of this, it is even more important that their diets are high in protein and fat. You should think about offering a daily vitamin as well.
How to bath your Ferret?
While bathing, make sure he feels comfortable and safe. To make him comfortable, you can do some specific job.
- Make sure the water is not deep and support his body with your hands under the water.
- Use a rubber mat for it not to slip off the tub.
- Having some of your Ferret’s favorite toys in the water can help him relax during bath time.
After getting your Ferret in the water, put it under a running faucet and make it wet. Now you can begin the process of shampooing the Ferret. Shampoo can be confusing while washing. Make sure you clean off the shampoo before you take your pet out of the bath.
Sometimes ferrets do not tolerate too much drying. They crave space after a bath. If your little pal is being naughty enough not to get dried, don’t push it. It’s not at all necessary to make it fully dry. All you need to confirm is that he is not dripping in water.
Ferrets Facts
If you are particularly interested in owning a ferret, you better know a few facts before getting one. Here is everything you need to know about ferrets.
- If you have a weak immune system, our suggestion will be- give a second thought of owning a ferret. Ferrets sometimes make people with a weak immune system ill while handling them.
- Digging is ferrets’ instinct. They have sharp claws. While handling ferrets, you must be careful to avoid scratch.
- When ferrets are scared, they try to run or scream, sometimes bite, which is very painful. To prevent such behavior, socialize with your Ferret properly when you bring it to your home.
- If you keep your Ferret in an outdoor environment, get it vaccinated. Otherwise, it might get rabies which can be passed on you too.
- Keep your Ferret away from dogs and cats. A dog can kill Ferret in one bite.
- Your Ferret can be a natural swimmer. But it might not enjoy it as swimming kills energy.
Ferrets might be an unusual pet. If you haven’t petted a ferret yet, go for it. They will steal your heart when you come closer to them; we can bet.
Are ferrets hard to take care of?
Ferrets are big sleepers. They sleep for more than 20 hours. But they must be out of the cage daily during the day so they can exercise and spend their energy.
Ferrets require an owner who is willing to give them a lot of time and several hours of supervision. If it is not possible to give plenty of time, ferrets can be kept in pairs.
So is it really hard to take care of such an animal? For most of the ferret owners, the answer is yes. The enjoyment and happiness you get from a ferret outperform the hassle you have to go through.
Conclusion
Ferrets are not that usual pet to keep. For that reason, you need to be extra careful with this little animal. They are pretty fun-loving and restless in nature. If you don’t pay much attention to their activities, chances are there that they may end up making a mess.
Or much worse, like falling sick. So, if you own a Ferret or planning to get one, take your time to study their nature and how to take good care of this tiny pal. Keep our guidelines handy to get a quick overview.