Caring for and owning a ferret
Caring for and owning a Ferret
Here at Burgess, we are big fans of our little furry friends, and there are even x of us who own our own pet ferrets! So we've got a special interest in making sure that every ferret has as healthy a life as possible.
Owning a ferret can be great fun and a rewarding experience. The excitement of wondering where your little monster will be hiding next, watching him jump all over the place and if you're brave enough to get two, seeing them alligator roll around on the floor will make your heart melt!
If you've just bought a ferret, or are thinking about it, we know you want everything to be just right. That's why we've created this guide for you, to give you all the basic information you'll need.
But first things first: we recommend you register your new ferret with a vet for a general check up as soon as you get the chance. Not all vets are ferret friendly, so be sure to check first!.
Getting a new ferret
Getting a ferret is a really exciting time, but it's important to make sure it's the right decision for you, your family and your prospective new furry friend.
There are 5 main types of ferret that are distinguished through different colourings, but their mannerisms and needs are the same. Ferrets need to be trained properly and should be played with daily, which can take up quite a bit of time, but their endless energy will keep you laughing. They also sleep for 18 hours a day, meaning that they don't really need attention during the working day and there's nothing sweeter than a bundle of fluff curled up on your lap at the end of a busy day.
Be prepared!
Ferrets can be kept either indoors or outdoors, depending on the amount of space you have. And if you decide you're going to let your ferret free in the house, make sure you are prepared, as you'll find things will suddenly disappear and if you're unlucky, a few holes in the carpet might appear too!.
Where to find your ferret
If you want to give a ferret a second chance at a happy life, it's worth going to a few rescue centres. You can find ferrets at either centres that specialise in ferrets or centres that have a mixture of stray or unwanted animals. If you want a specific age or colour of ferret, then rescue centres might not be able to help you, but otherwise they are a good option.
Getting a ferret from a rescue centre may mean it takes a bit longer for them to adjust to their new home, but the reward of training them and making them a part of your family will be worth it.
Rescue centres won't normally charge for your ferret, but they might have a re-homing fee that goes towards the upkeep of the centre and for administration costs. Sometimes this is to prevent pets going to another home where they will be unwanted.
If there's a colour and age of ferret that you want, then a breeder might be an option, but be careful as there's a huge difference between good and bad breeders. A good breeder will be full of helpful advice and will have begun training for you to carry on with. Good breeders will also produce better quality kits (Baby ferrets) and will be able to show you where the kit has been raised with it's mother. If they don't offer, you should ask to see this. Ask your vet, or look in a ferret magazine to find a good breeder.
Hobs (Males) and Jills (Females)
Keeping a female ferret can be quite complicated if her reproductive cycle is not controlled by hormone implants and or neutering, so get advice from your local vet.
If your Jill's reproductive cycle is not controlled, then when she is in season, she will either need to be mated or have a hormone treatment. To avoid the cost of hormone treament, a popular solution is to mate the Jill with a vasectomised Hob. This may take the Jill out of season, although this is not always reliable.
Following this advice is really important because if the Jill is not taken out of season, she will become very ill and possibly die.
Hobs have a stronger smell than the female because of the oil that sits at the base of their coat hair and is to attract and deter other ferrets. Neutered hobs don't have such a strong odour. Ear mites can often be a cause of malodour and regular treatment can help.
Things to consider before taking your ferret home - Vaccination & Illnesses
As soon as you've found your furry friend, you should take him or her to the vets and make sure you ask your vet about Canine Distemper vaccinations. When they're old enough they can be neutered and treated for fleas. Ferrets can be prone to all kinds of illnesses and you should check them on a daily basis for a lack of appetite, discharges or abnormal behaviour.
Watch out for hairballs and blockages- these are particularly common in ferrets because they love to chew so much. Loss of appetite, difficulty in doing their business vomiting and pawing at the mouth are all signs of a blockage.
Micro-chipping
Ferrets can be micro-chipped, and given their cheeky & inquisitive personalities, this might be a good idea. A small chip is placed under the ferret's skin with a unique number. This number is then stored on a database with your contact details, so that if your ferret decides he's Houdini and goes missing but is then found, you will be contacted.
Neutering
Both Hobs (males) and Jills (females) can be neutered. For Jills it will mean they don't need to be mated or injected when they are in season. For Hobs, it will mean that the odour given off is much milder.
Exercise & Playtime
Ferrets will play with anything, they love hiding in dark corners, playing in tubes and chasing a ball. Often though, even an old shoe box will provide hours of entertainment, so making home made ferret toys is always an option . If you are using an exercise run outdoors, remember to have fresh water on hand along with places for them to keep out of the sun. Even if your ferret is just playing in the house, water must be on hand. Another thing that ferrets love, is to play outside in the autumn leaves but as they don't have a homing instinct, you must be sure to walk them on a lead.
Ferrets are curious little monsters who enjoy digging and love trying to escape- so please, make sure the areas where your ferret will be playing are ferret proof.
Taking your ferret home - Where should they live?
Ferrets need a constant supply of water and food that's easy for them to access. Ferrets are also really clean animals and will always go to the toilet in the same place. Keeping a litter tray in the cage is ideal and we recommend you clean it regularly to stop it getting smelly.
Make sure your ferret home is escape proof, with a separate sleeping area. The sleeping area for ferrets should be nice and warm. You can buy plenty of different sleeping areas for ferrets, either hammocks or ferret sized nesting boxes. If you've got more than one ferret, they'll curl up and sleep together and you probably won't be able to tell where one ends and the other starts!
Meeting the family
Children- Ferrets can give a playful nip, which is fine, but if they feel frightened or threatened they can bite hard. If your children are old enough to deal with this and to train them, then they might be an ideal pet. For young children who won't understand the responsibility then they're probably not right for your family just yet and could cause a nasty injury.
Cats and Dogs- Introduce your ferrets to cats and dogs slowly. Some dogs will be fine to meet your ferret, but some can be dangerous so make sure you find out first! Cats and dogs should be allowed to sniff the ferrets cage, before they meet. To introduce them both, hold your ferret while the two explore each other. If this doesn't go well, try again a few days later. Always supervise your dog and ferret together as if they don't get on, you might have to keep them separate.
Other Pets- If you keep hamsters, rats, gerbils or rabbits, then either don't get a ferret or at the very least, keep them well away. There's every chance your ferrets survival instinct might kick in, which could result in your small animals being a tasty treat!
Toilet Training
Your ferret will find a favourite place to use as a toilet and to persuade a ferret to go somewhere else can be a bit more difficult, but it can be done. The litter tray will need cleaning out once a day, otherwise you might find that your furry friend might find somewhere that they would prefer to do their business! If you are having trouble getting your ferret to use the litter tray, put some of their droppings into a corner of the litter tray; this should encourage them into the right place for next time!
