Good ferret care will also help to keep your ferret happy and contented, which is the aim of any good pet owner. With the best possible care, you may find your ferret lives longer, and remains more active in later life.

Good ferret grooming will also help your ferret to be used to human contact, in the early stages, as well as you an opportunity to find health problems early. Remember- if you spot any health issues with your ferret, consult your vet immediately.

Trimming Your Ferret’s Toenails

Your ferret’s toenails need to be clipped regularly, and it’s best to look at doing this roughly every two weeks. If you want to make sure the job goes well, you’ll need to get the ferret comfortable first, it’s usually good to occupy them with a treat first.

Cutting the nails requires good, sharp animal clippers, to make sure you get a clean cut. Make sure you don’t trim them too short, and be prepared for any mishaps, by having a styptic, to stop bleeding, close to hand. In an emergency, you can stop bleeding with corn starch.

Dealing With Hairballs

When a ferret is shedding fur, hairballs can be a real problem. Make it a part of your grooming routine to stop this from happening, by giving your ferret a laxative each week. Ferret laxatives are made to be a treat, so grooming is the perfect time to do this.

Watch out for the times when a ferret will shed a lot of hair, which tends to happen around twice a year. When they’re shedding fur, hairballs can be quite dangerous to your pet ferret.

Bathing Your Ferret

While you will regularly need to trim your ferret’s nails and treat for hairballs, you should be careful to avoid bathing your ferret too regularly. This is because the ferret relies on the oils in the fur, to protect the coat and give it glossiness.

If you bathe your ferret too often, you’re more likely to end up with a stinky ferret, as the oils will be produced in larger amount. These oils will get quite musky in excess, but will be less noticeable if they are given the right care.

Be aware that some ferrets are more receptive to bathing than others. Some really like the water, while others are reluctant. For this reason, have someone on hand to help, if possible. Always make sure that you use a mild ferret shampoo, as you don’t want to strip away those oils.

Remember that ferret care should be simple, which is why I wrote my guide Simple Ferret Care

If you love ferrets, I think you’ll agree with my reasons, and hopefully, they’ll help those who don’t know the joy of caring for a ferret.

They’re Cuter Than You Think

People often think that ferrets are related to rats, but they’re not. They’re related to the polecat, which makes them sleek and furry creatures, rather than rat like. Take a close look and you’ll find they’re quite cuddly, with very expressive eyes. Each one is different too, with lots of different fur patterns and colors, plus they have varied personalities to match their varied appearances.

They’re Super Energetic

Ferrets are full of life and energy, whenever they’re awake. They can be incredibly inquisitive too, with a keen desire to explore the world around them, which makes them fun to be around. You can play with your ferret and take it for walks. The more you play with your pet, the more affectionate and attentive your ferret will be; which many people look for in a pet.

One thing to keep in mind though, ferrets do need to sleep a lot. They’re bound to use up a lot of energy, being as excitable and curious as they are. So, they tend to sleep for at least 12 hours per day, which can actually work in many people’s favor, as they require less supervision than a dog.

They Don’t Smell Bad

One of the most repeated misunderstandings about ferrets is that they smell bad. This reputation is probably based, inaccurately, on the fact that they have scent glands. These scent glands are nowhere near as powerful as a skunk and are often removed, especially in the United States.

Like any pet they need to be kept clean, with good living conditions, but if you look after your ferret, you’ll find their no different to any other pet.

They’re Unique

There are no other pets quite like a ferret. In fact, they combine the best qualities of a number of other pets. With the right care and attention, they’ll be as playful as a kitten and as loyal as a dog. They don’t, however, bark all night like some dogs and they’re not as stand-offish as an adult cat. They’re far more entertaining than fish and hamsters too, but that goes without saying!

All in all, the ferret makes a great pet, which can provide an owner with companionship and entertaining. And while it may not be obvious how they’re cared for, a little guidance may be all you need, to get you started, with one of the most fun pets out there, in my opinion at least.

Other factors that contribute to the vulnerability of ferrets, to disease, include their diet, their conditions and the amount of exercise and activity they get. In many ways, their needs are similar to that you or me.

So, if you want to keep a healthy pet, which is the aim of every responsible ferret owner, you’ll need to watch out for the illnesses that can affect the animal. We’ll take a very brief look at some of the conditions that affect ferrets, but this is by no means an exhaustive list. Consult a vet immediately, if you have health concerns with your pet.

Rabies & Distemper

These are both viruses that affect ferrets. You should make sure that your ferret is immunized against them. If you protect your pet from these diseases, there should be no reason for you to have to deal with these very serious viruses, with your ferret.

It’s important that any booster shots required are maintained on a regular basis too. So, it’s important that you discuss this with your vet and get a program of boosters in place, if required. Different immunization shots work in different ways, with different timescales.

When your ferret has shots, you and the vet will need to watch out for adverse reactions, which ferrets can sometimes suffer, immediately after receiving an immunization shot.

Ferrets & Tumors

There are a number of cancers and tumors which can affect ferrets. These include Insulinoma, which is a cancer of the pancreas and Lymphosorcoma, which is a cancer of the lymphatic system. While these types of conditions tend to affect older ferrets, they can also affect ferrets at any time.

It’s pretty important to make sure your ferret has the correct diet, as recent developments suggest that the food a ferret eats may be linked to causing these cancers.

Green Slime

This is a relatively common ferret illness, also known by its scientific name of Epizootic Catarrhal Eneritis. It’s an infection which causes diarrhea and infection of the intestine. The key thing to note, when dealing with green slime, is the fact that it’s incredibly contagious, between ferrets.

For that reason, you will need to make sure any ferret suffering from green slime goes into quarantine, to prevent the spread of the disease. This is a reason why you should be careful when allowing your ferret tot mix with other ferrets, in general.

Avoid Excessive Light

Ferrets sleep for about 14 hours a day, sometimes more. Their sleep cycles are best served if they can have darkness for around 10 hours. So, if your ferrets are in a room which you artificially light, for a significant part of the evening, you’ll find that it can affect their health, long term.

You can get cage cover, to safely give them the darkness they need, if you can’t provide a space that has a practical possibility of being dark. Apart from the health side of things, it’s important to remember that a well rested ferret will have a better temperament.

Don’t Expose The Ferret To Loud Noises

Again, as ferrets need a lot of sleep, placing them near domestic appliances, or your television, may not give them the best chance of a happy life. Yes, maintaining a ferret’s sleep pattern is important, so find the quietest spot you can.

A lot of noisy domestic appliances, such as dryers, pose other risks to a ferret. They could become stuck or trapped within the confines, so it’s best to keep well away from areas where such machines are housed.

Leave Space For Proper Ventilation

Don’t put your ferret’s cage right up against a wall, for two reasons. Firstly, they’ll likely get some bathroom splatter, which isn’t something you’ll want to clean from your walls. Secondly they need good ventilation, for health reasons.

Ventilation’s really important, so avoid placing your ferret in a spot that’s damp too. Anywhere that could be a pooling point for bacteria will really wear your ferret down. Basements and utility areas don’t make for great spots to home a ferret, due to the ventilation, space and potential for dampness.

Keep Away From Air Conditioning Units

Your ferret is quite sensitive to temperature, so avoid placing them near sources of cold air. Likewise you’ll need to keep them away from hot air too, so heaters of any kind should be kept away from the cage. Cool and warm are good for your ferret, hot and cold are not.

Apart from the temperature aspect, remember that ferrets have sensitive respiratory systems, so they’ll also risk breathing in dust, if placed near any air blowing devices or outlets.

Remember that it’s your responsibility to find out the laws regarding ferrets, where you live before considering a ferret as a pet. The purpose of this article is to explain why some areas have restrictions in place.

Ferrets Are Misunderstood

Ferrets are getting more popular, but they’re not as common a sight as dogs or cats. Because of this, people don’t always understand them. Many people, wrongly, think that they are similar or related to rats.

Others have the incorrect notion that they’re inherently vicious animals, incapable of living as pets. Ferret owners will know that they can be playful and fun pets, with the right care, but the people who make laws probably aren’t ferret owners, unfortunately.

Impact On Wildlife

In some environments ferrets in the wild could cause great damage to wildlife. If they have no natural predators there have been cases, in the past where ferrets have bred in the wild, causing devastation to other animals.

With responsible care the chances of a ferret escaping are minimal. The sad reality is that most domestic pet ferrets would struggle to survive in the wild, particularly after they have bonded with their owners. The stigma remains, however, as they can be very effective natural hunters, even if this instinct is somewhat dulled by living with humans.

Rabies

Traditionally, rabies concerns have been a significant reason for restricting ownership of ferrets. This was based on the idea that ferrets were a major spreader of the disease.

More recently, it’s become clearer that ferrets don’t pose a particularly high risk of spreading rabies, though this risk can and should be reduced, even further. This is achieved through immunization.

Responsible pet ownership means immunizing your pets, which for ferrets includes immunizations against rabies. As this is something that should always be done, many areas have relaxed or eradicated restrictions which were based on this fear.

Remember that rabies immunization is often a legal requirement. It also protects the health of your ferret.

What Can Be Done If Ferrets Are Illegal Or Restricted In My Area?

The responsible thing is to lobby, legally, for change. Joining a ferret enthusiast’s group or writing to your local politician would be good ways to press for change. Become more informed on the subject, so that you can understand the reason for restriction, as well as any points which you feel could allow pet ferrets to be accommodated.

Remember that many areas have changed their views on ferrets in the last few decades. There are far less restricted or illegal areas, for ferrets, than there were in the past.

Under no circumstances should you own a ferret, where it is not legal to do so. Illegal ownership damages the credibility of ferret owners, reducing the chances of changes to the law.

Let’s have a look at why some ferrets bite, so that you can better understand what’s happening, with a view to stopping it. And don’t worry, with the right care and attention you can stop this behavior.

The Youthful Biter

Youthful over-enthusiasm is the number one reason for ferrets biting. Young ferrets, particularly if they are siblings, will tend towards rough playfulness with lots of nipping and biting. This isn’t something to worry about, unless it gets particularly heated.

What does need to be sorted out, early on is their determination to include their owners in the play, by biting you the way they’d bite a fellow ferret.

There are many ways to stop a ferret from biting, but the main thing to ensure, is that you don’t use any aggression towards your pet. At most, you should drag them lightly across the floor to discourage bad behavior. This is something a mother ferret would do.

But really, you need to be gentle and considerate in stopping biting, as they’re just trying to include you in their games. It’s up to you to let them know that there’s acceptable play and not so acceptable play.

The Signaler

If a ferret is in discomfort or pain they will sometimes have trouble letting you know. So, instead of having a chat about the pain they’re in they’ll bite their owner. It’s a very direct way of getting attention, for sure. If your ferret isn’t young and they start biting all of a sudden, you may want to pay close attention to them and consider any signs of ill health.

The biting could also be down to a change of circumstances. Watch out, in particular, for the introduction of new pets, including other ferrets. They can get nervous around visitors or changes to their cages too. If in doubt, it’s likely that your ferret’s trying to tell you something if they start biting out of the blue.

The Persuader

If biting your owner got you what you wanted, wouldn’t you make a habit of it? If a biting ferret is rewarded with treats or attention, in the hope of stopping the biting, then there’s no way the ferret will understand this correctly. They see biting, followed by reward and see this as the best way to get what they’re after. So, over time, they’ll see biting as a way to persuade you to co-operate.

If you let this kind of pattern build up, for any length of time, it’s going to be quite a difficult cycle to break, though it’s not impossible.

To learn more about biting and all aspects of ferret care then Click Here

With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of these steps, which can keep your pet out of harm’s way.

Ferrets and Household Burrowing

Ferrets will try to sneak into the smallest possible holes, at any given moment. It’s an instinctive thing for them. If they find a gap in between furniture, floors or walls, they’ll be in there like a shot. This can lead to a number of problems for the ferret.

Firstly, they could get exposed to electrical cables, in wall or floor cavities. The risk to a ferret is increased by the fact that they like to chew things, not knowing that chewing on a cable could send them a shock of over 200 volts.

Secondly, your ferret could get stuck in the spaces that they try to enter. Wall and floor spaces are a lot more rigid than tube toys and natural burrows. Ferrets can often panic when it comes to getting stuck, so it’s important that you keep them calm and ease them out gently.

Of course, the best way to avoid all this is to make sure you plug any gaps in the house, before you get a ferret. Take a good look around and make sure you’ve left no areas that a curious ferret could enter. Try to put yourself in the ferret’s place, when identifying gaps.

Other Household Risks

Household appliances and storage spaces can also pose significant risks to your ferret. So, it’s particularly important that you keep this in mind, whenever you have your ferret outside of his/her cage.

Ferrets have a tendency to try and take a nap in any washing basket they may find. So, if you have washing waiting to go into the machine, it’s a good idea to make sure you check the basket carefully, before you start a wash, as washing machines aren’t the correct way to clean a ferret.

Ventilation tubes for dryers are another thing that’ll provide great interest to a ferret, as they are similar to tube toys. Risk of injury or getting stuck is high. Keeping the tubes out of ferret accessibility is a must.

Storage spaces, cupboards and cabinets have a dual risk to your pet ferret. First, there’s the perennial risk of them getting stuck, not to mention the risk by the contents. There are too many things to list here, that could damage your ferret, though detergents, coffee and anti-freeze should give you an idea of what we’re thinking about.

What Do I Need To Know Before Adding Another Ferret to The Home?

Ferrets can, under certain circumstances, live together happily. Understanding those circumstances is the key to developing happy ferret relationships.

Social living, between ferrets, is generally considered to be a lot more likely to succeed if all the ferrets are neutered or spayed. This will stop the potential for breeding and territory competition. Unneutered male ferrets, well, they simply don’t get on. There’ll be too much competition for dominance.

Of course, there are advantages to having more than one ferret around the home. Most importantly, they’ll stop any loneliness from occurring. You will need to take steps to make sure they can exist together, peacefully- particularly over the first few days.

What About The First Few Days At Home?

The first few days are vital, when it comes to socializing two or more ferrets. You can’t just dive in at the deep end, placing them together. There’s an important step that needs to be completed first.

For the first few days the two ferrets will need to be housed separately, as they will immediately sense that the other ferret is unfamiliar. For this reason, you have to introduce them to each other over a period of time.

Keep them in separate cages, placing them next to each other, at first. Don’t worry if they hiss at each other. While unpleasant this is the ferret’s natural reaction to an unfamiliar counterpart. Over time this should stop.

It’s a good idea, at this stage, to start mixing up their scents. One of the ways of doing this is to mix up their bedding.

What Should I look Out For After That?

As your ferrets become more and more familiar with each other, you can start to introduce them to each other more directly. But, even at this stage, there are things you’ll need to consider to make the process a success.

Introduce them in short bursts to begin with, keeping the situation under control. Leashes on the ferrets, with the appropriate harnesses, will help you to keep the situation under control.

Over time you’ll find they start to accept each other more, allowing you to put them together for longer, under less direct control. Don’t leave them together unsupervised until you are totally confident they are happy with each other, which will be down to increased familiarity over time.

Watch out for any rough play, which will need intervention from the owner to rectify and prevent. Young ferrets are particularly likely to engage in rough play and biting behavior.

Experience with Ferrets

Not all vets will have experience working with ferrets, so you’ll probably want to make sure that they have experience working with ferrets. As ferrets get more popular, it’s increasingly likely that vets in your area will have some experience. Remember, however, that ferrets need more care as they get older. For that reason it’s probably best to pick a vet that has experience dealing with older ferrets.

Getting a good vet, with plenty of experience, is always important. If you are a first time ferret owner it’s more important- because they will give you peace of mind when you have health concerns.

Can They Answer Your Ferret Health Questions?

Make sure you are well researched on the health issues that surround ferrets. This should be done before you have a ferret to care for. Once you are fully researched, don’t be afraid to quiz your potential vets.

Make sure you are happy with the answers. This shows you are a responsible pet owner, so don’t worry about asking questions. If a vet isn’t happy answering questions, during an appointment, you’d have to wonder what their manner would be like during a pet health issue. I mean, I could understand them not being happy with questions if you called them, at home, late at night…!

Get Opinions from Others

If you want some advice on which vet in your area is the best, ask around. It can be very useful to get some opinions from other people, before you commit to a vet.

Ferret Owners groups are a good source of information. If you meet up with a group of ferret enthusiasts and they’re all singing the praises of one vet- there’s a good chance that they are very skilled. You should probably check them out and see if you feel the same way.

Increasingly, local ferret groups will tend to have websites and forums. You may wish to discuss this with the group. Lists of preferred vets or forum discussions on their services are not uncommon. If your local group does not have these facilities; you could always suggest that they introduce them.

Ferrets are great companions, full of energy and very curious. You can take them on walks, you can watch them playing with toys, but for me breeding is the one activity I’ll never involve myself in.

More than that, I’m pretty convinced that it’s a task best left to the experts. If you own a ferret there are many things to consider, before embarking on a breeding program.

Ferret Health & Behavior

Having a ferret that’s not neutered/spayed is, of course, a requirement for breeding but many potential ferret breeders don’t understand the issues that affect ferrets without these processes.

Male ferrets become more aggressive and territorial, losing their playful charm. Female ferrets have to deal with a six month heat season, where they can develop health complications if they don’t breed.

Finding Breeding Partners

The very fact that most ferrets are neutered/spayed is one of the biggest challenges in terms of ferret breeding. Finding a ferret that is not closely related is essential, for health reasons, so you’ll often need to establish a network with other breeders in your area.

Manual Intervention

I’m trying to put this as politely as possible but when it comes to ferret breeding there is often a need for the breeder to help with uniting the two breeding partners, though they should never be decoupled by the breeder, due to the male’s barbed penis. This hands on approach does not appeal to me.

Responsibility for Immunizations & Sterilizations

The importance of making sure that young ferrets get their first shots, as well as ensuring they are spayed/neutered seems like a lot of responsibility to carry. Many potential ferret breeders overlook the administration of these vital tasks. You’d certainly get to know your vet, though he or she will be happy to see you, with the costs involved!

Finding Good Homes

Nothing would pain me more than the idea of a ferret going to a bad home. Even if I used my best judgment and insisted on checking that the potential owner had the right equipment and attitude, it would worry me no end to consider that any one of the ferrets was less than happy. It feels like a big responsibility.