Ferret Care

Generally, ferrets spend up to 18 hours a day asleep but once awake they become very active and energetic. Having said this, ferrets are fond of playing.  As owners, we make sure they get enough exercise and are able to explore the area to gratify their curiosity. They have a habit of hiding objects they like. In account to this, train them to become attached to safer objects as much as possible.

Ferrets are carnivores. They feed on smaller preys like mice and on raw meat of chicken, beef and alike. Today, there are available processed foods suited for ferrets’ metabolism, however, the natural diet is much recommended to prevent some cases of indigestion.

As stated earlier, ferrets are active animals, for that reason, they end up caught in dangerous situations at times. It is the responsibility of the owner to provide them with a secured and danger-free milieu. Holes in any corner or part of the house must be covered up since ferrets have a tendency to hide inside and even behind appliances where they may possibly become injured, electrocuted or killed. Even hide under the sofas or beds where they could accidentally get squeezed.

They should not be allowed to wander afar. Ferrets have poor instinct in finding their way back home. Without your supervision, they may encounter and get confronted by larger animals and predators along the way.

As mentioned, ferrets love to play. Chasing games amuse them. Nonetheless, be cautious not to step on them during the chase when they suddenly stop. Also, they do socialize with other ferrets. But they should be separated from each other whenever the play turns out to be messy and when screams become frequent, loud and intense. Perhaps, they are already in pain and in serious injuries from deep bites and scratches obtained.

When they feel bored from being locked up for long hours, they play around with things in order to get rid of the boredom. They trip over their food and water bowls. Moisture on food could cause it to spoil more quickly and so must be replaced at once. It is convenient then to use heavy bowls or those that can be attached to the walls or on steady objects.

Ferrets have poor eyesight and poor depth perception therefore is unsafe to place them on higher grounds. There is a possibility that they would fall. Moreover, when they start to move backward into a corner, hissing and looks frightened, just talk them out of it softly and nicely and best to leave them alone to avoid them getting enrage and smashing unto objects and walls.

Just like any other animals, they too could get sick. They are likely to scratch a lot but too much of which is a signal to check for signs of infestations and skin irritations such as redness, flakes and lesions. There are available topical treatment and shampoo to properly address the condition. They also usually sneeze from dust they have sniffed. But we must not be negligent, check for presence of runny nose, fatigue, frequent productive cough and nasal discharges. Once ill, they must be consulted by a veterinarian to be given immediate medical intervention.

Surely, ferret’s natural cuteness entices us to keep them as pets. Nevertheless, knowing their tendencies and habits, genuine caretaking and training must be put into practice. They are delicate but if you have passion of treating them the way they deserve, respect for their nature and patience in keeping them healthy, then, tending ferrets is fun in a breeze.