Ferrets are endearing little creatures and are becoming increasingly popular pets in the UK.  Some owners like to keep them in ferret cages in the home and others prefer to keep them outside.  We at ideas-4-pets have noted that a number of ferret owners have purchased our outdoor cat kennels and have had them modified to suit the requirements of a ferret.  Just put plenty of bedding into the kennel area and provide lots of toys to keep the ferret amused and out of mischief and he will love the freedom and the smell of the fresh air.

They usually spend around 14-18 hours per day sleeping and this is split into three 6 hour sections. Ferrets do sleep more than most other pets but they are very active when they are awake and will need lots of exercise to satisfy their energy and curiosity on a daily basis.

Their curiosity very often exceeds common sense in domestic environments and ferrets are good at getting stuck in drains and holes in walls, doors, cupboards or even in and behind household appliances such as ovens, dishwashers and washing machines where they can be injured or killed by drowning and electric shocks. Serious and sometimes fatal injuries have resulted from ferrets chewing on electrical cords. and dryer vents often become escape routes to the outdoors. Because ferrets also like to chew items made of soft rubber, foam or sponge, which put them at risk of intestinal blockage and death if ingested, make sure that any items of this nature are out of reach in a closed cupboard.

For these reasons, owners usually do “ferret-proof” their home, removing items dangerous to ferrets and covering over any holes or potential escape routes. Ferrets are quite clever and can open cupboards or doors that haven’t been closed properly by rolling over and clawing at the bottom edge.  Putting childproof latches on doors is a good idea and keeping your cleaning products in high, out-of-reach places also helps to prevent accidents happening.

Ferrets are very energetic and take a great interested in their environment.  They will actively choose to play with their owners and have both endearing and difficult behaviours for their owners to contend with.  Ferrets love to play hide-and-seek games and predator and prey games involving their owner attempting to catch the ferret or the ferret trying to catch the human. Ferrets also have a strong nesting instinct and can be seen repeatedly carrying small items or food to secret hiding places. They can also form strong attachments to certain objects and will repeatedly try to find and steal those objects to bring to their hiding place.

When ferrets get excited, they sometimes perform a strange little dance which is a frenzied series of sideways hops. This can often be accompanied by a gentle clucking type of noise and has been identified as an invitation to play or a way of showing you he is happy.  Despite how it looks, this behaviour is not at all threatening. His posture tends to become quite rigid and he opens his jaws wide, fixes his eyes on you and then starts thrashing or turning his head vigourously from side to side, arching his back and hopping side to side or backwards.  You might also hear him panting or hissing and this will likely then turn into a chasing game where he will also start to pounce and wrestle with you.

Ferrets can nip you when they are very young babies, but this nipping is done in a playful way and represents mock fighting and sparring.  as they get older, they tend to chew when teething and can have a tendency to start to bite a bit harder. If you’re on the receiving end of a play bite, a ferret will sometimes let out a high-pitched squeal or hiss to let you know of his annoyance or submission. As they get older, ferrets lessen their chewing and if you train them correctly, will almost never nip a human hand or if they do, will only do so very gently. Just be warned though, that some ferrets who have been abused or are in extreme pain may bite you and they are capable of strong bites which will break through your skin.

Ferrets can be trained to use a litter box, just like cats but they aren’t always completely litter box trainable. They instinctively spread their waste to scent mark a wider foraging territory for themselves so it’s sometimes a good idea to provide them with multiple litter boxes.  As with cats, their litter boxes will need to cleaned out on a very regular basis.

Unlike dogs and cats, many ferrets display little homing instinct and don’t thrive as strays so some ferret owners train their ferrets at a young age to respond to clicker toys, squeaky toys or to the sound of their own food being shaken as a means of tempting the ferret to come back. This is a good way of keeping your ferret under some type of control as wandering ferrets can easily be injured or killed by other animals, local wildlife or passing cars.

The ferret’s small size and speedy nature makes it easy for them to be stepped on so it is adviseable to walk slowly and not shuffle your feet off the floor higher than the height of your ferret so that you don’t tread on him. A ferret’s long spine is very delicate and can be severely damaged if stepped on and care must also be taken when handling him to avoid injury.

Some owners may prefer to house their pets outdoors in sheds, and not indoors. This is becoming more popular, and we at ideas-4-pets have sold many outdoor cat kennels which have been slightly altered to suit the needs of the ferret.  If your ferret is to be kept outdoors, the outside kennel is ideal as it keeps them contained and stops them from placing themselves in dangerous situations or escape situations.

Ferrets can make good pets for some children, but usually don’t make good pets for the very young. As mentioned before, ferrets are capable of delivering a strong bite which can be almost as strong as a domestic cat, so should never be left unsupervised near small children.  Children have been known to accidently hurt a ferret due to rough handling and the ferret will see this as an attack and fight back, so you must make sure that your child learns how to handle the ferret correctly and safely to prevent this from happening.

Once you have decided whether to keep your ferret indoors in a ferret cage or outdoors in a kennel of some sort, then you must consider what to feed him on.  A ferret’s natural diet used to consist of whole small prey, including any feathers and fur and some ferret owners feed their ferret with a meat-based diet consisting of small animals like mice and rabbits along with raw chicken or beef. However, there are some good quality commercial ferret food on the market and your vet would be able to advise you on the best type to purchase. 

Ideally, ferret food should contain a minimum of 32% meat based protein and 18% fat with a maximum of 3% fibre.  Ferrets also particularly enjoy raisins, bananas, peanut butter and certain breakfast cereals but the the high sugar content of these types of treats has been linked to ferret insulinoma and other diseases. Vets tend to recommend that you don’t feed these types of foods to ferrets at all.

As with all pets, make sure that you ferret has easy access to clean, fresh water and keep his kennel or cage scrupulously clean at all times to ensure that your pet remains fit and healthy.