Ferret Tips

Let’s first make sure that a ferret is the right pet for you. The following questions should be answered “Yes”, or we respectfully ask you to reconsider a ferret as your choice of a companion pet.

1. Have you done your research; spoken and visited with ferret owners or local shelter?

 

2. Have you read about the housing, nutritional, exercise and medical needs of the ferret?

 

3. Are you ready to make a long-term commitment to the love and care of your ferret, knowing that a ferret has a potential life-span of 15 years?

 

4. Are you prepared to feed your ferret quality ferret food?

 

5. Are you prepared to visit the vet once a year for vaccinations and check-up?

 

6. If you rent, are you allowed to have a ferret?

 

7. Are their other animals in your house that could threaten or be threatened by a ferret? These could be Terrier breeds and large and/or aggressive dogs. 

 

8. Are there existing pets that could be harmed by a ferret? These could be rabbits, kittens, snakes and amphibians. 

 

8. Can you spend one to three hours a day nurturing and supervising the exercise and playtime of your ferret?

 

9. Are their children under five years or are you planning a family?

 

10. Can you ferret-proof your house?

These questions are asked to help you with your decision. Many of the ferrets in shelters are a result of the owners facing the above-questions “after” they have brought a ferret into their home. In helping you make the right decision we encourage you to ask us your questions “before” you make your selection; go to our Guest Book and E-mail us your questions. 

If you have decided that a ferret is the companion for you, we encourage you to seek out your local ferret shelter and adopt. Along with a loving, in-need pet you also have the wisdom of your new acquaintance, the Shelter Director.

If this is the first ferret for you , we encourage a selection of a ferret that is 6 months or more. The reason for this is handling experience. Just as puppies or kittens, ferrets have to deal with teething. Kits (baby ferrets) go thru a temporary phase of having double teeth. Unlike puppies or kittens, ferrets’ temporary and permanent teeth are in the gums at the same time! Ferrets teething is much harder than dogs or cats because it is a much shorter period of time. This time period starts when they are about 6 weeks and development continues until they are 12 weeks old. It’s also important to know that ferrets have bad eyesight. Therefore, their senses of smell and hearing are acute. Never eat a bucket of chicken, go to handle or kiss your ferret and not expect a nip. I have been told by many ferrets that fingers and lips taste like chicken. You have been forewarned. Should a ferret nip, don’t react – no yanking back, no yelling – this will only scare the ferret and he/she may do a “fear bite”.

Speak to an experienced person about ferret-proofing your home. This entails making your home safe for your ferret. For example, seal off any openings around pipes that go into the walls. Do not allow an access to vents or furnace, cabinets where solvents and household products are stored. Question: What is the leading cause of accidental death in domestic ferrets? If you said “recliners” you are correct. Along with that are sofabeds, rockers, people stepping on them in the middle of the night, climbing into dishwashers and refrigerators, etc.

The ferret will choose you. You may go to the store or shelter for the big moment. You may have preconceived notions of color, size, age and personality. When you start your interaction, mark our words, the ferret that will be your best friend will choose you!

Regardless of where you obtain your ferret, insist on the ferret’s records of origin and vaccinations. This document will be the first of your ferret’s personal history. 

Even though bringing him home may be exciting for both of you, your ferret may display his anxieties in different ways. Be patient. He may not poo where he’s supposed to, he may be overly excited and bounce off the walls. He may resent you trying to handle him and nip and/or hiss. Take note of his tail. The tail fur should lay flat. If his tail takes on a bottle-brush appearance he may be very scared. Allow him his space and time. When handling your new ferret let him hear and know you are in front of him. With bad eyesight and bad peripheral vision , wrong handling can surprise him and cause him to react to his fear. When taking him out of his cage, open the door and allow him to come out on his own. He may be very territorial in the beginning.

Ferrets need a lot of exercise and your companionship. While you’re away, your ferret will spend most of time sleeping. When you come home, let your ferret out to play in a safe, ferret-proofed room. Ferrets love your affection and attention. The more you play with your ferret, you will see that each one has his own personality, and that they will look to your for fun. Ferrets can be trained to ride in your hood, or in a pouch or pocket. Ferrets that are constantly caged lose muscle tone, get stiff joints, and could become neurotic. Plan a daily out-time of one to three hours. The more the better!!

Let’s say you were having a baby. Okay now would you bring the baby home from the hospital without having prepared a crib and accessories? Probably not. So let’s prepare for your new fuzzy family member. Select a cage designed for the ferret. A two tier condo will do just fine. Did you know that their feet can get caught in the wire mesh flooring and ramps? Cover with carpeting or linoleum. Having their foot caught is bad, but really bad if you are not home. Also, did you know a male ferret (hob) has a penis that is called a “J hook”? This is because, as the name suggests, a hook. What’s worse than a foot stuck in the wire mesh? You got it; his penis!!!!!! If this happens you must act quick to release it from the wire.

Have fun setting up the cage. There are hammocks, beds, tubes and tunnels to choose from. Toys are a serious item, however. DO NOT get soft, pliable rubber toys or hard brittle plastic ones. Make sure his/her toys are hard rubber. Remove any small pieces, such as plastic eyes, etc. Should you see any destruction at all with the toy immediately remove it. A small piece of toy can lodge in the digestive tract and kill your ferret. Please be careful with the toys. This is a mistake many make.

Water - you can use either a ceramic crock or a water bottle.

Food bowl - a crock that sets on the floor or one that attaches to the cage is good. There are a lot of choices available for you. Thru this site you can visit the Ferret Store to assist you in your selections.

Your ferret food should be one that is of premium quality. We cannot endorse a ferret food that has chunks of carrots or fruits. Ferrets do not digest high-fibre and thus a digestive problem or blockage can ensue.

Snacks –a grape, a cherrio or two. There are ferret-specific treats on the market. Moderation is good. Ferrets have a “transit-time” (see glossary) of 3 – 5 hours. Make sure your ferret always has fresh food and a lot of it. A hungry ferret can be a mean ferret, but then again aren’t we all when hungry!

Linatone/Ferretone – no more than 1/8 teaspooon a day.

Nutrical/ferretvite – a 1” ribbon twice a week.

Hairball Remedy – please make a note of this, because ferrets can’t cough up fur balls like a cat. In fact, the “fur balls” can lodge in their digestive tract and require expensive, life-threatening surgery – when discovered as a blockage. A hairball blockage, left undetected, can kill your ferret. During non-shedding seasons, a 1” ribbon , during shedding make that twice a week, of Laxatone, Petromalt, etc. will help to protect your ferret – no guarantees! Keep an eye on your ferret’s poo (see glossary). A black tarry stool is a clue to an intestinal blockage. Since we are mentioning their “poo”, poo can be your first clue to a ferret in distress. The poo should be firm and form a tight ring. The color should be consistent with what goes into the mouth. If you see bright colors of plastic bits, check your toys for tears.

It is so cool to see newborns at about 3 weeks. With eyes-closed, they will back away from the mom, instinctively backing into a corner to go. So for the most part ferrets teach themselves and usually always seek out a corner. Therefore place litter pans in corners. A high-backed litter pan will keep your ferret from decorating your walls. Now once in a while you get a fuzzy that just breaks all the rules and insists on doing it their way. It they go in a corner where you do not have a litter pan, reconfigure the corner so that it is no longer a corner. Put a rock or a piece of pvc in the corner; use your imagination, just make it safe and “not” functional for them to use as their depository. A ferret has to poo when they wake up. So if you want to assist him in his training, upon waking him immediately place him in the litter pan and keep him there until he goes. This repeated, creates a habit that will make you both happy.

Litter - Let’s start with the “Do Nots”;
Do not use clay litter. Not only can ferrets respiratory systems be damaged by the dust, it sticks to their rectums and immediately dries their coats out. 

Do not use clumping litter; for all the reasons mentioned in clay litter plus this stuff can kill your ferret. When moist it hardens. When ingested will harden in the mouth, throat, stomach and digestive tract.

There are some very effective litters for ferrets. Some of these are great for absorption and ferret excretion de parfume suppression. For example; wood pellets, wood pellets and alfalfa pellets (rabbit pellets) mixed (ratio 2:1), pine pellets (with aromatics and tar removed), recycled paper. Forget using the various chips and shavings made from cedar and pine. The aromatics can adversely affect the respiratory system and the wood slivers, when ingested, can kill. Aspen has been approved for ferrets, however, it is our experience they want to lay in it rather than functionally use it as intended.

It has been our experience that you need not shampoo your ferret but perhaps three times a year. There are many shampoos for ferrets and kitten shampoos can also be used. Baby shampoo is used often by ferret owners. At our shelter we use a shampoo with Maleleuca (Tea Tree Oil). Tea Tree Oil is a natural inhibitor for external parasites and has an outstanding effect on the condition of the hide and coat! Our shelter ferrets have always scored high points for coats in show competition. It is a misnomer that the more you shampoo the ferret the less the musk odor will be apparent. So many times we have heard, “I shampooed that ferret every few days and it still smelled!”. The explanation for this lies in their oil glands. Ferrets have oil glands that keep their hide and coat healthy. These oil glands are saturated between the shoulders. So it just goes to figure, the more shampooing, the more the musk fragrance. Besides, over shampooing dries out the coat, let the natural oils work for your ferret. Trust us you will have a beautiful ferret. Shampooing should coincide with shedding season. In your ferret box you should also have a brush and weekly brush your ferret. Do not use a “slicker” brush as this can score the hide and hurt your ferret.

A note here about shampooing. Should you bring another ferret into the home shampoo them together. Ferrets establish an alpha order by many means, one is smell. If these are shampooed together it helps to level the playing field.

External parasites; fleas, ticks, skin mites need to be tended to. Fleas are the most common of those listed. Treatment can be, as stated above, with Tea Tree Oil. Also, Advantage or Frontline, obtained from your veterinarian (not purchased over the counter) has been proven to be very effective. Also when faced with the presence of these parasites Frontline Spray is also available. NERVER FOG OR BOMB YOUR HOME!!! The residue left behind can be poisonous to your ferrets. Spray your baseboards and tile floors with a mix of 1 part dish soap to 10 parts water. Vacuum your carpets and floors, immediately discard the bag. A light dusting of salt, wait five days, then vacuum. This will last a year or until you shampoo your carpet. 

Did you know ferrets use their nails for balance. If left unclipped, they will grow out and curl under. The ferret will not be able to stand well, and this can then create structural problems by trying to compensate. Clip the nail about 1/16th inch in front of the vein. The vein, or quick as it called, is the pink within the nail. The easiest way to make clipping the nails a pleasant experience for you and your ferret is to put a bit of supplement on their belly. While the ferret is busy licking away you simply hold the paw and clip. Should you nick a quick (and have this readily available) here are some suggestions. Quick-stop powder or flour or baking soda or a bar of soap. Saturate a cloth with cold water and apply direct pressure, hold or a couple minutes then release. Repeat if necessary.

Cleaning the ears should be bi-weekly. Ear mites are common in ferrets, since they run the floor. Mites can come into your home on your shoes. These are microscopic pests. The natural earwax of the ferret is reddish brown. The presence of ear mites can be seen with black wax or crust. For ear cleaners, with the presence of mites, select a product with pyrethrin. Otherwise, regular ear cleaner will suffice. Also, a home remedy for mites can be an equal mix of hydrogen peroxide and mineral oil. The tool to clean the ears is a Q-tip. Moisten the tip with the cleaner, as well as a small drop in the exterior ear. Now, simply and gently massage the ear to release and produce wax. Should you have a severe mite problem seek veterinarian care. Perhaps a treatment of Ivermectin is in order.

Cleaning the teeth can start with the type of food or food mix. Stay away from soft foods they create plaque. You can mix a hard extruded premium kitten food with regular ferret food (5:1 ratio). The hard extruded bits help to chip off tarter. It is recommended that you have your ferrets teeth professionally cleaned as needed. Did you know that if you leave your ferrets teeth untreated it can cause gum infections that can lead to renal failure and kill your ferret?

One of the funniest stories I ever heard necessitates this discussion. One day at a show some shelter volunteers were standing around when a lady walked up with her “Francine” (real name changed to protect the innocent). The lady told of how every night she would relax and mesmerize her “Francine” by rubbing her bellybutton. All of the volunteers bit their lips to keep from giggling. Finally, one spoke up to the lady and informed her that that bellybutton really was not a bellybutton and “Francine” was not a “Francine”!!.

Not knowing the sex of the ferret is not as uncommon as most would think. The male “hob” has what as you know by now what appears to be a bellybutton, it is not, it is the opening in the abdomen for the penis. The female “jill” above her rectum has the opening to her vagina. Upon a sexually intact jill going into heat, the vulva will descend from the inside of the vagina. It appears something like a mushroom and about one-half to one inch in diameter. Should you have a spayed jill that has a swollen vulva, please seek veterinarian care for her. This may be caused by an impartial spay or Adrenal disease. If left untreated the jill may develop a fatal condition called A-plastic anemia. 

Most ferrets purchased from a pet store are spayed at approximately 4 weeks. We are AGAINST this practice. It is medically proven that early spay/neuter can leave a predisposition for various medical problems. Spay is safely done at approximately 5 months. Neuter at nine months. Hobs that are left unaltered during breeding season can become violent with each other. When testicles are descended protect your hobs and keep them separated. They have been known to fight to the death.

Ferrets require a distemper series or 2 to 3 shots in three week intervals. Most states require rabies. NEVER VACCINATE FOR BOTH AT THE SAME TIME. If there should be a reaction you would not know which vaccine they are reacting to. There should be at least a 2 week interval between distemper and rabies vaccinations to minimize stress on; your ferret’s immune system. Because of the possibility of reactions, never leave the vet office for 45 minutes to an hour after your ferret has been vaccinated. If your ferret is going to have a reaction you want professional care immediately available. Ferrets can get canine distemper, which is 100 percent fatal. Be sure to vaccinate your ferret as there have been epidemics of this disease. Vaccinations are the only way to protect your ferret from this deadly disease. Distemper is an airborne disease. Even if your ferret never goes outside, he still needs protection. Most pet shops and reputable breeders will start your kit with his first booster shot. Ask them for written proof of vaccination. Kits should be vaccinated at 8, 11, and 14 weeks, followed by a yearly booster. 

The only rabies vaccine approved for ferrets is IMRAB-3 killed virus. Many states require all healthy ferrets 3 months old and older be vaccinated yearly. Do not let strangers handle your ferret. Should you take him out in public, take his proof of vaccination with you. Should there be a bite or scratch incident, insist on quarantine for your ferret and not rabies testing!!!!!

Three words – DON’T DO IT! Most ferrets purchased at pet stores are already descented. Descenting entails surgical removal of an anal gland that contains a scent. The scent gland has nothing to do with the parfume of the ferret. Remember in earlier reading (shampooing) it is the oil glands that produce the musk odor. The ferrets use this for two reasons, 1) mating, and 2) self-defense. Once the ferret is sexually altered, it leaves only self-defense. Ferrets being the escape artists that that they are should not be rendered helpless. Descenting is a tedious piece of surgery, endangers your ferrets life and has got to hurt like hell! A reputable vet will only descent if there is a medical reason to, such as it being impacted or presence of a cyst or tumor.

Wash your ferret bedding once a week. This cuts down on odor. Wash your bedding with your regular detergent and one cup of an enzyme remover; i.e. Simple Solution or Nature’s Miracle. Repeat wash in a plain water cycle. Do not use softeners as they can irritate the respiratory system.

Keep in mind, as of this writing, most ferret shelters are struggling. Look at the big picture. Each kit requires three distemper shots, eventual rabies spay and neuter. Medically, expect the unexpected. Breeding correctly can cost a bundle. Talk to an experienced breeder. Ask about fostering a litter from your local shelter. Contact us directly thru our E-mail, we will be happy to discuss this with you.

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