Ferret Ownership

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Ferret Ownership

Are You Thinking About Owning A Ferret?

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You should ask yourself the following questions:

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Will you be able to afford to pay for high quality food, supplies and possibly up to $1000.00 or more for medical bills?

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Do you have at least 3 hours a day free for supervised out of the cage "ferret play time," and additional time for grooming and cage cleanings?

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Are you a patient person?

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Will you get very upset or want to get rid of the ferret if it scraches a hole in the carpet (or other furnishings), or uses the bathroom on the floor (if the answer is yes, don't get a ferret)?

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Are you willing to make changes to your home to protect your ferret and your furnishings?

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Will you be able to provide constant supervision between your ferret and your young children? Will you be able to help with the care of the ferret?

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Do you have other pets at home that your ferret may not get along with?

	•	Are ferrets legal in your state or county?

Ferrets are loyal, playful, intelligent, affectionate, and full of hilarious antics. I have never met a person who didn't laugh after seeing a happy ferret leap and bounce around a room during play (the "dance of joy")! Ferrets can easily help chase the blues away after a hard day.

However, ferrets are a big responsibility and can require expensive medical treatments and surgeries. Please do your research (and make sure you have funds available for medical care) before purchasing or adopting a ferret.

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Ferrets are pretty easy to please, however they can be considered a "high maintenance" pet. All they ask is that you let them out of their cage to play for at least three hours a day, give them lots of affection and keep them clean, healthy and safe. The rest of their time is spent napping- for ferrets sleep fifteen to eighteen hours a day. Ferrets are easily litter box trained, although accidents can happen, and will adjust to your schedule quite well.

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The risk of getting bitten by a ferret is actually less than the risk of getting bitten by a cat or dog. Ferrets can nip when they are young, however this is done out of play and they can easily be trained not to do so. Ferrets who are afraid, sick, or have been abused do have the potential to bite (no different than any other domestic pet).

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Ferrets are not wild animals or rodents. They are weasels (mustela putorius furo) who have been domesticated for thousands of years. Ferrets do have a slight musky odor, but neutering or spaying your ferret can keep the musk from being too strong. Ferrets who are not being used for breeding must be spayed or neutered for health reasons. Female ferrets will go into prolonged heat and eventually die from aplastic anemia if they are kept intact and not bred. Male ferrets will become aggressive towards other male ferrets and release a strong, unpleasant musky odor (although some humans actually enjoy the smell).

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If a ferret with intact anal scent glands is very frightened, it can release a foul odor. However, unlike a skunk, the odor does not linger as long and it does not smell as bad. Most pet shop ferrets have been descented (anal scent glands removed), however this practice is considered to be mutilation by some people. Ferrets who feel safe and are treated well by their owners will generally not express their anal scent glands unless they are extremely frightened. Ferrets have scent glands located all over their body, however the anal glands are the only ones they can release as a form of protection.

    The decision to adopt or purchase a ferret (or any other pet) should be a careful one. Ferrets do bond with their owners and become stressed when separated from them. So, if you are considering a ferret as an addition to your family, think of it as an eight to ten year commitment. Don't act impulsively. Ferrets do require a big commitment on the part of their owners to ensure optimum health and safety.

          In the following section, I have outlined some questions you should ask yourself before adopting or purchasing a ferret. I am including this section not to discourage ferret ownership, but to help those considering ferret ownership make an educated decision. I think ferrets are the greatest pets in the world, but they are not for everyone! There are far too many ferrets in ferret shelters around the United States and beyond (this is why you should always consider adopting a ferret from a shelter rather than purchasing one from a pet store).

1. Cost - Can you afford to own a ferret? Ferrets themselves are fairly expensive, around $100.00 from a pet store, and they require proper food, cages, accessories and medical care. One should always consider adopting a ferret from a ferret shelterl. Older ferrets are a good choice for first time ferret owners, as they are less hyperactive and may already be trained. Baby ferrets (kits) require a lot of training, patience and time from their owners.

Ferrets require high quality ferret or kitten food (not the kind you can usually find in the super market). Be sure you have at least $25.00 dollars or so a month per ferret to spend on ferret food. You may not need quite that much, however it's better to over shoot than come up short. (see                                                          ) for examples of ferret supplies and costs).

Ferrets require quality cages and accessories. Cages designed for ferrets can run anywhere from $60.00 to $500.00 or more per cage. If your ferret is going to spend a lot of time in the cage, a larger cage with ramps and tunnels should be purchased. Accessories such as litter pans, paper litter, shampoo, water bottles, feeding dishes, hammocks and toys can run you an additional $50.00 or more. (See                                                           for examples of ferret supplies and costs).

Ferrets can also suffer from a variety of health conditions (cancer, ECE, adrenal disease, respiratory infections, injuries, gastrointestinal blockages, etc. (See Ferret Health Issues). Your ferret may require surgery or an extended hospital stay. Be prepared to have at least $1,000.00 set aside for such emergencies. Also, unless you are an experienced breeder, your ferrets have to be spayed or neutered by six months of age. Most pet store and shelter ferrets have already had this procedure performed. Sexually intact female ferrets (jills) will go into prolonged heat if not mated and will eventually become seriously ill and die. Sexually intact males (hobs) will become aggressive towards other male ferrets while in rut and will develop a strong odor and anxiety if not mated.

Sadly, ferrets are often given up to shelters or put to sleep when their humans can't afford to give them proper medical treatment. Having a fund available for health emergencies can save your ferret's life and save you from a lot of heartache.

2.   Time - Do you have the time to properly care for a ferret? If you are someone who is out of town a lot or is gone from morning until late at night, a ferret may not be the right pet for you. Ferrets are social animals and need at least three hours of "out of cage" play time each day (this means you have to play with them and supervise their activities). If a ferret is left alone for long periods of time, or is never let out of the cage (this is abusive) it will become depressed, stressed or ill. If you do work long hours and you are bent on getting a ferret (not recommended), purchase two ferrets and an extra large cage or set up an enclosed "ferret proofed" room with lots of safe toys. Make sure you let them out to play when you get home or in the morning before you leave for work (or both).

Young (and some older) ferrets need to be trained. Litter pan training, teaching them not to nip, and ferret proofing your house all take time. Ferrets can also learn to come when you call them, respond to "squeaky" toys and perform simple tricks (rolling over, standing up for a treat etc.). Owning a ferret is some what like owning a dog (and I stress "somewhat"). They are social animals who need human interaction and limits set to them by their owners. An unsupervised ferret can get into a lot of trouble around the house (see Ferret Proofing).

Finally, you need to set aside time for grooming (see Grooming the Domestic Ferret). Although grooming your ferret is not extremely time consuming, it must be done on a consistent basis or health issues may result.

3. Patience- Patience is an important virtue where ferret ownership is concerned. Owning a ferret can be like having a two year old child who never grows up! Ferrets are very persistent, intelligent and curious animals who will try to get into everything-- especially things they are not supposed to! For instance, if a ferret takes a liking to scratching a certain spot of the carpet, it will take more than just one "no" to get it to stop the behavior. The ferret may stop for a few seconds or even several minutes and then return to scratching the spot when you are not paying attention. Usually you will need to make adaptations to your house and furnishings to protect them (and the ferrets) from harm (see Ferret Proofing).

Ferrets like to hide things. If you leave the remote, a wallet, socks, keys etc. where ferrets can reach them, the items will usually end up in their favorite hiding place! Be prepared for litter box accidents, drinks getting knocked over, potted plants being dug into and toys and other objects showing up under the couch or bed (or just missing completely). It takes time and creativity to stop a ferret from exhibiting unwanted behaviors, however some behaviors are just part of a ferret's nature and will persist. In other words, if you are someone with a short fuse and little patience, ferret ownership is probably not for you.

4.   Young Children- Do you have children under the age of five at home? Children, especially very young ones, have difficulty understanding how to properly treat animals. Small children have a tendency to pull, grab, squeeze and drop small animals without realizing they can hurt them. This can lead to injuries to the ferret, or the ferret may possibly nip the child out of fear.

Children under the age of five or infants should never be left unsupervised with an adult or baby ferret. If your child is under the age of five, I would especially advise not purchasing your child a baby ferret (kit).   Kits are very active, are hard to hold on to, and can nip before they are trained not to do so. They are also very small and could be easily harmed by a young, inexperienced handler. An adult will be needed to care for grooming, cage cleanings, supervision, and playtime. Ferrets are not like hamsters or mice and cannot be kept in a cage for prolonged periods of time.   Parents should be prepared to supervise interaction between young children and ferrets.

5. Other Pets- Do you have other pets in your household? Ferrets can get along with some other domesticated pets, mainly cats and some breeds of dogs. Ferrets and cats generally get along the best (especially if they were raised together). Dogs are a little more tricky. If you own a hunting dog, a terrier, or a dog that likes to chase small animals, it will spell trouble for your ferret.   Always use EXTREME caution and intense supervision when introducing a ferret to a dog or cat. Ferrets have been killed by dogs and seriously scratched by cats. Ferrets are so domesticated that they have lost most of their natural fear of other animals. They may just boldly walk up to a dog or cat out of curiosity and get harmed.

Never leave your ferret alone with birds, hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, mice, rats, rabbits, chinchillas or reptiles. Ferrets will usually consider them food, or kill them on accident during rough play. I had a ferret who caught and killed two lizards that had gotten into our apartment. My ferrets also attempted to attack a dove that had gotten out of its enclosure. If you allow your birds, rodents, or reptiles time outside of their cage, be sure to lock your ferrets in their cage to avoid a tragedy. There have been a few isolated cases of ferrets not bothering these animals, however I would proceed with extreme caution.

6. Legality- Are ferrets legal in your state or county? Some states may not have specific laws against ferret ownership, however the counties within the state may. Always check with animal control before relocating or purchasing a ferret. Although there are more areas than these that may not be ferret friendly, I know that California, Hawaii, Dallas, and New York City don't allow ferret ownership. Call your local animal control office to find out if ferrets are legal in your county or state.

Written by Mahri
EverythingFerret.com

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