Dawn's Ferret Tips and Tricks

Food:

Ferrets need food high in taurine. While specialized ferret kibbles are excellent, they're also pricey for small amounts of food. The cheap solution is kitten food. Purina kitten is excellent, a mix of Purina and Iams Kitten is better, unless you can afford the pricier foods. Food must ALWAYS be available, ferrets sleep, eat, drink, poop, and play.

Do NOT suddenly switch your ferret's food. Mix small amounts of the food you prefer to use with her current diet until all that remains is her current diet, this will prevent adverse reactions to the new food.

Treats:

Ferrets like a variety of treats, a teaspoon of peanut butter is OK a few times a month, most also like raisins, plain or plain yogurt covered, however, raisins have recently been linked to kidney failure so use them sparingly, no more than two or three in a day. Most ferrets also like Ferretvite and Ferretone. To get your ferret to try a treat, such as ferretvite, that is a paste, dab a bit on her nose, this way she'll lick her nose and get a taste and might be interested in trying some more of that good stuff.

Water:

Fresh water is a necessity, keep a water bottle filled at all times, some ferrets like a bowl of water, and will "snorkel" in the bowl, it's best, and less messy to only allow the water bowls outside the cage. You should have one water bottle per ferret. Ferrets dehydrate VERY easily especially in the summer, water should ALWAYS be available!

Cage:

The cage should be large enough to give the ferret room to move around as well as accommodate at least one litter pan, hammocks, and food dish. Wire floors are fine for TEMPORARY housing as long as the wire floors are covered with a blanket (fleece makes excellent ferret blankets). The only drawback to wire floor cages is that the ferrets are walking on wire and it causes damage to the feet. Think of how you would feel to have no choice but to walk on wire all the time! My recommendation for a ferret cage is the Super Pet Deluxe 3-Story ferret/rabbit/chinchilla home, available at Petco. This cage is small, but large enough for one or two small ferrets. The space saving size also makes cleaning easier. And the best part is, NO WIRE FLOORS!! The cage is completely collapsible so that makes it much easier to clean. A ferret's cage is where they spend a lot of their time, and minimum dimensions should be 21"Long X 32"Wide X 21"High.

Litter:

There are many types of ferret litter available. The best to use are pellet type litters. Yesterday's News or Feline Pine, again, cost-wise there is another option. Home depot carries a wood pellet for wood burning stoves for under $10. One bag of this lasted 18 months for my two adult male ferrets, so it's well worth the cost. It has no chemicals, and it absorbs just as well as any other type of litter specifically for ferrets. Litter should be changed at least weekly, and all bedding as well as cage parts should be washed. Soft bedding should be washed twice, once in hot water with detergent and bleach, and the second time with no detergents to be sure that all residues are completely rinsed from the fabric. Cage parts should be wiped down with 1 part bleach to 2 parts hot water. Dry thoroughly before replacing. If possible, change the cage set up routinely, makes it seem like a whole new cage to explore.

NEVER use clumping or clay litter. Ferrets like to burrow, this type of litter can get stuck in the nose and eyes and cause respiratory illness or death!

Litter box:

A high backed litter box is highly suggested because ferrets back into corners to do their business. The box should be large enough to accommodate the entire body of the ferret using it.

Hammocks and Bedding:

Hammocks are a necessity. They can be rigged from old sweatshirts. Do not use towels because the nails can catch and seriously injure the ferret. Never use any type of wood shavings, ferrets are low to the ground and can inhale the oils causing serious respiratory illness and death. The bedding you see ferrets displayed in at pet stores isn't a health danger to ferrets, however, it holds onto odors, and those odors in turn cling to your ferret making her stinky! Blankets are the best type of bedding for ferrets. Ferrets like blankets to snuggle in as well, again, old sweatshirts are great for this. Watch hammocks for signs of wear, my ferret EATS fleece, so he's not allowed anything fleece. Eating such things can cause intestinal blockage and death.

Playtime:

Ferrets need at least 2 hours of playtime outside of the cage EVERY day. This is especially important for ferrets who "live" alone. While you were at work all day, your ferret was locked up in a cage all day. It doesn't have to be 2 consecutive hours, but ferrets love to run and explore, make sure she has plenty of out of cage playtime to keep her from getting bored.

Bathing:

Ferrets can get stinky (believe it or not) and most love to take a bath. Fill the bathtub, but only enough that your ferret feels it NOT necessary to swim, the feet of your ferret should still touch the bottom of the tub (although some ferrets enjoy swimming for a few minutes under supervision). The water should be warm, but not hot.

Johnson's baby shampoo is safe to wash a ferret nose to tail. I also suggest Suave conditioner for kids to moisturize skin and coat. Ferrets shouldn't be bathed more than once a month unless they actually get dirty. They also need their ears cleaned with a ferret ear wash, I suggest Marshall Pet Ferret Ear Cleaner available at PetCo.

Nail Trimming Tips:

Ferret nails on all four feet should be trimmed regularly. If they are not, and the nails get too long it can be very uncomfortable for your ferret, and cause permanent damage to your ferret's feet. Usually nail clipping is done every 2 to 3 weeks. Be very careful not to cut the quick, which is the pink part visible through the nail, if you should accidentally clip the quick apply pressure and use either all purpose white flour or styptic acid, this will stop bleeding. Make sure that you are ONLY clipping the sharp point of the nail. I've found that PEOPLE toe nail clippers work best. To make nail trimming quick and easy, use a treat to distract the ferret. Peanut butter, ferretvite, ferretone, or a small dab of Real Mayonnaise (NOT Miracle Whip) on her belly will keep her busy long enough to trim her nails.

Ready all of your supplies.

Put your ferret on his back in your lap or on a flat surface covered by an old blanket.

Pour a little FerreTone on your ferret's stomach. (You will want to wear old clothes when you do this, as your ferret may react the first few times you pour the FerreTone, splashing it around.)

While your ferret is distracted by the treat, clip his nails. Start with the front nails, as they tend to grow faster than the others. Try to work as quickly and carefully as possible, paw by paw.

Nutritional Supplements:

Ferretvite is a high calorie paste, great for every day, but only once, too much will cause diarrhea.

Ferretone is an oily liquid, great for skin and coat, dribble this over duck soup a couple of times a week, again to much can cause diarrhea.

Other Tips and Tricks:

Twist ties and zip cords have just become your best friends. Zip cords can be used to securely assemble a cage (like the one I suggested) and are usually found in the automotive aisle. Twist ties can be used to secure food dishes, litter boxes, and hammocks. Carefully drill a small hole in each side of the back of your litter box, thread twist ties through the holes and attach to the side of the cage, This prevents your ferret from moving the box around and making more of a mess throwing litter out of it, or tipping it over and spilling soiled litter. There are food crocks available at pet stores that secure to the sides of cages. However, for me, those just caused more problems than they were worth (my parakeets now use the food crock purchased for the ferrets), instead, I use old sour cream tubs, small butter tubs, or cheap Gladware type dishes. Dollar stores carry twist ties in the kitchen section.

Ferret-Proofing:

Ferrets are curious and fearless. Curiosity did not kill the cat, it killed the ferret! Keep your ferret away from large kitchen appliances, many ferrets have been killed when a fridge motor suddenly kicks on. Reclining furniture can also be deadly. Keep any reclining furniture upright for the duration of your ferrets out of cage time. Electrical cords are sometimes enticing. If possible keep these away from your ferret. PVC pipe or cardboard tubes from toilet paper or paper towels can keep your ferret from chewing on cords and accidentally getting electrocuted. Christmas tinsel is a major health hazard and can cause intestinal blockage. Be aware of your ferret's location, do not move large furniture if you cannot find your ferret. It is easy to crush a ferret's head or body causing death. Do not allow your ferret to "play" with other animals unsupervised. While typically ferrets and cats are OK to "play", even cats can be a danger when they get fed up with the pestering ferret biting at their feet. Dogs are especially dangerous to ferrets, it's best not to let your ferret out with dogs, unless closely supervised. Ferrets ignore pain, they can be seriously injured and not show any indication at all. It is best to be very aware and not allow your ferret to be in a situation that can cause injury at all.

Toys:

Boxes with holes cut in them, balls that make noise, stuffed animals that make noise, blankets, sheets, plastic and paper bags, plastic dryer vent hoses of varying lengths. Ferrets love all kinds of stuff to play with! Just be sure that eyes and noses are securely attached to stuffed animals, and that the toy is large enough a ferret can't try to EAT it!

Other Things to Know:

Ferrets get diarrhea from time to time. If your ferret has diarrhea, discontinue all treats, if that doesn't take care of the problem within 24 hours contact your vet. Ferrets are suseptible to feline distemper and must be vaccinated. Rabies shots are also important, make sure your ferret is up to date.

Any kind of hair loss should be checked by the vet. If the hair loss is accompanied by a swollen vulva (or aggressive behavior in males) contact your vet immediately, these are signs of adrenal disease which is fatal. Blackheads on the tail can also cause hair loss. If the hair loss is only on the tail look closely for small black spots on the tail. They can be removed by gently scrubbing the tail over a few weeks and the hair will regrow.

Green poop is not normal, take your ferret to the vet or contact your vet ASAP if you find anything that is not light to dark brown in the litter box or elsewhere.

Ferrets thrive in low temperatures, but do not keep your ferret outside EVER!Ferrets are completely domesticated and depend on people for everything. OK temperatures for ferrets are between 45 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. It's OK to take your ferret outside in cold weather even to play in the snow for 15-20 minutes. Do not EVER take your ferret outside without a leash and harness, they can disappear in the blink of an eye.If your ferret seems to enjoy the snow, the safest way to let them play without you worrying about them is to put a few shovel fulls of snow into the bathtub, as the snow melts it goes down the drain, no messy cleanup!

Ferrets can become bored, which can lead to death due to depression. This is especially true of solitary ferrets. It is best to have a pair of ferrets, however if that is not possible, make sure your ferret has lots of time to play and lots of interaction with her pet people. If a ferret lays flat staring out of its cage, it must be playtime!

Ferrets have sharp teeth, and they WILL bite. NEVER hit or strike your ferret. Firmly grasp your ferret by the scruff of the neck, supporting its body weight with your free hand and while gently shaking the ferret say "NO" or "NO BITE" It's probably that your ferret was only playing, as ferrets bite each other, but people don't have tough skin like ferrets do! Shield your toes, toes are a ferret delicacy, especially SMELLY sweaty toes! Bitter apple spray is a bite deterrent, but that never worked for me, so I don't suggest it.