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Ferrets are cute, cuddly, tough little animals with lots of personality and make great pets. Right? They also have sharp teeth, odors, get into lots of mischief, eat things they shouldn't and require more of your time than a dog or a cat. So before you choose a ferret, be sure you want to be owned by one. You need to know what you are in for.
First, for your ferret's protection as well as your own, you will need a cage at lease 2 1/2 ft x 3 1/2 ft long x 2 ft high. Don't cramp your pet into a tiny cage to save money. Cages cost between $50 for basic to $200 or more for elaborate ones. Large water bottles that attach to the outside of the cage are fine but ferrets also enjoy a bowl of fresh water to drink and play in. Use glass or ceramic heavy enough to not tip over easily.
Ferrets have a high metabolism. From food eaten to waste expelled takes only about three hours. So be sure food is always available. Check this several times a day. There is a ferret food on the market, or if yours prefers dry catfood like mine do, find one with a protein content of 31 to 35% with meat listed somewhere in the first three ingredients. Ferrets also enjoy banana, grapes, raisens, cucumber, green pepper, dry unsweetened cereal, and a taste of ice cream sometimes. A good liquid vitamin like Ferretone is highly recommended. NEVER give anything chocolate as it is toxic to ferrets as well as dogs and cats. (NEVER give asprin or tylenol for the same reason.)
For the litter box, use the cheapest clay litter. Fine clumping litter can cause infections especially in female ferrets. Dip out feces daily and completely change the litter every 3 days for odor control. NEVER use wood chips or shavings as they may get into the food, be eaten and cause intestinal blockage which can be fatal. Ferret large intestines are the size of a soda straw. Their small intestine is the width of yarn! They can and will try to eat inappropriate things like beads, human hair, wood, stuffing from toys, chewed pieces of rubber toys, styrofoam, toilet paper, etc. Symptoms of blockage include repeated gagging, vomiting, and loss of appetite/weight loss. Get your pet the vet immediately!!!
Provide soft bedding sucy as old soft t-shirts or baby receiving blankets (not crocheted). Wash these frequently for odor control; your ferret has musk in their body oils. Towels are not good because they snag on toenails.
If your ferret needs his nails cut, be careful not to cut into the pink area where the blood supply is because it will bleed quite a bit and be very painful for your pet, and may also caus him to bite you in retaliation. Sometimes I only get to trim 2 nails at a time because ferrets get impatient.
Ferrets need exercize daily. I do not recommend allowing ferrets the run of the house 24 hours a day. They and you are more secure with them being in their cage. But they do need at least 1/2 to 1 hour of play and exercize per day to stay healthy and happy. You will love the weasel wardance! Before letting them roam, you need to ferret-proof your home. Prevent access to getting under or behind large appliances. Drip pans/electricity/ferrets add up to dead pet. So does recliner/open or close/ferret. Mine have chewed holes in dishwasher hoses. Block access with wood or heavy cardboard that they cannot knock over, climb over, or pull out. And they will try! As with a human child, prevent access to chemicals and plumbing access holes under sinks. I rubber band my cabinet handles together to prevent them being opened. Use as much caution as you would with a human child. A friend once told me ferrets are like a 2 year child old FOREVER! Curious, into everything, etc.
Do not expect to keep your ferret outdoors. They cannot live in temperatures over 80 or under 55 degrees for even 1/2 hour without dying. Therefore never put them outside for any length of time, even in shade. We sweat to cool off, they cannot. Besides, they would be exposed to cat and dog distemper, which they are susseptible to, possibly rabies, fleas, tick, fireants, etc. Even 5 fleas on a ferret can cause severe anemia. Only use sprays/flea shampoo for cats with pyrethrins, no other ingredients. Ask your vet. Keep your little buddy inside and safe. Car rides in a carrier are ok if temperature allows, but NEVER leave them in a car to suffer and die. They are happier and healthier at home.
Male and females have a musky odor as they are related to skunks, badgers, and wolverines. When males are in season, they get very aggressive and when females come in heat they stay in heat until either bred or given a shot to bring them out of heat. If left in heat over 2 weeks, your female can become severly anemic and can die. Also the vagina swells up and drags on the floor, and can be infected easily, sometimes fatally. Nuetering and descenting is recommended, if you do not plan to be a breeder.
Choose a veterinarian who is familiar with ferrets. Rabies shots are required by law in case your pet bites someone. Rabies vaccine must be from killed, not live virus.
One more thing, if you decide your ferret is too much trouble for whatever reason, please find a new home or surrender him to a humane shelter or to a pet shop. Domestic ferrets have lost the ability to hunt for food. If your think he can survive in the wild, consider that he cannot hunt, has to eat every 3 hours, and will die a lonely painful death of starvation within 4 days. Or he may try to play with someone's big dog and get killed, or get run over, or have someone who does not know about ferrets kill him because they think he is a wild rabid animal when all he wants to do is play and get fed. So be a nice person and give him to someone who really wants him. OK?
I have 12 fuzzies and love them all. There is always a good home for your pet if you look for one, and most cities have ferret shelters listed with animal control/humane societies.
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