 Ferrets
have been kept as pets for many centuries.
Originally they were used to hunt rabbits
and rodents, but more recently they are
more commonly kept as household pets. |
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Housing
When left unsupervised, ferrets should be
confined in a safe area. The cage should be well
ventilated, easily cleaned and made of a
non-toxic escape proof material. Aquariums are
not suitable for this. They may be kept indoors
or outside providing that there is shelter and
protection from predators. Extremes of
temperature should be avoided. Most ferrets can
be trained to use a litter tray, however this
and all food and water bowls should be fixed in
such a way as to avoid being tipped over.
Ferrets prefer small, cosy sleeping quarters
such as a small box, baby blanket or old hat.
Ferrets need exercise and should have time out
of their cages for at least two hours a day. The
area provided for exercise needs to be
ferret-proofed to prevent escape and damage to
both the furnishings and the ferret itself –
their inquisitive nature, especially when young,
makes them prone to eating objects which can
cause gut problems. Suitable toys include
ping-pong balls and tubular structures such as
PVC pipes for the ferret to run through.
Diet
Ferrets are carnivores and require a highly
concentrated diet with fat as the main source of
calories and highly digestible protein.
Carbohydrates and fibre are not able to be
utilized very efficiently and excessive amounts
can potentially cause nutritional imbalances. A
whole prey diet is the most suitable, followed
by high quality premium kitten/cat dry food.
Frequent small feeds are preferred to single
large feeds.
Vaccinations and Health
Ferrets are susceptible to Distemper and can be
vaccinated with low dose canine vaccines (off
label use though – the vaccine is not registered
for use in ferrets). They can also catch and
spread human flu. In heartworm areas – ferrets
need to be covered with heartworm preventatives.
Female ferrets should be desexed from four to
five months of age. If they are not mated or
desexed by their first heat they can go into
continuous heat and may die from bone marrow
suppression. Desexing males can help reduce the
musky ferret smell but removing the scent glands
is not recommended. It is a purely cosmetic
procedure and doesn’t remove the scent. Average
life span is 6 to 10 years.
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