Ferret Care Guide

Most Ferret Rescue Programs are built around the idea of caring and sheltering neglected, abandoned, or abused ferrets from around the world. Since its popularity as house pets in 1991, domesticated ferrets have been overlooked as one of the most mistreated exotic pets in many countries. The mistreatment may either root from the owner’s lack of information about proper ferret pet care, or just plain animal cruelty.

Although Ferret Rescue Programs around the world have set up shelters and adoption centers for homeless ferrets, current owners are still encouraged to adopt out their own pets when the need arises. Valid reasons to look for new owners for your pets include moving to a smaller home, traveling to a country where ferrets are not allowed as pets, and strong, financial troubles.

Arranging the adoption of your own ferrets would allow Ferret Rescue Programs to pour their energies on pets which have been completely abandoned by their owners. Besides, you will be saving your pet a lot of emotional stress by having him/her transfer to one home instead of two. Having your pet move from your home to the Ferret Rescue Programs shelter to the new family can traumatize your furry friend. If you think you have the energy and resources to find a new home for your pet, then you should do so, instead of coursing it through one of the country’s many Ferret Rescue Programs.

Put out small scale ads around your community

Small scale advertisements, like bulletin board posts and ads in the community paper will limit your scope to people you more or less already know. Having strangers come into your home to apply as your pet ferret’s new owners could be a highly stressful ordeal. It’s easier to do a background check on people who live in your neighborhood compared to families who live halfway across the state. This will also help you look for families who are experienced ferret owners who will have better chances of raising your pet compared to new and uninformed ones.
Conduct Phone or Email Interviews first

Conducting phone or email interviews will help you screen the people who will come into your home to “audition” for your ferret’s love. When conducting these interviews, you should test potential adopters about their knowledge about ferret pet care, their veterinary references, their lifestyle and families, and the time and effort they’re willing to pour into your pet. Aside from knowledgeable applicants, you should look for families or individuals who have almost the same lifestyle and disposition as you are. Ferrets, especially adult ferrets, are a little iffy about changes. They’d be able to cope more if the family you’re sending them off too is extremely similar to your own.

Provide the New Owners Ample Information About Your Pet

Veterinary records and all health information should be turned over to the new owners of your pets. This is especially true if you’re having an adult ferret adopted. Make sure you brief the new owner about your ferret’s idiosyncrasies as well, like behaviors, dietary preferences, routines, etc. It’s important for the new owners to know what they’re dealing with, so they can establish strong and meaningful bonds with your ferret as well. The new family’s knowledge about your ferret will be the basis of how well your ferret will be able to cope without you around. It’s the least you can do as its former owner.

It’s important to know how to breed ferrets responsibly because a large number of young ferrets are given away to ferret rescue shelters every year. Most ferret owners who haphazardly decide to have their ferrets bred end up giving the kits away because the cost of raising a new generation of ferrets. This means having to spend on vaccination, food, housing, and toys. This also means allotting a huge portion of your own living space just to accommodate the fuzz balls.

There is no business in breeding ferrets

Before thinking about how to breed ferrets, you should consider the huge responsibility of raising multiple ferrets inside the household. Baby ferrets are incredibly adorable, and the mere sight of newly born kits could melt any ferret owner’s resolve not to have his/her ferret bred anymore. However, breeding ferrets for the sake of “cuteness” is simply foolish. You need to be financially, emotionally, and physically prepared when you’re breeding ferrets.

Because of the influx of ferret population through the years, people can no longer hope to earn any income by learning how to breed ferrets. Compared to cats and dogs, a ferret is a high maintenance pet, which means it’s doubly hard to find new homes for kits compared to pups and kittens.

Having your Jill mated may be risky, health-wise

The courtship and mating process of ferrets is far from the Disney rendition of animal romance. The truth is, hobs (male ferrets) are very violent when it comes to mating with jills (female ferrets). If you’re a jill owner, you won’t want to watch the mating process between a hob and a jill. To get a jill pregnant, she will have to stay with the hob under these violent circumstances for several hours. There’s also a huge possibility that your jill can contract a vaginal infection after mating. Books on how to breed ferrets will advise ferret owners to check for deep punctures on their jill’s skin as a result of these violent mating procedures.

Giving birth is extremely risky for the jill

As if the mating process isn’t enough, jills have to endure long hours giving long, laborious birth to about a dozen kits—half of which can be stillborn, depending on the mother’s health. Keeping a pregnant jill healthy is extremely pricy, as you will have to feed her only the highest quality meat. Frequent but regulated servings of minced liver is also important for pregnant and/or breastfeeding jills to maintain their iron intakes. Once the jill gives birth, owners need to watch out for post-pregnancy illnesses like mastitis. It’s best to be under the supervision of an experienced veterinarian when you’re helping a jill give birth to its kits. Numerous birthing complications can kill kits, the mother, or all of them, if you’re not careful.

Consider your capacity as a ferret owner

An unwritten skill requirement in how to breed ferrets properly is raising them well. There’s a thin chance that the kits you’re breeding will be taken care of efficiently by new families. The process of screening adoptive parents for young ferrets is long, tedious, and emotionally taxing. Unless you believe you will be able to take care of another dozen adult ferrets in your household, it’s best to have your pets spayed or neutered.
When screening for adoptive parents, you need to ensure that you’re giving away your kits to responsible families who will devote their time and love to these creatures. Numerous ferret abuse and neglect have been recorded by ferret rescue programs around the world that it’s probably kinder to regulate the species’ population, than breed them and fail to take care of them later on.

One of the most important things to think about when you shop for ferret cages is the comfort of your pet. It’s true that ferrets are kept out of cages most of the time, but it’s virtually impossible for you to watch over your ferret 24 hours a day. There will be instances when you will need to do something else other than watch over your pet.

When you’re away, it’s vital to keep ferrets inside ferret cages. Ferrets should not be left to wander around the house unattended unless your entire house is ferret-proof. It’s hard enough to keep a single room completely safe for ferrets, let alone have an entire household ferret-friendly.

It’s still advisable to invest in a really good ferret home if you’re planning to keep a feisty little ferret. Below are guidelines that will help you choose the best ferret cages to keep your furry bundles of joy safe and sound.

Think about how big you need the cage to be

Ferrets are relatively larger than hamsters, and they require quite a number of accessories which the regular hamster cages will not offer. When you’re shopping for ferret cages, make sure that you’re not purchasing a hamster cage by mistake. Ferret cages have larger doors or openings so you can place ferret litter boxes, tunnels, hammocks, and stable food dishes for your ferret. Make sure that the cage you’re purchasing is big enough for the ferret to move around in. Placing rags and old t-shirts for your ferret to burrow in is also advisable. Most ferrets enjoy the comfort and diversity of multileveled ferret cages with ladders that lead to long winding tunnels.

Plan your ferret cages well

It’s important for owners to prep up their ferret cages so that it can provide all the needs of their pets. The cage should have safe and secure access routes for the ferret. Ferrets can be restless animals when they’re left inside the cage for far too long. When setting up your ferret cage, make sure it has strategic tunnels, hammocks, and litter boxes arranged so that the ferret would neither feel bored nor too crowded with toys. Make sure that place your ferret cages in secure but well-ventilated places of the house. Keep your ferrets away from bigger animals so they won’t be stressed out.

Secure your ferret cage with cloth

The best material to choose when considering a ferret cage is metal. Cages with metal bearings can hold the weight of your ferret and all the accessories that should be kept in your ferret cage. However, metal cages tend to have a lot of sharp edges which may harm your ferret’s feet. Padding the flooring with cloth or wood shavings ought to do the trick.

For multileveled cages, it’s best to wrap the railings of the ladders with torn pieces of cloth as well. This way, all passageways of your ferret cage would be comfortable and well padded. Ferret feet are extremely delicate, and nasty infections could arise from accidental punctures. Scraps of cloth and a little extra effort can save you the worrisome trip to the vet’s clinic.