Ferrets As Pets
Tips On Keeping Ferrets As Pets
Ferrets, as pets, can add a playful and affectionate touch to your life. The reality of keeping a ferret as a pet is that this particular animal requires a great deal of attention and care. This article is going to cover the major responsibilities in caring for a ferret. If you have any doubts about your readiness to take care of a ferret, then you might want to hold off until after you have read the information in this article and digested the details of the “job”.
First, and foremost, we are going to talk about the ferret’s personality in general terms. The ferret is an extremely happy and playful being. They await playtime with a desperate eagerness and often go a little bonkers upon first being released from the cage—but this is pure joy! Young ferrets usually don’t tolerate being held, as they are much happier scampering around and causing mischief. –And mischievous is just the word to describe the ferret’s personality! They are known for taking shoes, key rings, and just about anything else one can leave lying around. You might hunt around for your car keys for ages before finding them in the sofa or another wacky place.
In most cases, a young ferret is eager to be around most types of humans—children and adults alike—although it isn’t advisable to leave a child alone with a ferret. As the ferret gets older, he may grow to prefer one person, but if he is well socialized from a young age, he should interact well with any human. Anyone considering ferrets as pets should be prepared for the energetic lifestyle that a ferret will lead.
The basic needs of a ferret are quite minimal.
The first item you will need in your ferret care arsenal is a cage. You will need to clean the feces from the cage about twice a day, so it may be beneficial to put a small litter box in the cage to make clean-up time much easier.
You might also want to consider getting a food and water bowl that can be fixed to the cage itself to save on spills.
As for a bed, ferrets like the “nesty” feel; you can wrap up a blanket to place in the cage or use wood chips. There are even hammock-like beds specifically designed for ferrets.
You may want to invest in some toys to keep your ferret entertained when you aren’t able to keep him occupied, but bear in mind that ferrets love to chew, so be sure to pick toys that can withstand biting.
Another thing to take into consideration is the need to ferret-proof your house. Ferrets need some time out of the cage. Ideally, you should let him spend about four hours a day outside of his cage, but no less than one and a half hours per day. During this time, your ferret could cause quite a lot of havoc if you aren’t properly prepared. As we mentioned earlier, ferrets love to chew and will do so using anything they can get their paws on. Cables and wires (tv’s, telephones, computers, etc.), handbags, shoes, upholstery—virtually anything is fair game if it is within reach of the ferret. To save yourself from a great deal of frustration, as well as save your ferret from harm done by chewing on dangerous items, you will need to keep a very close eye on your ferret and keep dangerous or important possessions in a cupboard or other safe place.
Daily maintenance of your ferret is not difficult if you are a dedicated “parent”.
Your ferret must have fresh food and water every day and his litter box (if you use one) must be cleaned once a day and completely refreshed after four or five days.
Your ferret can get more than enough exercise within the confines of the house. Never let your ferret outside!
When your ferret is having play time, you should try to get involved and entertain him as much as he will likely entertain you! The more you interact with your ferret, the more comfortable he will be with humans, which is ideal for a pet.
Ferrets need quite a lot of supervision, but they also grow to become very affectionate and require the affection to be returned.
It is highly recommended that any people wishing to keep ferrets as pets fully absorb the responsibilities that caring for a ferret entails. If you truly believe that you can provide the sort of life a ferret requires, then I wish both you and your ferret the best of luck!