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Care of Ferrets
Ferrets were first tamed by the Ancient Egyptians for food and clothing. Today, they are playful weasel-like companions that depend on us for love! This category contains questions about ferret health, history, and needs.
1,047 Questions
How can you stop your ferret from clawing at your carpet?
Ferrets are naturally curious and one of their natural behavoirs they will try to climb if they can. To prevent climbing you'll have to obstruct the object they're climbing on, move it or move the ferret away from the area. You can not train a ferret not to climb on something. They're like little 2 year old kids, try to stop them from doing something just doesn't work.
Do you have to separate the male ferret when the female has babies?
The female ferret should be separated from any other ferrets - male or female - before giving birth so she can prepare a nest (also humans) is a quiet dark secluded area . The dam (mother ferret) is very protective of her babies and if she feels threatened by other animals or humans, she may cannibalize (or eat) her babies.
Can ferrets eat liver all the time?
Absolutely not - it contains a lot of iron and huge quantities of vitamin A. Just like all other creatures, they need a varied and balanced diet.
Will an aggressive Yorkie get along with a ferret?
Hugely unlikely. A ferret is close in size to a Yorkie and would put up a nasty fight.
Can a ferret play in a bowl of water?
it is actually better for ferrets to drink out of bowls, use a heavy crock or non-tip bowl. Most ferrets do not get enough hydration from a water bottle. Ferrets tend to dehydrate very quickly because of their rapid metabolism if they develop an illness or disease, which can be fatal, leading to death in just a matter of days. It is perfectly fine for ferrets to drink out of bowls, though you may want to watch them as they do like to play in the water, try to use a heavy crock (ceramic) bowl to prevent them from tipping it over. A ferret needs to learn to drink from a bowl, they will intake more water. It is also suggested to avoid tap water for ferrets, use bottled water instead.
Why do ferrets drag their hind legs?
Some ferrets after using the litter box, will drag their rear on the floor to leave their mark or scent. Some will also exhibit this behavoir upon waking, also when crawling into something they will kind of slide over to leave their scent.
But if it is hind limb or leg weakness it is an indication of a problem, but not an actual disease itself If your ferret is has hind end weakness or dragging it's hind legs, HE COULD BE VERY ILL AND NEEDS TO BE TAKEN TO THE VETERINARIAN IMMEDIATELY, IT COULD BE A MATTER OF LIFE OR DEATH. Your veterinarian will diagnose the illness. Hind end weakness is associated with many diseases
Refer to links below for more information:
Ferrets eat small amounts of food regularly. They will usually eat ever 3 or 4 hours.
What do ferrets eat for snacks?
Ideally it should be something meat based. This includes scrambled eggs, cooked/raw meats, meat baby food. Most ferrets enjoy a lick of olive oil or Ferretone oil supplement.
They are obligate carnivores so any fruit/vegetable/grain-based treats should be avoided.
they are NOT rodents they are in the weasel family FERRETS ARE AWESOME
What is a male female and baby ferret called?
an unspated female ferret is a Jill. Spayed- sprite
a whole male ferret is a hob. Neutered- gib
a baby ferret is called a kit
What is the cousin of the weasel?
The cousin of the weasel is the ferret. Others in the Mustelidae family are minks, ermine, otters, wolverine, fisher, and martens.
Why would a ferret's stomach bloat?
== == == == Possible causes - '''Intestinal blockage (fur balls, eating soft rubber objects); heart disease; poison; internal tumor'''
Intestinal obstruction or blockage in the stomach is a common cause of premature death in ferrets. Many ferrets like to chew on soft rubber, foam rubber, sponges, rubber bands, pencil erasers and other small items and can become lodged in the intestines. Also grain-based foods (breads, cakes, cookies, cereals, noodles, etc.), nuts, or fibrous fruits and vegetables are indigestible to ferrets (lack a cecum) and can result in digestive problems, including blockages. Unless surgery is performed immediately to remove the obstruction or blockage, it will cause an agonizing, slow death. If your ferret appears bloated, loss of appetite, abnormal bowel movements, or exhibiting any abnormal behavoirs, it could be an intestinal blockage and be a medical emergency and need immediate veterinarian care. Advice from other contributors:
It could be multiple things. The best bet is to have it checked out by a vet. For suspected intestinal blockage try feeding it a couple 10ml syringes (the kind without the needle, for hand-feeding) of pumpkin pie filling (not sweetened). It is loaded with fiber and if your ferret has a hairball, as most ferrets get, this will get it to pass out faster than hairball remover and is safer than giving your ferret chemicals. My vet recommended it when my ferret had chewed an eraser up and didn't poop it out.
Many ferrets also get cancer. I had a ferret with a bloaty-belly that we rescued. She was under weight everywhere else but her belly was bloated. Suspecting an intestinal blockage she went to the vet but x-rays revealed it was cancer and she was put down. Many ferrets get cancer in different places but make sure your vet can rule this out with an xray.
What kind of dry foods can you give your ferret?
All healthy ferrets should be on a dry food or at least mostly dry food diet. Wet food is specifically made for ferrets but should be given in moderation. A dry food diet helps maintain healthy teeth and gums.
How long is it before baby ferrets learn to walk and come out of the nest?
Kits as young as two to three weeks will manage to crawl out of the nest (to be dragged back by the mother)
Are ferrets color blind? A ferret can see tones of gray, and red. They have poor vision, but can see better an night, if you notice their eyes are all black.
Ferrets have very poor eyesight and cannot see far-away objects, they mainly rely on their keen sense of smell. They can only see about two feet in front of them. Their peripheral vision (side to side) is better than their frontal vision, which often causes them to run into objects. Ferrets also have very poor depth perception and many have been injured climbing onto high places and falling. If you notice that a ferrets eyes are all black, they have better vision in the dark from their ancestors that lived in burrows in the ground. Ferrets are very poor at judging distance.
Can Albino ferrets see? Yes, of course they can. Just not quite as well as other ferrets.
True or False The only color ferrets can distinguish is red? False - Ferrets have poor vision. they see in shades of gray tone They see the color red more readily than other colors.
no
Ferret cannot be trained to go outside to toilet. Ferrets cannot be outside without a leash, they eliminate every three to four hours, and would not be able to tell you that they need to go outside, plus when they need to use the litter box it's immediate - they can't hold it
What does it mean if you dream a ferret is going to kill you?
i depends what you dream about (e.g any why it could die like someone kills a ferret with a knife
Will ferrets die if they eat orbeez?
Orbeez beads are completely non toxic, so there is no fear of poisoning, and have no ability to clump together, so there is no fear of blockage. The beads will actually grow smaller within the intestine, due to less water surrounding the bead, and should simply pass right through the animals system within a day or two. We always recommend calling your vet if you feel you have any remaining concerns for your animals health.
What are the stages in a ferret's life cycle?
Domestic Ferrets - A ferret will attain its adult weight at four to five months. The age at puberty is approximately 250 days and ate at sexual maturity is at eight to twelve months in the spring after birth. The ferret has an average life span of about 8 - 10 years.
Ferrets mating season (early March to late September) is triggered by photoperiod or lighting - when daylight is longer in the days than night, which is the only time the male and female are together.
The female has a litter of 6-8 young (kits), 42 days after mating. The female nurses and cares for the young, the male has no role in raising the kits. The young are born blind, deaf and helpless and covered with a fine white fur, totally dependent on their mother. Kits weight at birth five to fifteen grams. The kits ears or hearing develops and eyes open in twenty-two to thirty-six days, fur starts to appear in about 3 weeks. Kits are weaned at seven to nine weeks and weigh between 300 grams and 500 grams.
At which level does the ferret diverge from the domestic cat?
The blue whale and the ferret diverge from both being mammals
Why are baby ferrets called kits?
baby ferrets are called kits because of the simularities to feline kits, but some people call them "pups"
What predators try to eat a ferret's food?
Domestic ferrets possible predators would be like hawks, owls, or any larger carnivorous mammals (dogs, coyotes, etc) would hunt them given the opportunity.
Ferrets don't have any natural instincts against predators, because they are so domesticated and rely on humans, they do not know to be scared of other animals.
Black footed ferrets natural enemies includes coyotes, great-horned owls, golden eagles, prairie falcons, badgers, bobcats and foxes.
Can ferrets catch Swine Flu from pigs?
Yes, they can. This is particularly unfortunate from their point of view as not only does it mean they can become ill through contact with humans, they're also used in laboratory experiments to find cold and 'flu remedies.
So, if you have either a cold or the 'flu, try to handle your ferret as little as possible, wash your hands thouroughly when you do handle them and don't hold them up near your face. Whatever you do, do not give the ferret cold or 'flu remedies intended for use by humans - many contain aspirin and other medicines which are fatal to ferrets.
How do ferrets and other pets interact?
Depends on the kind of animals. Ferrets have been used for centuries in rodent control and extermination and has a natural instinct to hunt and kill mice, rats, rabbits, etc (any rodent). Ferrets have no inherent danger of other animals like dogs and cats, that they will be friendly towards even if the other animal may be a danger to them. Like some dogs with natural hunting instincts like terriers may kill ferrets.
Ferrets, rodents and birdsFerrets natural instinct might perceive any rodent type pet as prey and attack mice, rats, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, they should not be allowed to interact or be housed together. Birds can be stressed or nervous around ferrets and might be preyed upon as well.
Ferrets, cats, and dogsFerrets have been known to play well with household cats and some non-aggressive dogs, however, great care must be taken when introducing ferrets to any other household pets. Certain terrier dog breeds even have a heightened instinct to grab and kill ferrets. Never leave a ferret unsupervised with another animal.
Dogs that were bred for hunting, for example terriers, even if they have never been used for hunting, still have a natural instinct, should never be around ferrets. Trying to introduce a grown aggressive dog would be too stressful for a ferret. But a puppy that has been raised around ferrets will most likely be safe with ferrets.
Ferrets get along with cats better than any other animals, especially if introduced as a kitten. An adult cat, it depends on it's temperament or behavior. An adult cat can easily harm a baby ferret and vise-versa, closely supervise grown a ferret when playing with a kitten. Ferrets will readily approach other animals, without fear of their own safety.
Ferrets are fearless to the point of foolishness and should not be allowed to wander. Whenever they are outside, they should be closely supervised and preferably kept on a harness leash designed for ferrets such as an H-shaped harness. Their curious nature also leads them to place themselves in situations where they will confront and try to play with larger animals outdoors that may be dangerous to the ferret.
from other contributors:
- Well, I have a dog and he likes the ferret. Ferrets are really friendly!
- Know that ferrets will generally treat any rodent, bird, or lizard as a prey.
Ferrets and Guinea Pigs
- Sometimes. It really depends on the ferrets personality. But not likely. It is likely that the ferret would attack the guinea pig.
- Absolutely not!!!! We had both a ferret and Guinea pig and one night the ferrets cage was left open, she pried open the cage of our guinea pig and attacked her relentlessly! I found her (the guinea pig) the next morning missing both of her eyes, her face was full of deep puncture wounds. I had to rush her to the vet and she thought the most humane thing to do was to put her down. I would not wish that graphic scene on anyone and I can't imagine what our sweet guinea pig went through in her last hours.
Can you bring your pet ferret from the US to Australia?
Yes but it is always good to check with vets and register them. Victoria allows ferrets which is good.
