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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
Female ferrets are polyestrous, meaning they usually come into heat more than once a year. Under natural lighting conditions - one - two times a year. With adjustment of photoperiod (extra lighting) up to five per year.
The ferret is a photoreceptive breeder. Breeding season is triggered by photoperiod, the length of daylight hours, when there is more daylight than night or the ratio of daylight hours to night time hours (more than 12 hours of daylight in a day) cause physical changes in their bodies. The time of year or month varies depending on where in this world you live, the ferrets brain perceives the right time by the length of daylight hours. Ferrets can also be affected by exposure to artificial lighting that will cause them to go into season.
What type of cat food is good for a ferret?
Is cat food right for ferrets? Do you feed dog food to your cat? Of course not!
Most cat foods are unsuitable for ferrets, because of their low protein content and high fiber. Most cat foods contain corn, which can lead to blockage in ferrets.
Do not feed your ferret any kind of cat or dog food, they will suffer from improper nutrition and will become ill and could possibly cause death.
If you are unable to obtain ferret food, you can temporarily give them a high quality kitten food, like Iams or Science diet, just ask your veterinarian first before you give it to them. Evo brand cat or kitten food is the same ingredients as Evo for ferrets.
If you have to give cat food, go for high quality kitten kibble. The cat food should contain a minimum of 32% meat based protein and 18% fat and a maximum 3% fiber. The higher the protein and fat percentage is better, with low carbohydrate and fiber content. Learn to read and interpret the pet food labels.
From another contributor:
You can feed your ferret cat food as an occasional treat - kitten food is best, and they really like it. However, cat food should not form the main part of a ferret's diet as ferrets need a diet made up of >38% fat and protein. Cats need less, so most cat food is around 36% fat and protein - a ferret fed entirely on cat food will develop health problems due to nutritional deficiencies in its diet.
The best thing to feed your ferret is proper ferret kibble, which is formulated to meet their needs and contains the fur and feathers that would be found in a wild ferret's (polecat's) diet, with small amounts of other food such as meat, egg and the very occasional treat such as a single sultana. Do not feed your ferret any other vegetable matter - they are obligate carnivores, meaning they have evolved to survive on meat alone, and vegetable matter can cause fatal intestinal blockage. Milk and dairy products should also be avoided - almost all adult ferrets, like adult cats, are lactose intolerant.
Dry cat food, only in a pinch , for a day or two
refer to the link below "What is the best food for a ferret"
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No, most dog and cat canned food is mostly vegetable proteins. You know those chunks that look like meat ...well its the vegetable protein, they use that because it stays the same color/shape and texture, giving the owner a false impression.
Ferrets need high quality ferret food like Dr's. Foster & Smith Original Ferret food.
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Both cats and ferrets are obligate carnivores so some cat food are ferret suitable. Any food given to ferrets needs to have at least 35% protein, 20% fat, and have less than 3% fiber. At least 4 of the first 6 ingredients should be meat.
Good cat foods are: EVO, Wellness Core, Orijen, Go! Fit and Free, Natures Variety Instinct, and Blue Wilderness. Most of these (if not all) are grain free and very high in meat protein.
Dog food should not be fed because it does not contain taurine, a necessary nutrient for ferrets and cats.
Could you keep a cat and ferret together?
We have a fairly easy-going tomcat that tolerates the ferret. The ferret is often too frantic for the cat so he will jump up on a chair to avoid it. Cats have different temperaments so there is no way to say "all cats". You can almost be guaranteed to have a fight if you let a ferret get around a mother cat's kittens.
What would a 9 year old better a guinea pig or a ferret?
Both are okay. Guinea pigs don't really smell that nice, but they aren't nocturnal. If the child wants to play with their pet often, a guinea pig would be the best. Hamsters are cuter and more affectionate. They don't smell, but they're nocturnal. They sleep in the daytime and will get stressed and irritated if the child bothers them in the middle of a nap.
What is the best age to adopt a ferret?
It's not necessarily the best age as much as how the ferret was cared for. Ferret shelters usually have all ages. If you want one that's trained and has calmed down from their baby stage, probably around 1 1/2 - 2 years old, Keep in mind that most ferrets live to about 7 or 8, I had a ferret that lived to 9 years old. Ferrets can be prone to illness and disease from improper care and diets, they also stress very easily which can cause illness. Ferrets in shelters are run by people that are real dedicated and will be straightforward about the ferrets they have and are thoroughly check by a veterinarians
Do ferrets have weird sneezing noise?
Ferrets tend to sneeze a lot and occasional sneezing is not a great concern. Ferrets often hold their noses to force a sneeze and then "face wash" to spread scent from glands that are behind and below their ears over their faces. It is not prevalent in young kits until they're more older. When a ferret sneezes you might smell an increase in scent near the ears.
Ferrets have poor eyesight, but excellent smell. Ferrets spend a great deal of time investigating and sniffing, and being close to the ground. dust will enter their nose causing them to sneeze a lot. A ferret's sneeze, which can be very loud, sounds like a combination of a cough and a sneeze. If the ferret looks healthy and does not appear to be sick, an occasional sneeze and cough isn't anything to worry about.
A sneezing or cough attack a couple of times a day can be normal. If sneezing is frequent, look around. Cat litter or products you clean with, or the room could cause irritation (carpet holds dust). Also cigarette smoke (second hand smoke is very unhealthy, especially for ferrets).
Humans can transfer influenza virus to ferrets very easily. If you are exhibiting signs of a cold or the flu, use caution when handling your ferret.
What will happen if domestic ferrets escape from captivity?
Domestic ferrets have lost any ability to survive on their own in the wild and will die in about three days, unless a predator gets to them first. Ferrets are totally dependent on humans.
Ferrets are not captive animals, they were domesticated before the dog or cat. They are caged for their protection and sleeping, otherwise they should have a least 4 hours daily supervised time out of their cage in a ferret proofed environment Ferrets can and should always be trained to come to you when called.
If your ferret has stolen and eaten a small amount of whipped cream, don't worry as it won't harm her/him. However, do not give your ferret any type of cream or cow's milk product (ie; milk, cheese) as ferrets are lactose intolerant. Consumption of these could cause health problems.
What if your ferret won't eat meat?
The thing to remember is that ferrets are obligate carnivores - that is, they would naturally eat only meat, much like their polecat cousins. However, polecats also eat the contents of their prey's stomachs, which will include grass and leaves as they prey on rabbits, mice and other rodents so small amounts of fruit and vegetable are fine.
Most ferrets love chicken - if you feed them cooked chicken, remove the bones as they can splinter. Raw chicken and other meat with the bones is very good for them - they enjoy pulling the meat off and chewing the bones is good for their teeth. Butchers will often be happy to give you a bag of bones with small scraps of meat still attached, often for no charge, which ferrets adore. Ferrets also tend to like fish, but this can make their droppings runny and smelly - be careful to remove small bones from fish such as trout. Salmon fillets tend to be popular.
Ferrets also like eggs which, since they're high in protein and fats, are highly suitable for them. Just crack a raw egg into a bowl and let them lap it up.
Avoid processed foods such as pre-cooked cold chicken and ham, spam, corned beef and suchlike as all of these are very high in salt. Check the ingredients of anything you think your ferrets might like - the nearer salt is to the start of the list, the higher the amount of salt in the food. Milk is also best avoided as ferrets are lactose intolerant.
Small amounts of kitten food can be fed to them too, but not exclusively. The best option is to feed ferret food with small amounts of other things.
Refer to related questions below for more information on feeding ferrets
Why does a ferret lick your hand a lot?
Because, you have some smell that the ferret likes and maybe you cant smell it so that's what i think.
Like many animals, they crave salt.
My ferret is attracted to hand and body lotion
Because they love you!
Why were ferrets domesticated?
The history of the ferret's domestication is uncertain, like that of most other domestic animals, but it is likely that ferrets have been domesticated for at least 2,500 years.They are still used for hunting rabbits in some parts of the world today, but increasingly they are being kept simply as pets.
It is known that the Roman's used ferrets for hunting rabbits. When the Roman Army was invading Europe they introduced rabbits for food purposes and brought along the ferrets for rabbit hunting
How much is a checkup for ferrets?
Its usually charged by office visit, they will consider a ferret a pocket pet, so there for its normally between 35-50 dollars per visit now if you want shots such as distemper or rabies you will have to pay for the office visit plus rabies shot which is normally 15 dollars and a ferret distemper which is normally about 25 dollars
Why are ferrets regarded as a pest?
Ferrets are regarded as pests in New Zealand because it is an introduced species that was able to thrive in it's new habitat and prey upon native wildlife, which then becomes an endangered species
Can you separate two adult ferrets easily?
It depends on the individual ferret. Ferrets that have formed a strong bond with their cage mates of other ferrets should not be separated. It could cause them to go into a depression, sometimes will quit eating and drinking leading to death without human intervention.
No, they do not because they are domestic animals and even as they seem wild, they are not and will die after being left outside. They will starve to death. Many accounts of releasing ferrets back to the wild have failed. Cousins of the ferret may, such as weasels or the black footed ferret.
After reading this note, PLEASE DO NOT SET YOUR FERRET FREE for you will only increase the probability that your ferret will die. Your ferret will die unless you retrieve it.
The physical act of ferrets mating is very violent and aggressive, starting with the hob (male) biting the Jill's (female) by the neck and dragging her around the cage. Once the mating starts, the Jill will scream of pain which is necessary to induce ovulation, and they will usually stay tied together for two or three hours. The male will mount the female several times, repeating the whole process.
How did ferrets come to America?
The ferret (Mustela putorius furo) is a member of the Mustelidae, order Carnivora is thought to have originated from North Africa, as referenced by Strabo, a Greek historian and geographer, in his book Geographica, written in about 20 AD, of an animal in Libya which was said to been bred in captivity for hunting rabbits. The earliest known ferret species, M. stromeri, probably gave rise to M. putorius and M. eversmanni during the middle Pleistocene. Evidence that the ferret was probably domesticated either from the European polecat (M. putorius) or descendants of the Steppe polecat (M. eversmanni), or possibly a hybrid.
Within the genus Mustela, ferrets belong to the subgenus Putorius, from which there are only three extant species: M. putorius, the European polecat; M. eversmanni, the Siberian, or steppe polecat; and M. nigripes (black-footed ferret). The European polecat lives in open forests and meadows, and is the ancestor of the domestic ferret. The Siberian polecat looks nearly identical to the black-footed ferret and leads a similar life on open grasslands and semi desert regions across Russia, China and Siberia.
The ferret was domesticated to hunt small animals, usually rabbits for at least 2500 years ago. It is unknown due to there are no written records. The ferret was domesticated before the cat, by more than 500 years.
The ferret use as a hunter of rodents and rabbits can be traced to the 4th century B.C. The ferret is mentioned in Aristophanes comedy 'The Acharnians'written in 450 BC and Aristotle lists the ferret in his 'Historia Animalium' written about 420 BC. Historical documents from Greece mention the ferret about 450 BC.
Roman documents mention the use of ferrets to hunt rabbits at about the time of Christ, but they were already domesticated. Romans depended on the use of ferrets in hunting rabbits, and probably introduced ferrets to the British isles, but their are no written records or evidence. The earliest records of ferrets arriving in Britain dates to the 1200's, and about the same time the rabbit appeared, a century before.
- Rabbits in British islands AD 1135-1279
- Ferrets in England court roll - AD 1223 - the first written evidence of ferrets and their use of hunting rabbits in Britain
- Rabbits in British mainland AD 1235
- English ferreter attached to English Royal Court AD 1281
- Ferrets in Queen Mary's Psalter AD 1340
- Ferrets regulated in England AD 1390
- Ferrets were used on ships for rodent control and were introduced to the United States in 1875 and were used to hunt rats and rabbits.
- Ferrets were introduced to New Zealand in 1882 as a means of rabbit control
What is an ermine that is also known as a stoat or short tailed weasel?
The Ermine or Stoat (Mustela erminea) is a small mammal that belongs to the family Mustelidae. In certain parts of North America, like Canada, the ermine is also called a short-tailed weasel; elsewhere, "ermine" refers to the animal only when it has white fur, which it molts to in winter in snowy parts of its range. Ermine is the name given to various species of weaselduring the winter season when the fur of those living in colder climates turns white and this allows them to blend in with the snow so its more difficult for predators to find them. This breed is distinct from from the long-tailed weasel (mustela frenata) and the least weasel (mustela rixosa), which live in warmer climates. The Ermine is a rich medium brown with an off-white belly in summer and in winter with regions that experience an inch or more of snow for at least forty days of the year the color changes to clean white; the tip of it's tail is always black Ermines are carnivores that hunt primarily at night and feeds mostly on rodents, especially mice, voles, and lemmings. On occasion, may kill ground squirrels, rabbits, birds and bird eggs, and insects. The ermine is capable of killing animals much larger than itself. Surplus killing may occur, and ermines cache extra food for later use.
Ermines live mostly in grasslands of Eurasia, and North America. Ermine are found all over Canada, northern USA, and Eurasia. They make their dens in the old roots of a tree or in the crevice of a rock. Ermines are capable of having several dens or in the roots of trees farther south, but there are no trees on the tundra. The ermine is a small animal that weighs between 3 - 15 ounces. They look much like a Ferret only larger. In the spring and summer the ermine's coat is chocolate brown with a white underbelly and a black tip on the tail. In the winter the coat turns entirely white except for the black end of its tail. The ermine is a carnivore and eats rabbits, small insects and rodents, birds and amphibians. Their ermine paws have claws which enables it to dig. The front feet are smaller than the back which helps it fit into small, tight spaces. The coat of the ermine changes with the seasons and camouflages it from predators. In winter the ermine's coat is white blending in with the snowy environment, but when warmer weather comes their fur will change to brown to camouflage themselves.
Can a rabbit and ferret share the same cage?
Yes, but the cage must be large, and it may depend on the age and gender of the ferrets.
Yes they can, but not particularly far or high. But on average, they should be able to jump a short distance.
What age should you neuter your ferret?
Ferrets that are adopted from pet shelters, or bought from pet stores will be neutered. The largest breeder of ferrets in the US - Marshall Farms will have two blue tattoo dots on the ears indicating it has been neutered. Private breeders usually will not sell a ferret without the agreement that you have the ferret neutered. A whole male ferret has a really strong musk odor.
How long does it take for a ferret to become attached to it's owner?
No body really knows. Some people claim dogs have very short memories, but there have been stories about dogs who ran away from current owners, and end up tracking down and going to their former owners, after years of having been seperated.
Pet ferrets who are well taken care of and have a good diet live for 7-10 years though ferrets older than this have been recorded.
Wild black footed ferrets live for 1-5 years as they are vulnerable to disease and predators.
Can ferrets get pregnant at any time of the year?
It is possible for a ferret to get pregnant at any time if exposed to more than 12 hours of light - natural and artificial lighting. Ferrets are photoreceptive breeders, meaning they will go into heat if exposed to more than 12 hours of daylight in a day. Large commercial ferret farms breed females three times a year.
How do you get rid of fleas on a ferret?
Ferrets do tend to scratch and itch a lot. Bathing and/or using a product not made for ferrets will dry out their skin, making them itch, also check for fleas. Bathing a ferret is not necessary unless they get into something and needs a bath. Ferrets can also have allergies that will make them itchy. If you are feeding dry ferret food, give them a tiny bit of olive oil every few days for their coat, it has a lot of good nutrients. Most ferrets like olive oil, you can use it as a treat for them. Also your ferret's ears may need cleaning which also causes them to scratch themselves
