A beginners guide to fuzzies (Ferrets)

Member Name: wicked_witch

Product:	Ferrets
Date:	18/09/02 (4950 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: adorable, friendly, responsive, amusing companions

Disadvantages: smelly if not fixed, Taming them can be an ordeal

Hey folks, I’ve been a bit absent of late, due to not attending college, getting very drunk and cutting my fingers on guitar strings. Why do the damn things have to be made of metal, I ask you?

I've been writing so many ops on music of late that I thought it was time for a change of pace. And what is one of my biggest loves in life besides indie music, indie boys, Wicca and generally anything weird? Animals of course!

When it comes to pets you can't really surprise me. They know me by name at all the local animal shelters (I never buy from pet shops, its financing a trade I have no interest in financing) and I've kept mice, rats, chinchillas, chipmunks (for a brief spell), rabbits, dogs, a cat, even a pony at one point. The weirdest thing I've ever kept was looking after a mates’ Chilean rose tarantula while he was on holiday- not an experience I am keen to repeat, I hate spiders. Almost as much as I hate wasps.

When I went to an animal shelter with the intention of getting a kitten, and then came back with three kits (a kit is a baby ferret) my dad went absolutely berserk.

However, once they were tamed, he warmed to them considerably. Ferrets reputation precedes them. While I’m not going to lie, a nasty ferret bite can cut to the bone, they can become as tame and sweet natured as dogs. And they don’t smell any worse than your average caged animal, so long as they are neutered, descented (a process where their scent glands are removed), cleaned regularly, and food isn’t left in the cage to rot.

A bit about the ferret

The ferret is the tame form of the European polecat, which is a wild creature by nature (bear this in mind when bringing a kit home). They belong to the mustelid family, which is a canine group that includes otters, mink, weasels, and skunks, with the biggest member of the family being the wolverine. Mustelids are typically long-bodied and slinky, have a

curious elastic gait and VERY sharp teeth, and cute faces with big dark eyes. Apparently there are around 100'000 domesticated ferrets in the UK. Ferrets are the only members of the mustelid family to become tame on the whole. I hear from time to time of people keeping mink as pets. I assume mink are essentially the same to care for, but I doubt very much if they can be tamed to the degree of a ferret. Although I’d rather see a mink in a pet cage than in a fur farm cage. And of course, the Americans, being American, have been known to keep otters and, get this, SKUNKS!!!! Anyway, moving on, this isn’t a review of the animal family in general.

I won't go into working ferrets as this review is about ferrets as pets. But because of the nature of a ferrets 'work' coupled with wild animal instincts (never forget, ferrets are not cats or dogs who have been kept in captivity for thousands of years. You should treat a strange ferret as you might treat a tiger-it can probably cause you just as much pain ;-) they can be very wild to start out with.

Why the HELL would you want a ferret?

They’re dirty, stinky, and vicious animals that can never be tamed properly. Right? Wrong.

If handled well as babies, then a kit will probably be half tamed by the time it reaches your house. It will already know that biting is a no-no (although it may well still need to be encouraged to not nip), and that wriggling won’t get it what it wants. If a ferret is from a working family, then it probably won’t be so tame, but taming a ferret is easy, they seem to enjoy human company.

Ferrets are very clean, like cats they wash themselves regularly. Like cats, they also get hairballs, more on that later. An un-neutered ferret stinks to high heaven, and they have scent glands, which can be removed painlessly. Once a ferret is neutered and descented, then it is no smellier than your average small caged anima
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In North America, ferrets are statistically third most popular pet in the country. They can’t all be wrong! Ferrets are very cute, with little raccoon faces and pouty chins. The white ones are particularly appealing. They’re endlessly playful, and can tailor their lifestyle to suit yours (sleeping while you work, ready to play when you come home). They are less demanding than dogs or cats, but just as loving, and they get to know you better than most small pets (with the exception of chinchillas perhaps). They never grow up, a dog grows out of its playful puppy stage, but a ferret stays just as playful throughout its lifetime. Its likely to live to about eight or so years, so you can bond with it. Also, ferrets are fascinating to watch and keep. They have several odd habits (you could set off a firework beside a ferrets cage while its asleep and it wouldn’t wake up), they’re play routines are often hilarious, and they can be incredibly endearing.

Why wouldn’t you want a ferret?

Like I’ve said, a tame ferret will never bite, unless under extreme circumstances. And if those arise, it can bite you right through to the bone. And if it isn’t tamed properly, you’re screwed, because it will probably bite freely.

A ferret needs a lot of handling and free time to run around out of its cage (under supervision), probably at least two hours a day. If you leave a ferret in a cage, even a big one, all the time, it will end up either listless or completely insane. Or both. Just because a ferret needs to be caged, don’t think of it as in the ‘small animal’ category with rabbits and hamsters. They are more like companion animals, such as dogs and cats. And dont think a ferret can run free in your house either, they are just too delicate and inquisitive.

It is very very difficult to litter train a ferret to the degree a cat reaches. There may well be occasi
onal accidents during out of cage-playtime.

Like dogs, they need jabs against distemper. They also have a lot of possible health problems. They can develop allergies to vaccinations, they can catch common col
ds, and unsprayed, unmated jills (girl ferrets) can develop internal bleeding. They need regular doses of hairball medicine and regular checkups.

A ferret cage should be as large as you can possibly allow, nothing less than 90cm X 60cm X 60cm, and that will only keep two ferrets at a push. If you plan to let your ferret have plenty of playtime, a cage of this size is acceptable. Do you have room for something this size?

When you shouldn’t keep a ferret

When you have children under double figures. As well meaning as they might be, they can be unintentionally rough and lose a finger for their trouble.

When you want something that doesn’t need much care. They aren’t really that hard to look after, but there is a lot of risk for injury (their favourite foods include rubber and sponge and they enjoy sleeping in washing machines hoses and dishwashers), and like I said, they need a lot of handling.

Think twice if you have other small furries of the vegetarian kind, or herps. These are a ferret’s natural prey, and they might be trained to not eat them, but your small animals will never be safe. So if you keep rabbits, guinea pigs, gerbils, mice, rats, snakes, lizards or other small creatures, keep them in a different room from the ferret (even the ferret smell will probably terrorize the small animal, and the small animal smell will drive the ferret nuts). Also consider putting foolproof locks, even padlocks, on the small animal cages, because ferrets are like monkeys. They always find a way out of anywhere and into anywhere.

If you are timid around animals. Ferrets need firm, confident handling from the start. If your nervous and jumpy ferrets will see your fingers as very funny
looking mice (like those hairless ones!)

Weighed up the pros and cons? Here’s how to get a ferret.

Where to buy it- to start off with, pet shops are probably out. Even the big ones like PetsMart don’t seem to stock ferrets, and besides, (if you manage to fin
d a pet shop ferret) like other animals from these places, they aren’t well handled and are usually very stressed and wild. Which is OK if your buying a fairly harmless animal like a hamster, but ferrets are potentially dangerous animals.

Breeders may well be your best bet. You can get pretty colours if you look around long enough (white ferrets make very popular pets and are adorable, but you can get silver ferrets, sandy ferrets, and butterscotch ferrets, You can get them unmarked, or with mitts- white feet, panda and badger markings), the ferret is likely to handled all of its life, and so will be ridiculously tame, and perhaps will already be neutered, descented and had its first round of jabs. You can also get kits easily from dealers, and he or she will be happy to advise you about care of the ferret, Think twice about buying a ferret from working stock. These aren’t usually as well handled, or gently handled, and may have a fear of humans. Also, because they are from working stock, the tendancy to bite will be bred into them. If you fall in love with a working ferret kit, by all means take it home, but an adult working ferret is a different matter, as not only will it seldom make a good pet, its unlikely be to neutered and moreover, will probably never be a happy pet, having been used to lots of running around after rabbits. However, finding a ferret breeder is not an easy task.

Animal shelters don’t often carry animals like ferrets, at least not in the UK, and when they do, they are likely to be older animals, however I think there are a few ferret specific shelters in the South of England. If you do manage to find a shelter ferret t
hough, it will probably be very tame, and the staff will probably know its personality very well. Also, your helping out a good cause, and homing a healthy animal that may well have been put down otherwise.

When choosing your ferret, all the usual signs of healthy animals should apply
. Eyes should be clear and bright, eyes, ears, tail area, and mouth should all be clean and free of discharge. Teeth and claws should not be broken or deformed. There should be no bald spots or major lumps or bumps on the body, Don’t worry if your chosen ferret is shivering in the corner of its cage, ferrets shiver when excited and when they first wake up. The body should be long, slender and agile. Apart from this, whether you choose a dozey, sleepy one or a little firecracker is entirely up to you.

Male or female?

Neutered ferrets of either sex make great pets. Male ferrets are called hobs (neutered ones gibs) and are usually a bit bigger, and may be a little more boisterous. Female ferrets are called jills, or, delightfully, if spayed, sprites. In short, a neutered ferret of either sex will be a good pet.

Kit or adult?

I always preferred baby ferrets because they bond to you better. Get a single ferret and it will become your best mate for life, get two or more and they’ll be best mates, but will happily include you in the gang. You can also train a kit ferret to your preferences, and will have its full five to eight year lifespan to spend with it. However, a well-trained adult won’t require any kind of training, will already have gone through its mad stage (kit ferrets go through a stage of being little monsters, unlike kids they grow out of it) and will be a little calmer. However, an ill-trained grown ferret will be a nightmare to coax out of bad habits, and it is harder to introduce two or more grown ferrets in the same cage, whereas kits will usually learn to love or tolerate each other.

One or more? r>
Because ferrets love human company so much, a lone ferret will do fine as long as it is getting sufficient attention from its owner, and maximum out of cage playtime, and lots of toys. If you’re out most of the day, don’t sweat it. Ferrets sleep 14-18 hours a day anyway, and it c
an tailor its habits to your coming and goings.
If you want two or more ferrets, your best bet is either to choose from the same litter, or to introduce them as kits, its usually very easy. Two or more adult ferrets is a different matter altogether. They must be kept in separate cages at first and then slowly introduced. Keep in mind a pack of ferrets isn’t just multiple caging, multiple food and multiple space and time. Its multiple vets jabs, multiple checkups, and multiple treatment should they catch something or have a rubber eating fest (ferrets eat ANYTHING).

Colour coding

The most common ferret colour is sable, known in the UK as polecat colouring. The undercoat is creamy-white to yellow, and the guard hairs are a warm, dark brown, like dark chocolate. Polecats usually have a very distinctive raccoon-like mask. The eyes tend to be black or dark brown, and the nose pink, mottled, brown or black. You can also get black sables and chocolate sables (who are milk chocolate coloured).

Cinnamon ferrets are real redheads, they can be dull reddish-brown, or ever the beautiful bright colour of an Irish setter dog (these are pretty damn rare though). The undercoat is usually gold and the mask is pale or non-existent.

Albino and white ferrets are common as pets. The whites can sometimes be more creamy-yellow, especially unneutered animals. True albinos have pink paw pads, noses, and eyes. They are very appealing and cuddly looking.

Silver and Pewter ferrets are, like you might imagine, grey, pewter is darker, often a gun-metal colour

Butterscotch ferrets are very, very beautiful, and are a kind of fudgey-tof
fee colour, or sometimes honey or gold, the colour in them may vary, while champagnes are tan/beige coloured.

Mitted ferrets have white socks, and can occur in any colour. Butterscotch and silver mitts are particularly beautiful. Badger ferrets have white blazes on the face, and panda ferrets are white from nose to shoulder and a white bibs, fully dressed pandas also have four white socks and a white tail tip. Unfortunately, beautiful as badgers and pandas are, they are genetically prone to deafness. You can also get Siamese marked ferrets, Dalmatian marked ferrets and roan ferrets (these are far more common in the US and hard to find over here).

If you’re after a pet colour isn’t all that important, and it shouldn’t matter if your pewter mitt is missing a white sock. The important part is the personality. Also, be careful when setting your sights on a particular colour. Whites, silver and butterscotches aren’t too hard to find, neither are mitts, but badgers, pandas, and the other colour markings can be very hard to find in the UK.

And here are the basics of looking after one-

The cage- As I mentioned, a cage should be no smaller than 90CM X 60Cm X 60CM. Multi level cages are best, they allow room for running around and climbing. You can buy a cage off the net; ferretstore does some good ones of all sizes, including five-foot penthouses! One of those decent sized chinchilla or chipmunk cages will also do, remember chinchillas don’t climb as much as ferrets however, and taller is better. If you can’t find or afford one, making your own is a viable alternative. Nowadays you can also get those rotastak systems for ferrets (you know, all the interconnecting tubes and stuff) and with a little imagination you can create a veritable ferret wonderland.

Ferrets can also be kept outside, but these are usually working varieties. If you do choose to keep an outdoors ferret, remember it will nev
er be as tame as a house ferret, and also single level hutches aren’t as good as two or even three level ones, and a run makes life better still for the animal.

For those on a budget and not too good with the DIY, some online places (ferretstore again) do building block cages, in which you buy a level at a time.

A ferret cage needs a nice, enclosed nest box (ferrets are burrowers and enjoy sleeping in cosy places), and plenty to keep it occupied while in its cage. Being burrowers, ferrets adore tubes. You can make these out of the legs of old trousers, or buy proper plastic ones. A ball will also go a long way in a ferret cage. Avoid foamy or spongey ones, ferrets love to eat these, and eating them can lead to death. For the same reason rubber, even the hard kind dog balls are made of, are out of bounds. Ping pong balls are the best bet, their nice and small. When they dent or tear, bin them instantly, as ferrets will eat these too. Solid plastic cat balls with bells inside are also a good idea, and tennis balls make good play toys outside of the cage. Put a couple of ferret hammocks in the cage too, ferrets love curling up and jumping on these. Small stuffed toys (with button eyes and other chewables removed) are well loved too, as well as those rope tug toys for dogs. Glass or plastic jars are another ferret favourite. If your cage allows room for a sandbox for digging, your fuzzy will love you for it.

Bedding

A lot of owners use old carpet in ferret cages, but I find this gets smelly quickly and easily, especially if the ferret isn’t litter trained, so I tend to stick with the old small animal favourite of wood shavings or perhaps hay (although the latter gets smelly too). It should be fairly thickly laid too. The carpet approach does have its advantages however, ferrets have delicate feet. If the upper shelves and ladders on the cage are made of metal wire, then it’s a good idea to cover it in carpet materi
al (football socks work great on ladders).

Feeding bowls

As with all animals, the vertical hopper drinkers are the best way for ferrets. If however, you use carpet in your cage, heavy earthenware water bowls are a good idea (because there isn't any bedding to scatter into the bowl). The same goes for the food bowl, it must be as heavy as possible.

Feeding

It is fairly easy nowadays to get
specialised ferret food, so there is no need to feed dry cat food, although good quality stuff can be used in a pinch. A ferrets diet should be made up of 22-28% animal protein, while the fat content should be 18-22%. The main ingredients should be from poultry or fish. You may need to mail order ferret food unless you live near a big superstore like PetsMart. Dry food should be the staple of the caged ferret. Using its teeth in this way keeps them clean and strong, ferrets on canned food or meat diets tend to have poor teeth, and also, it makes their toilet a lot smellier. Canned food is a nice treat, but dry food is the best way to go, especially since there should always be food available in the cage as ferrets eat about every four hours, and obviously this isn’t hygienic with canned food.

Good treats for ferrets-
Liquid skin and coat supplements- not only are these good for your ferrets appearances, they absolutely adore the stuff. Ferretone is the most available one I believe. Don’t go overboard with these, as they can be bad for the ferret in excess, but they make great training aids.
Specialised ferret treats- not so available in the UK, but keep an eye out anyway.
Small chunks of cooked meat- chicken; liver, fish and boneless meat are ferret faves.
Meat-based baby foods.
Small pieces of fruit and veg- although strictly carnivorous, ferrets do enjoy a bit of veg, just not too often. Faves include peppers, cucumbers, cooked peas, kiwi, apple and banana. Raisins are a big favourite with ferre
ts, along with dried fruits, but feed these sparingly as they are high in sugar.
Little bits of toast, pasta or cereal. Don’t go overboard with this, it isn’t good for them.

Bad treats for ferrets-
Sugar, cake, chocolate, etc.
Ferrets are mad for red liquorice. Breaking my own rules here, the odd tiny bit wont do them much harm and they’ll love you for it. But as a rule, steer clear.
Steer
clear of salty foods.
Avoid dairy, except maybe a lick off a creamy or milky finger. Again, they adore it, but it gives them diarrhoea.

Ferret handling-

If your unsure of a new ferrets temperament, it might be a good idea to invest in a pair of thick gloves for the first few handlings. Better still, if you can get hold of bitter apple or lemon from a pet store (a pet deterrent) then the ferret probably wont bite you. Move slowly and confidently.

When picking a ferret up simply lift it just behind its front legs out of the cage, and them cradle it, or if it’s wriggly, sit it in your lap and keep one hand around its middle. If the ferret is very stiff, then rub its back and head very gently, or massage the top of its front paws, this seems to relax them totally. The ferretone or another treat will come in handy here, and then the ferret will associate handling with pleasure. Simply place a few drops on a spoon.

The more often you handle your fuzzy, the sooner it will tame. And don’t be afraid to pick it up when its sleeping, ferrets are completely dead to the world when handled and wont wake up even if you take them out of the cage. Carrying the pet around the house in a bag will get it used to you quicker too.

In the case of a wriggling ferret, hold it for a minute or two before you put it back in its cage, so it doesn’t think wriggling will mean it gets its own way. But remember, a very wriggly ferret might need the toilet, so place it in its litter tray, then pick it
up again after.

Nippers-

Most kits ‘mouth’ their owners’ fingers at first. This should be gently discouraged using bitter apple or lemon, or vinegar if you can’t get hold of either. Never punish a ferret for mouthing or you might scare it into biting.

Some ferrets like the taste of soap, so try using unscented stuff to discourage your fuzzy from biting.

Never hit a ferret, they are far too delicate. There are several ways to discourage the ferret from biting. Saying “no” loudly and then putting the ferret in its cage might work; the other way is to scruff the ferret. Lift the ferret by the scruff on its neck (not right off the ground though, make sure its hind legs are still on terra firma) and then say “NO” very loudly and firmly. Hissing at the ferret might work too, as this is what its mother will have done. Keep your face well away from the ferret at first, just in case, and don't let children near it until it is thoroughly tame.

Ferrets also seem partial to toes, so the bitter spray is the best way to go with this, combined with the above methods. Avoid wearing tights around ferrets, they love them.

Playtime

Ferrets should never have the free run of the house. They aren’t like dogs and cats, which learn better than to chew wires, too much can go wrong if they have the free run of the house. The best way to allow a ferret playtime is to designate it a large room or a few rooms and make sure it stays in them. First you have to ferret proof them

Ferret proofing in a nutshell-
Remove all potentially fatal edibles- anything made of foam, rubber, latex and sponge. Keep an eye out for cables, rubber-bottomed shoes, sink plugs, pencils with erasers, disposable cups and plates. Once again, I mention tights, as a friends dog ate a pair and he ended up having to be put to sleep.
Cupboards- the best way is to tape them shut or install
a ferret proof catch.
Sofas and chairs- Ferrets love to rip the soft backing off, and will always find a way to wriggle among the springs, which could result in them getting stuck or squashed. The best thing to do is block off access to the front and back with pieces of wood or Perspex whenever the ferret is out of its cage.
Doors- er, keep them closed! A ferret loose about the house is an absolute nightmare. If your ferret scratches at the wood, repeat the wood or Perspex trick.
Electric stuff- try and keep all appliances unplugged and the wires out of the way when the ferret is loose. You could try bitter apple if you can get it. Ferrets aren’t lik
e puppies, which soon learn that rubber doesn’t taste particularly nice; also their teeth are sharper, so your ferret could have a punk hairstyle a’la electric shock if your not careful.
Rooms to keep the ferret out of- kids rooms. All the stuffed animals, rubber and foam things are a ferret trap. Same goes for bathrooms, because of sponges, and ferrets have been known to lick soap or end up in toilet bowls. Kitchens aren’t the best of ideas either, given all the electrical appliances, and the tendancy of ferrets to fall asleep in washing machines and cookers.
Keeping tabs on your fuzzy- fit it with a special H harness; you can get these at big pet stores. You may have to adjust one for a kitten if you can’t find a ferret specific one. Avoid ones made for rabbits, full-size cats or toy dogs; they are too big or wide. Some harnesses come with a bell, others, you may have to attach one. Its an easy way to be sure where the ferret it, and not step on it or lose it. Collars are another option, but if the ferret gets caught on something, then it could choke.

In short, ferrets make absolutely delightful pets. Their antics will keep you amused for hours, and for some people they are the perfect pet, being the perfect pet for someone who wants something more respon
sive than a rabbits but less complicated to keep than a dog. Ferrets can be a major nuisance when it comes to eating things they shouldn’t and hiding places they shouldn’t, they really can be worth the effort. They are like endlessly playful puppies, and it only takes three simple steps to rid a ferret of its two main problems- viciousness and odour. As long as it is neutered, descented and well socialised, it will become as tame as a dog. People might be a bit repulsed by them for some odd reason, but don’t knock them til you’ve tried them!