Ferret Breeding

    Ferrets are members of the weasel family that have been domesticated for over 2000 years. They are highly intelligent and social pets and, even though they seem just like a small, easy to care for a pocket pet, they are a big responsibility and often require just as much care as a cat or dog, if not more!

    ABOUT FERRETS

    Ferrets live an average lifespan of 6-10 years, however, the current record for the oldest ferret is 14 years old! They are very curious little creatures. Because they are social animals, if you are going to adopt a ferret, please consider taking in a pair so they will never be lonely,

Like a cat, they love to nap and usually sleep up to 20 hours a day. When they are awake, however, they are very active and playful pets! They love to bounce around and invite you to play with them. If you start bouncing around with them, this will often make them happy. They love crawling through just about anything, including cardboard boxes, PVC piping, clothes dryer hoses, paper bags, and even pant legs or long shirt sleeves. They alwayes tend to play.

    GROOMING

    Bathing should be kept to a minimum – at most, once or twice a month. Bathing a ferret will strip its skin and coat of all of the natural oils, which will cause the body to overcompensate and keep producing more and more. Basically, over-bathing a ferret can cause its odour to get even worse. They usually do a pretty good job of cleaning themselves much like a cat. If you give them a bowl of water, they will use it to clean their face. Bathing is, however, good for relieving itchiness caused by fleas or dry skin. If you are going to bathe a ferret, make sure you use pet-friendly shampoo and warm bath water.

    Ferrets, like cats, are obligate carnivores. This means they absolutely require meat in their diet. A ferret-appropriate diet should have a high level of fat as its main source of calories, and also be rich in highly digestible meat-based protein. Vegetable protein is poorly digested by ferrets, and can actually lead to certain medical issues, such as bladder stones, skin diseases, GI disease and poor growth. It is also important to note that ferrets cannot digest fibre, so high levels of grains should also be avoided when choosing a diet for your new pet.

    HABITAT

    Ferret cages should be a minimum of 18 x 18 x 30 inches and have two or more levels with stairs or ramps they can climb. Wire cages work best. Avoid using aquariums as they have very poor ventilation. The cage should have very small gaps and a secured latch to prevent them from escaping – you would be surprised how small of an opening they can squeeze through! The floor should be covered in washable carpet, linoleum flooring, etc. as the wires can hurt their little feet. For flooring, avoid using newspaper (will turn their feet black), wood flooring (difficult to disinfect) and cedar or pine chips (may cause respiratory issues, holds in bad odors).

    HEALTH

    Just like with every other pet, ferrets have their own set of potential health issues and should be examined by a vet regularly. The exact recommendations are annual check-ups up until 5 years of age, and then every 6 months after that. Vaccines are highly recommended, specifically for rabies and distemper. They are also at a pretty high risk for fleas and should always be treated with a monthly preventive. Speak to your veterinarian about the best choice for your ferret.