Ferrets make wonderful pets for all types of owners. They are adorable and absolute brimming with personality! But before you turn to a pet store, breeder, or rescue to pick up a new best friend, there are a few things you should know to ensure a ferret is right for you and your family.
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Finances
Owning a pet ferret comes with a financial responsibility, both upfront and ongoing. Put aside money for the initial adoption fee or purchase price, which typically ranges from $50 to $150 depending on your source. You’ll also need to purchase housing, food, and ferret proofing supplies.
In addition to this initial investment, make sure that you can afford the ongoing costs that come with ferret ownership, including food, litter, and medical costs. To give you more of an idea on ownership costs, check out our article How Much Does a Pet Ferret Cost?.
Ferret Housing
Ferrets are quite social and active, which means that some thought needs to be put into the location of a ferret’s housing area within your home, as well as the cage setup itself.
As far as location goes, if you can give your ferrets a dedicated room within your house, that would be best, as it will allow you to set it up perfectly for your ferret. If you don’t have a spare room, place your ferret’s cage in a room that can be customized for ferret ownership. It’s best if the room isn’t very active, as ferrets spend most of the daytime sleeping.
For the ferret cage, it should be large, sturdy, and escape-proof. Ferrets don’t need much in their cage if they’re getting ample playtime, but they will still need a bed/hammock, litter box, food bowl, water bottle, and a toy or two. Our Ferret Housing article can help you to learn more.
Ferret Proofing
If a ferret will have free reign throughout a room or your entire home, or if they’ll just be let out for a couple hours per day, ferret proofing the area is an essential task to take care of before you purchase your ferret. Thanks to their hunting origins, ferrets are very inquisitive creatures that can and will get into places they shouldn’t.
Without proper ferret proofing, you’ll quickly find your rabbit exploring under cabinets, furniture, off-limit rooms, or possibly outside! At times this may be harmless, but other times, this can result in poop in unexpected places, damage to your belongings, or a seriously injured ferret. Our Ferret Proofing article provides a great guide for protecting your ferret and your belongings.
Enrichment/Playing
Ferrets sleep a bunch, but when they’re awake, they’re going to want to run and play. A ferret that doesn’t get all of their energy out may act aggressive/sad or gain weight, and neither are good outcomes!
The easiest way to provide enrichment is keeping two or more ferrets so that they can play with and entertain each other. Even with a companion, though, you should set aside at least an hour of your day to play with your ferrets to keep them happy, healthy, and socialized.
There are a variety of ferret toys that are deemed essential and don’t cost a whole lot, including a flexible tube, a box with packing peanuts, a ribbon wand, and some smaller plush toys your ferret can chase and stash away.
Litter Box Training
Most ferret rescues and breeders will start the process of litter training the ferrets that they raise or take in. Pet stores that sell ferrets typically don’t put much, if any effort in, but it isn’t unheard of. Aside from pooping in corners, ferrets don’t have a natural propensity to poop in litter boxes, so conscious training and reminders will likely be needed.
Litter training may be frustrating, and it does require persistence, but it’s certainly possible to get your ferrets using a litter box most, if not all of the time. They’re a lot smarter than you may think! Read our article about Ferret Litter Training to learn more about the process.
Ferret Nutrition
An essential part of ownership is having a good understanding of a ferret’s nutritional needs throughout their life. The proper quantity/quality of food is vital for a ferret’s well-being.
Ferrets are obligate carnivores, meaning that they get all of their essential nutrients from animal tissue. Because of this, the staple of a ferret’s diet is protein. In fact, ferrets lack a cecum in their digestive tract, which means they can’t digest plant matter at all!
The best ferret food is mostly just food that’s as close to their natural diet of whole animals as possible. Ferrets aren’t in need of specialty artisan creations, they simply need a food with high protein quantities, a decent amount of fat, and meat as the primary ingredients of the food.
A ferret’s digestive tract is very short, as is their metabolism, meaning that you need to provide this high-quality food constantly for your ferret to eat whenever they wish.
Bonding with your Ferret
Ferrets can be quite affectionate creatures, but there are differences from individual to individual. In general, most ferrets will want to play with you and roughhouse a bit, but some are more aloof than others. Regardless, you’ll want to put in as much playtime as possible early into your ownership to help develop your relationship.
One perk of ferret breeders and rescues is that they take the time to socialize their ferrets, meaning that they’ll likely form a quick bond with you soon after their purchase. For more information about this, see our article Building a Relationship with Your Pet Ferret.
Traveling
Again, all ferrets are different, but most don’t typically have an issue with traveling or being in an unfamiliar environment, thanks to their curiosity. However, bringing your ferrets everywhere likely isn’t the best idea.
Your home may be ferret-proofed, but new environments aren’t, which means your ferret can get into trouble while exploring a unique location. Additionally, flying with your ferret is a challenge, as the only airline that permits ferrets in the cabin is Pet Air. Others allow them in the cargo hold, but this is a dangerous compromise.
Because of this, if you’re going on vacation, it’s best to have a trusted pet sitter watch your ferret while you’re relaxing on the beach.
Ferrets and Children
Ferrets typically live 5-7 years, sometimes up to 10+. Ferret ownership is a long-term commitment, so purchasing a ferret is a family decision. If you’re purchasing a ferret for a child, and that child then goes off to college or elsewhere where they can’t bring their ferret, you’ll still need to provide the ferret with a safe and loving home.
Bottom Line
If you’ve done your research and determined that you’ll be able to provide a ferret a loving home for its entire life, then please first turn to a ferret rescue to look for a new companion. There aren’t many ferret shelters/rescues, and there’s likely even fewer near you, but going there first may provide a ferret with a second opportunity at having a great home.
If there are no adoptable ferrets near you, then turn to an ethical ferret breeder. Do your research on the breeder to ensure it isn’t a backyard breeder, and really make sure you’re supporting an ethical business.
You’re now much more ready for your new pet ferret! Next, give our article Preparing for Your First Pet Ferret a read, which provides a list of initial ferret supplies you’ll need.
Pet Ferret Frequently Asked Questions
Ferrets have huge personalities and form close bonds with their owners. This, coupled with the fact that ferrets love to play and explore, makes them a popular choice of pet. While not low-maintenance, if you’re well-educated on how to care for a pet ferret, there aren’t many better pets out there.
All ferrets are different, so while one may be very cuddly, another may not be. However, in general, ferrets form close relationships with their humans and will aim to spend a lot of time around them, whether it’s cuddling or playing.
Ferrets are relatively high-maintenance pets. When they’re not sleeping, they love to run around, play, and explore. This means that you need to dedicate at least an hour or two of your day to playing with your ferret, and every area where your ferret may venture should be thoroughly ferret-proofed.
Pet ferrets regularly reach ages of 10+ years, but the average ferret lifespan is between 5 and 7 years. A good diet, plenty of playtime and interaction, and regular vet visits can help your ferret live a very long life.
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