Do female Ferets die if they do not mate ?

Question

Do female Ferets die if they do not mate ?

Answer 1

Although the poster above is right in much of what she says, no if they are not mated when they come into season they do not die, however they can and do need a lot of extra care and hygiene while in that state, something I CANNOT recommend.  If you have a Jill that has come into season, or when she comes into season, yes you could mate her iwth a vesectimised hob to bring her out of season, although again, unless it is your own hob I would not recommend this as visectimised hobs are very popular around season time and pick up and transmit sexual diseases just like any other animal.

I would strangly recommend if your jill is over 6 months old and not in season you take her to the local vet and have her neutered, this will prevent any risks associated with her coming into season and stop any chance of her becoming pregnant.  If this is not an option you wish to follow, the other option is to take her to the vet when she comes into season for a hormone injection more commonly known as a Jill Jab, which usually costs from between £12 - £20.

I run a very small time rescue centre and advocate that all the ferrets I re-home are neutered, neutering those I can afford to before re-homing them.  I recently took in a Jill that had been through a full season without a jill jab or mating because her owners were not aware of the dangers and a sorry little state she was too, this is not something I would wish on any animal.  

Answer 2

They will die whether they mate or not. They are not immortal.

Answer 3

The poster above has it right. A friend of mine who has  24 ferrets(mad?!) has had a couple of her males vasectomised so the jills mate but don't reproduce. Happy ferrets all around.

Answer 4

This is a copy and paste off another site. Here's why

Female ferrets ("jills") have a unique reproductive system. The white blood cells are not produced in adequate numbers, and the ferret becomes much more susceptible to an infection. When they go into heat, she must mate or die. (so only when they go into heat )

Ferrets are induced ovulators, and will stay in heat until they mate. Female ferrets in heat secrete high levels of estrogen. If this hormone stays in the blood for a prolonged period of time, as what occurs when the female does not mate, it will affect the bone marrow, causing a severe, and even life threatening aplastic anemia which is fatal. This is because estrogen can cause the bone marrow to stop producing red blood cells.

Answer 5

yes if they have not been spayed and stay in season they can die.

you can get her spayed or have a jill jab or mate her with a vasectomised ( not fully castrated) hob :)

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