Tips for a new ferret owner?

Question

getting a ferret soon very excited! any useful information or tips for me? Thanks :D

Answer 1

W*A*T*E*R*

they may sleep a lot but they can get hot

Answer 2

when you first get him keep him into the cage for about a hr...talk to him a little and then slowly take him out and hold him for a while...then u can let him see how his environment is gona be. make sure that you ferret prrof some things he could get into or hurt himself with...you also need to feed him everyday and clean out his cage every 2-3days if you dont its gona get realy stinky...also u onley need to clean him once a month...not every 2 weeks because he has oils in his skin and if u wash him more then once a month his skin gets erritated and messis up his fur. you also need to play with him for atleast 2hrs a day. hope this helps

Answer 3

well, since ferrets tend to give off an odor, wash it like every 2 weeks.

Answer 4

Always keep a first-aid kit on hand made for ferrets, that includes:

-Laxative for clearing blockages

-Honey if the ferret develops insulinoma (the honey will help its blood sugar)

-Gauze pads for the miscellaneous injuries

-Health records like vaccines, etc.

-Bee's wax if you cut the ferret's nails too close to the quick (the little vein in the nail)

-Ferretone for mixing with meds to make it taste better to the ferret

-Emergency phone numbers (vet, poison control, etc.)

-Gatorade or an electrolyte replacer in case of dydration

-Anything else you can think of that would be good to have on hand in case of an emergency

Some more tips:

-Keep extra bedding, food/water dishes, and maybe a cage on hand while the other bedding, food/water dishes, and cage are being cleaned.

-Don't skimp on vet visits. Early signs of disease can be caught and treated if vet visits are made at least once or twice a year.

-Read "Ferrets for Dummies" if you haven't already. It gives a ton of info about ferrets and some helpful ferret tips.

Good luck to you and your ferret.

Answer 5

Do your research while your waiting.  Find out what kind of animal a ferret is, what kind of food it eats, do you have a ferret knowledgeable vet in your area?  What kinds of diseases will your ferret get and why.  

You need to know about the correct types of litter to use, how to set up a ferret friendly cage,  Ferret proof your home.  

Watch the temperature where they will be housed.  Ferrets do not have sweat glands and can die from heat over 85 degrees.  

Clean the litter pans every day, no exceptions.  Train your ferrets to use the llitter pans in the cage and then have many litter pans all over the house for their outside cage time.  Love them and always give of yourself every day to their happiness.  

Ferrets have very fast metabolisms and they require a good animal protein meat food at all times during the day.  Provide fresh water and fresh food every day.  Throw out the food that looks like little scraps because they cannot eat them when they are that small.  Learn to read and understand what is in the food you are feeding them and try to feed only food that is meat based, not by products and has no corn or wheat in the first five ingredients.  

Here is a good site with a lot of information:

http://www.ferretcentral.org/

If you prefer books, try the ferrets for Dummies book.  If you have a local ferret group or rescue, join or volunteer to work there, really get involved in the ferrets world so you can provide a stimulating and healthy environment for them.  Ferrets are so fun and loving you will really enjoy them.

Answer 6

Keep them away from pens or anything plastic that they can pick up with their mouth.

Clean their cage at least every two days. Clean them at least every two days, otherwise they get very stinky.

Answer 7

remember to feed them

Answer 8

- ferrets need about 2-3hours out of cage time every day.

- i read on here someone saying wash your ferret every two weeks, i wouldnt do this because you will strip the natural oils out of your ferrets coat it will only work twice as hard to replace them and end up smelling more than before you bathed it, as long as it has been neutered and you clean its bedding once a week and change its litter a few times a day it shouldnt smell too bad, it will always have a natural musk but theres no way you can get rid of that.

here are some things you can do with your ferret that it will love.

paddling pool - fill a cat litter tray with about an inch of water your ferret will love this you could also add a brick in the middle to make it more fun.

carrier bags - your ferret will love just a normal carrier bag, make sure you cut off the handals though.

toys - the more noise it makes the better, like squeeky toys and dog tug of war toys.

old household things - like an old pair of jeans or shoes.

okay so when you bring your ferret home leave him/her in theyre cage all day so it can get used to its surroundings.

i also recomment the 'ferrets for dummies' book it will tel you everything you need to know and more lol.

good luck:)

Answer 9

dont plan on taking it out of the cage  before it gets used to you so don't pick it up. anyways once it gets used to you its very fun to play with.