Furkids - Ferret Facts from the UK

THE ANSWERS

BEFORE getting a ferret, or if you've just somehow come by a ferret and want to know more, please READ AS MUCH AS YOU CAN. If nothing else, read my website - I recommend several good books - do not be ignorant - learn as much as you can about your pets welfare and well-being. The Internet is chock full of really helpful information on ferret care. One of my favorite places to learn is from others. I find discussion groups really helpful. There are many ferret clubs and welfares across the country (UK) who will be more than pleased to help if you want more information about ferret keeping.

Where do you get a ferret in the UK?

Living down south, I still don't really know the complete answer to this question. Much ferret activity stops South of Watford - it's all up North. If you're up North there are many ferret shows and people who could put you in touch with someone with extra ferrets. If you live south then your best bet is to contact a Ferret Welfare.

Don't try from a pet shop. Apparently, there may be a few pet shops that sell ferrets, but I wouldn't be sure how well handled they'll be. Also don't get desperate and use the small ads papers - many indiscriminate breeders sell through those and you could be helping towards a population problem and possibly a ferret that hasn't really been handled. If you go this route, check out how the ferrets are kept and how well he handles them.

For first time owners I would strongly suggest getting your first ferret from a ferret welfare. They take in ferrets that people have over-bred, didn't want, ferrets that people just couldn't be bothered with any longer and often over the summer will have lots of kits to choose from. Usually they will be handled so shouldn't bite and you can match a ferret that's right for you. Please note that they are run by caring people in their homes, so please be respectful. Here's a list of UK ferret welfares.

This is also good place to go if you want to add a new ferret to an existing group and you can find a ferret that will get along fine, rather than chancing a long and torrid introduction. Ferrets are also very likely to be castrated or neutered when you get them from a welfare.

The RSPCA often have a few ferrets too, but not specialising in ferrets they may not be handled properly and might bite etc.

What's the best age to get a ferret?

If you've never kept ferrets before, even though kits look super cute, please consider obtaining an older ferret.

Older ferrets, 8 months old or more have the manic bounce and bite grown out of them. They will still be cute and still have loads of energy...in fact a ferret without bounce is an ill ferret. They should want to play until they're geriatric - they don't grow out of it. But on the whole they will be calmer and less inclined to nip or bite. This is one of the main reasons that ferrets are thrown out. Kits need to eat LOTS and they have so much energy that needs to be worn off. Ferret kits need to be taught gently, with patience not to mouth or nip. Take Tsuki for instance, when we got her we called her 'Devil ferret', cos she would bite hard...very hard. She once bit right through my husband's thumb and nail and hung on without releasing her jaws. When she did release, she bit again and again...

Some other ferret kits will be less inclined to bite, Hershey, Willow and Casper have never nipped us. Also if you obtain an older ferret it hopefully will come neutered or spayed. You can also see the character of older ferrets, whereas kits are just kits. See below about kits biting.

Okay, ferrets have their own distinctive odour, does that mean they really smell?

All animals have their own distinctive smell, but ferrets have their own special musky smell. Castrated males and females have little odour, but that's not to say they don't still smell unique.

Some people say that castrated ferrets don't smell - those people obviously have a sensory impediment. However, ferrets don't smell bad, just a bit musky. However, this musk does rub off on your clothes and you wouldn't want to go to a dinner party wearing the same ones. I always wear a different top when handling the ferrets.

Also this musky smell does linger in their cage which needs to be kept clean to keep the smell to a minimum. I don't find the musky smell offensive, after a little while you might actually enjoy it!!

What I do find offensive is the smell of ferret poo. And ferrets can poo for Britain. They are prolific poopers - in fact you will find that most of your time is spent scooping poop. BE WARNED. Do not take this warning lightly. If you don't have time to scoop daily, then don't get a ferret.

As for keeping them indoors - only if you don't care for any friends or relatives ever visiting you again. I do have a small indoors cage for kits and if the ferrets are ill, but if kept in that for even a couple of hours the room fills with a distinctive ferrety odour.

Some ferrets smell more than others and unfortunately, Casper just smells a lot and Tilbury suffered from IBD. Not a good indoor ferret combination! You may have better luck.

Will I be allergic to them?

The only way to find out for certain is to 'suck it and see'. Well, handle a ferret and then rub the musky smell all over your face and see what reaction occurs. You will notice that friends will suddenly step back a few steps from you - but that's only because you smell now!!! Make sure you have allergy treatment to hand should a reaction occur.

Some people are allergic to whole hobs, but not to castrated or neutered jills. I have quite severe allergies to cats (not dogs) and rats, rabbits etc, but I am not allergic to ferrets. When they go into moult which is twice a year, I get a bit sniffy and itchy.

Now when you don't own ferrets and you don't know anyone who does, how do you go about this test before committing yourselves to ferret ownership. Again, this is where the ferret welfare comes in handy. I tried our local RSPCA and asked to handle a ferret there

What do I house them in?

So now you know that they poo a lot and that will be a big part of ferret husbandry, that you don't mind their distinctive smell that much and you've found the location of a ferret welfare. You're all set, but what do you keep them in?

If you want to keep them indoors, there's countless US websites detailing how to set up an indoors cage and more and more UK online shops are selling indoor cages for ferrets. Always buy the largest cage you can afford - probably with two or three levels and a peg for your nose. This indoor cage is my favorite made by Ferplast called the 'Furet Tower' and measures 80cm x 75cm x 161cm and retails for about Ł160, or there's a similar one with just one layer which would house 2 ferrets. With both of these cages, the ferrets would REQUIRE to have time-out of the cage every day. Ferrets About sell the most appropriate cages for ferrets - or try Ebay where you might get a few quid off.

If you have the space indoors, there's no reason why you need use a traditional bar-type cage. You could buy a posh looking rabbit hutch as an indoor cage - this would give you ample space. A bonus is that there will be a built-in dark sleeping area which the ferrets will love. Line the wooden floor with lino/plastic to prevent urine making the wood smell and also place lino under the cage where it will stand on the floor to make cleaning easier. Add a litter pan, hammocks etc - I think this makes a much better indoor cage option...and it's cheaper! Zooplus sell a great selection. This one is only Ł80 and measures 96cm x 78cm x 120cm - check out their other hutches.

If like much of the UK, you want to keep them outside what's the best way?

Rabbit Hutch & Run

Ferrets need a lot of space to play and stretch. In their cage you will need litter pans, food bowls, space for them to play, hammocks for them to lounge in, tubes and a sleep area. That doesn't add up to a standard sized rabbit hutch. However, if the rabbit hutch had a permanent large run attached to it, that would suit the ferrets fine. Some companies are now making very innovative homes.

Court
The problem with ferrets is that you can't stick with only one or two. There is a thing called Ferret Math. You've decided two ferrets is enough, but 6 months down the line you realise how much fun you're all having and wouldn't an extra ferret be even more fun…bingo…ferret math…ad finitum.

In cases such as this, a hutch might outgrow the number of ferrets. Most ferrets that I know of are kept in courts. This is usually made from a converted shed or aviary. My husband built our own, but for the final cost we could have got a ready-made and adapted shed. This gives the ferrets much more room to play in and makes it easier for you to get in and clean.

Caution
Whatever you decide make sure it's ferret proof and easy to clean their litter pans everyday.

Are they really as cute as they look?

The simple answer is 'yes'. A sleeping ferret is probably the cutest thing ever seen in the world.

How much work will be involved in looking after ferrets?

The simple answer is 'lots'. If you can't spend time cleaning their cage, feeding them and playing with them everyday, then don't get ferrets. Ferrets are quite high maintenance, much more than rats or cats, but less than having to walk a dog. However, a dog will for the most part whilst indoors lie down and sleep. Ferrets indoors will get up to no good and cause havoc. But in return you'll have a cute looking animal that's funny, playful and sometimes affectionate.

This is our general ferret routine.

Before work

Ferrets and husband greet each other. Husband cuddles ferrets and says how cute they are. Husband then scoops poop from each litter pan and refills with clean litter. Fills water and dry food bowls.

Now this sounds simple, but ferrets like to help, so whilst he's doing this, there are five ferrets climbing in the bag with the soiled litter, climbing up his arms, trying to leap on his back and climbing out of the cage - a bit of a handful. He says it takes about 10 minutes.

After work
I prepare the ferrets meat meal and give it to them. They then generally sleep off the meal for an hour or so. We then take them indoors for about an hour of quality play time. Our ferrets poop out after about 40 minutes and after an hour are ready to back.

At weekends, we might play with them in the morning or take them for a walk in the garden or elsewhere.

Weekly
Change bedding in sleep area, tidy up main cage area and replace any flooring that's soiled.

The whole cage is changed depending on how soiled it is, but probably every 3 weeks or so.

This may not seem like much, but the room indoors has had to be ferret proofed in order to make a safe area that they can't get into trouble and so that they can wreck the rest of the house.

Although the ferrets have litter pans indoors, they haven't quite grasped the concept of pooing inside. For the most part the ferrets seem to poop just outside of the pan. Maybe you'll have better luck. So once again that's a lot of pooping and scooping. It also doesn't do to be too house proud.

What should they eat?

Sorting out their diet is one of my main priorities with my ferrets. I don't believe they are on the best diet, but they are on one that suits my lifestyle and budget, and benefits the ferrets.

Ferrets are obligate carnivores which means they need meat, meat and more meat, but not lean sirloin steak. They also need bones, fur, feather etc. The best diet for a ferret is a natural one with variety of items fed.

However, this isn't available for me to feed. So my ferrets are fed ferret/kitten kibble and a raw meat dinner in the evening. Feed the best quality ferret or kitten kibble that is available. For example, James Wellbeloved Ferret Complete, Frankie Ferret, Iams Kitten, Eukanuba kitten or Arden Grange kitten kibble.

I also feed human quality turkey mince, diced rabbit and minced rabbit with the bones and some chicken liver in the evening.

For more information on what our ferrets like to eat, see our 'fave foods' section.

I've heard that you must breed the jills every year or else they will die?

Female ferrets go into heat in early spring. You will be able to tell as her vulva will be swollen. She won't go out of heat unless she mated, or fooled by being mated by a vasectomised hob (firing blanks). She will stay in heat until the end of the breeding season, but being left in heat for such a long time can cause a condition called aplastic anaemia which can make her very sick and possibly die. You must take her to see a vet.

However, YOU DO NOT NEED TO BREED YOUR JILL. Your jill can easily be brought out of season by taking her to a vets and given a hormone injection called a jill jab. If your ferret is just a pet or if you are only going to work her and never breed from her, then you should consider having her neutered.

Please think very hard before breeding ferrets. There is no excuse for breeding unless you know you will find good homes for all the kits, and the new owners themselves will look after the kits properly too. Do not breed if you are a novice with ferrets - they need special care. Every year hundreds of ferrets are given up to welfares across the country, as very misinformed and lazy people didn't find out enough about their pets.

A female ferret usually gives birth to 7 or 8 kits, but many will give birth to up to 12, sometimes more. By 12 weeks old, baby ferrets are almost adult size, with a set of very sharp teeth and would have eaten you out of house and home (if fed correctly). They will also be a wriggly bunch of whirling dirvishes - they're so energetic. You could potentially end up not finding homes for them, giving them up to a welfare, and in some cases we know they are just thrown out to fend for themselves. Bingo and Tilbury were found this way. They were lucky and members of the public handed them into a welfare. Most ferrets thrown out on the streets will die.

My new ferret kit keeps biting, what's wrong?

Baby ferrets explore the world with their teeth and they're very sharp. As they grow larger so do their jaw muscles and the strength of their bite. For inexperienced ferret keeper, the most likely reason your new kit is biting is because it's hungary. Ferret kits need to eat, sleep, play, eat, sleep, eat, sleep, play, sleep.

Any ferrets that I've had from kits up to about 5 months have a voracious appetite. I feed very young ferrets 4 times a day. They are given free access to kibble, but if they are very young it's difficult for them to eat, so it can be soaked to make it easier to eat. I also find kits won't eat enough kibble to satisfy their hunger. A hungary ferret is going to bite at you. I feed 4 small meat meals a day. I like to include a little red meat, like beef mince along with turkey mince/pet mince. Until they are old enough to eat chicks. As they get older you can give one meat meal in the morning and one in the evening, then cut it down to only one in the evening.

Ferret's play rough and their skin is very tough. They have to learn that biting their owner, even in play, isn't acceptable. Now everyone has their own methods of nip training. I won't rough house kits, especially so if they're prone to biting. As soon as they go near my hands I keep them immobile, but I do put ferretone one them so they associate hands with something nice. I will also pick them up slowly and give them treats.

If your ferret bites at you, say a stern 'no' or hiss. If this does not work, put your ferret in an empty carry case for a 5 minute time-out or until it calms down. They know they're being punished, especially if they can see their cage mates frollicking about free. You just to need time and patience and to wait until they grow out of this phase. As long as you train with kindness, you'll get there in the end.

An older ferret might bite out of fear, because it's previous owner hit or hurt it for nipping - he now associates humans and hands with pain, and will bite harder. You will need to gain his trust with the methods above.