How to Care for Your Ferret

The first thing you should know about ferrets is that they can be quite entertaining pets if you have the time available. Ferrets cost around $150.00 per ferret. If you spend a lot of time with the ferret, it will make a great companion. Ferrets need to have room to jump, roll around and play. You may decide to get two ferrets so that they can play together. You may need to check with your local pet store to see which ferrets can be placed together. Sometimes males do not get along with males or vice versa. Make sure to get a ferret proof cage that your ferret cannot escape from. I would recommend buying a cage with about 12 inches of plastic up the sides so that the ferret bedding does not fall out of the cage. Ferrets can be easily potty trained and this should be done early in age. It will help you out tremendously.

You will need to find a good veterinarian which specializes in ferret care. You will need to take the ferret in at least once a year for check ups and vaccinations. This would also be a good time to have the ferrets nails trimmed if they are getting too long. Like rabbits, ferrets tend to get blocked up quite easily. They eat small parts and pieces of things that they are not supposed to eat. They also shed their coats twice a year which leads to blockages caused by hairballs. Hairballs can be easily avoided by giving your ferrets a laxative once a week. I would suggest using CatLax, which you can get from your veterinarian or the pet store. Make sure that you keep track of your ferrets routines. See how much the ferret is eating and using it's litterbox. If you notice that your ferret is lathargic or has stopped using the bathroom all together, you will need to make an appointment to see your veterinarian.

Ferrets also get a wax build up in their ears like we do. It can have a bad smell and it can also be very irritating for the ferret. You can clean it's ears with cotton swabs and ear solution. Be careful not to stick anything in the ferrets ear because it could damage the ear drum. The same thing goes for every animal, your children and yourself.

Since ferrets nails should be trimmed at least once per month you will most likely have to trim them yourself. Make sure you have something available in case the nail is continuously bleeding. Make sure that the trimmers are sharp or it will cause the nail to split. This can be very painful and it will become very hard for your ferret to walk. The nail may then get snagged on other things such as carpet or rugs.

You will need to ferret proof your home. This means pulling up harmful cords and keeping small toys away from your ferret. They love to chew on things and that can cause blockages. Make sure to keep your possessions in a safe place because ferrets love to hide important things like car keys!