There is an old saying: "Curiosity killed the cat." It is a saying that can be applied perfectly to ferrets. They are the pets with the highest accidental mortality rate. This is an important reason why our site will expose you to situations of frequent accidents that happen to domestic ferrets.
By following, you will be able to find out about the basic and common care of the ferret, but also about the special ones. Everything you need to know, below in basic ferret care.
Don't forget to vote and comment if you also have a ferret, we want to know your experiences!
Make sure you have a specialized veterinarian
The ferret, like any other pet, requires the attention and control of a competent veterinarian. It is convenient that said professional is a specialist in ferrets and is accustomed to the problems suffered by exotic pets.
The vet will supply the pertinent vaccines once adopted and will control any vitamin or nutritional deficiency that your ferret suffers. It will also be essential to castrate the animal.
It is very important to understand that we cannot have a ferret (or any other animal) without basic veterinary services, and they are not cheap! Keep this in mind before adopting a ferret into your home.
If you want to know more about this aspect, don't hesitate to visit the most common ferret diseases.
Cage hygiene
It is vital to keep your ferret's cage clean. It is a prophylactic way to avoid possible illnesses in your pet, and also to ensure that your home does not smell like a zoo.
It is important that the cleaning utensils are specific for the care of your ferret. The dustpan, rags, sponge, gloves and any tool used in cleaning the cage is best used only for this purpose.
You must use unscented detergents, cage disinfectant and odor eliminators. The frequency of cleaning the cage will depend on the dirt that your ferret accumulates, but once a week is usual.
It is very convenient that you educate the ferret to make its stools in kitty litter. It is not easy, but it is possible.
Heat stroke
During the summer ferrets are prone to heat stroke. It is a serious episode that must be treated immediately, or even put the necessary elements to avoid the event.
The ferret lacks the thermoregulatory capacity of other species. To protect yourself from heat stroke, you need to surround yourself with elements that cool your environment. A bottle of frozen water near his cage is a good remedy. The drinker must always be full.
Our ferret will be grateful during the summer heat if we spray it with water using a sprayer. A damp cloth over his cage will relieve him from the intense heat.
Feeding the ferret
Ferrets are carnivorous animals, so their diet should be rich in animal protein This intake should be between 40% at 45% of the volume of your feed. In the same way that fat of animal origin must be between 15% and 20%. Fiber is also necessary around 4%, in this way digestive problems will be avoided.
Vitamins are important. Your veterinarian will supply them to you, or will indicate the feed that incorporates them. There are on the market specific quality feed for ferrets, in this way, maintaining its balanced diet will be easier to take care of.
The photoperiod of ferrets
Ferrets need to rest in total darkness for about 14 hours a day. The reason is due to the need to regenerate melatonin. This process is impossible with light.
For this reason there should be a box with a small opening inside its cage, or if it is small, a corner with a "burrow" where the ferret can rest properly to its needs. Serious he alth alterations can occur if the photoperiod is not respected.
Home Security
Home security is the Achilles heel of ferrets. We must bear in mind that a ferret is a mustelid, and these species don't know what fear is If we add a curiosity that goes beyond infinity, we will understand that our ferret can suffer multiple incidents and some accidents in his life.
Below we will list the most common places where ferrets suffer accidents:
- balconies
- windows
- plugs
- pipelines
- potting soil (toxic because it is fertilized)
- drawers
- shelves
- electric cables
- folding chairs
- blankets
- quilts
- doors
- holes of all kinds
In these places there are many incidents and some even fatal accidents. If we look closely at the list, we will see that it has a lot in common with what can cause an accident to a baby during the crawling stage.
The most dangerous places for the ferret are:
- Lavadora: Whenever we do the laundry, we check its interior, or better yet, we keep our little whirlwind caged, unless we want to find it "unpolluted".
- The Furnace: This is another place of extreme danger. We can open the oven porthole and perhaps take a phone call that will throw us off for a few seconds. Eons of time for our ferret to take the opportunity to enter it and nibble on a fragment of delicious churrascadito food stuck to the oven tray. The solution: the cage before opening the oven.
- The suitcase: We are packing because we have to go to Singapore on business. We go to the bathroom for a moment, while the suitcase lies open on the bed. We come back from the bathroom and finish packing. Solution: the cage while we pack.
Because this list could be endless, we recommend that you always take precautions to know where your ferret is.
Discover more articles related to ferrets on our site:
- Removing the glands from a ferret, is it good or bad?
- Solutions for an aggressive ferret
- My ferret doesn't want to eat feed, what should I do?
