STA Ferret Rescue

Site Map

Ferrets need to have a good safe confined living space, either inside in a cage; dedicated ferret proof room ; outside in a large hutch with a run; or a purpose built/converted shed/court. Size of the cage/hutch/shed depends on how much "out of cage time" you can give your ferret, but the larger the cage the better for your ferret.

For outdoor ferrets, if you are going to get a rabbit hutch, the minimum size must be at least 4ft long and 2 storeys, and you would need an outdoor run. Chicken coops, dog/cat kennels and sheds are better. You can buy coops that incorporate nesting boxes and runs. If you do chose to house your ferret outside then, if possible, make sure you have a safety door in place (i.e. a double door system) as this will prevent your ferrets from slipping past you as you enter their home. Also make sure you have bolts with padlocks on the hutch or enclosure doors, ferrets may be stolen for hunting, breeding or onward selling by opportunistic thieves, or may simply be accidentally let out by visitors or little people. More ideas on security can be found on Ferret Forum >

For indoor ferrets, there are several good cages on the market. Check out “Ferret Nation” , “Liberta Explorer” , "Savic Royal Suite 95" , "Tommy 102", "Xtrail Rodent Cage", "Worlds Largest Ferret/Chinchilla Cage XL 2 level (on ebay)" cages. Mesh ones are totally unsuitable as ferrets can catch claws in them as well as being uncomfortable on the feet. Whatever you choose, make sure it is “ferret proof”- ferrets are escape artists, and if they think they can escape, they will try their hardest to prove themselves right!! Smaller cages are available that are suitable for 2 jills or a small pair of ferrets such as the Ferplast Furet Tower.

DON'T house ferrets in garages that are in use, car fumes will kill ferrets and other animals.

Positioning is important, ferrets are very susceptible to extreme heat (just like dogs and cats, ferrets don't sweat), and as such their environmental temperature should be kept below 26°C (80°F), otherwise they could very quickly overheat and die. So make sure when planning where your ferret will live that it will be cool even in the warmest of weather. In gardens, consider placing the housing and run in a sheltered northerly position where it is less likely to get the heat of the day or be exposed to constant winds.

There are various ways to help keep your ferrets cool in warm weather, some owners go as far as to have air conditioning within the housing, but most of us make do with ice blocks (can be as simple as plastic bottles filled with frozen water, non toxic food cooling blocks, even snugglesafe heat
  pads can be frozen and used - remember to wrap any 'ice blocks' in a teatowel of pillow case before placing in with your ferrets)cooling fans (pet cage fans such as Metro AirForce Cage/Crate Fan or Proselect Thermostatic Fan can conne)ct to the outside of
  a cage (great for shows and events), with the Proselect there is a freezer block that can be purchased and attached to cool the air
  blown into the cage, the fan can also be run in transit from a car lighter).
More ideas can be found on FerretForum

Bedding is another important considerationSawdust bedding should be avoided as it makes ferrets sneeze and can affect their breathing.Hay bedding may contain harmful grass awns which can imbed in skin, ears, eyes, nose and other orifices, causing abscesses.Straw bedding is an option but can be messy to clean out and may contain mites.Fleece material/blankets/hammocks is a popular option as it is easy to wash through. Do make sure when using fleece that you
  remove any stitching from round the edge of the material that the ferret may get its claws (or worse) caught in.

Scats, take our word for it, ferrets produce a lot of poo, so its always a good idea to try to train your ferret to use a scat tray to make cleaning easier. A scat tray can be a cat litter tray (yesterday news, catsan, even shredded or just sheet news paper can be used in the tray), or any type of plastic container that can be used litter tray. Ferrets will tend at first in a new home to defecate in corners of rooms/enclosures/cages and in front of doorways, but tend not to do so on their bedding as they are clean creatures. Placing the scat tray in the corners that the ferret has chosen will often help speed up the litter training process. It is important to keep emptying the scat tray and replacing newspaper or ferrets will go elsewhere if the scat tray is dirty. Dont forget if you let your ferret out to run free in rooms around the house to make sure you have scat trays around the house that they can use, or lino on the floors.

For cleaning use proprietory animal safe disinfectants, the following are disinfectants used by a lot of UK ferret rescues, vets and owners
  F10 Biocare (disinfectants, cleaners, hand gels, foggers)  - Disinfectant available through Amazon  Trigene (disinfectant) - Disinfectant available through Amazon  Virkon S (disinfectant)  Mistral (disinfectant)

For more information and ideas on ferret housing check out the housing information posts at Ferret Forum.

NOTE - STARescue is not responsible for the content of external internet sites or the services/products these companies/individuals provide.