STA Ferret Rescue

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Ferrets can sleep for upto 18-20 hours a day, but are more than happy to be woken up to play, whatever the time of day.

Tubes, cardboard boxes, scrunchy cat bags, dig boxes filled with earth or balls are great fun for ferrets.

Ferrets also love ping pong balls, cat toys and rubber toys, but make sure the rubber is hard enough to not be ripped to pieces, as the ferret might eat the bits and get a life threatening blockage, and similarly that rubber and cat toys aren't left around with your ferrets when not supervised as bits can come off or get claws caught (especially bells). Ferrets make their own fun, so you might find your socks, remote controls and keys disappearing. Don’t worry, find your ferrets’ favourite stash place, where he has put them for safe keeping, and you will never really lose them!

It's important to gather up all your ferret's toys about once a week to make sure that none of them have been damaged. Even if it's a toy your ferret has never been able to harm in the past, you need to make sure it continues to be safe.

Not all toys that are labeled for ferrets are safe for ferrets. Use your judgment. Rubber and foam are the two most common materials found in ferrets with intestinal blockages, so it makes sense that toys made of flimsy rubber or foam are never safe for ferrets.

Drag a towel of sheet behind you and you will soon find that this becomes the focus of entertainment with your fuzzies.

To understand the behaviour your ferret may show when playing check out the article at everythingferret.com

Nip/Bite Training - Dont ever be tempted to smack your ferret or flick them on their nose if they start to play too rough and nip/bite, there are far better ways to teach them not to bite, there is a lot of good advice and handy videos to view on this at Ferrets Forum.

If you decide that ferrets are for you, you will have a life-long playmate and friend. They will be there to welcome you when you get back from work, and cheer you up when you’re feeling down. With a life-span of up to 10 years and more (an important factor to take into consideration) they are a long term commitment, but one that is more than worth it.

Playtime is a good way to check daily on the health and well being of your ferret.
Eyes should be bright and clear. Ears should be clean and free from wax. You can wipe the ears clean gently with baby wipes but never poke cotton buds into the ears as this can cause internal damage. Ear mites appear as a black tarry wax in the ears.Your ferret’s fur should be clean and free from fleas and ticks.Teeth should be healthy, unbroken, free from tartar and plaque.

Fleas - Don’t use flea/tick treatment intended for Cats and Dogs that can be brought off the shelf as these can cause skin irritation, blistering or worse. There is a whole page of advice on what treatments can be used here >

Bathing is not essential for ferrets, infact unless your ferret has rolled in something unpleasant or is getting on in years there is no need to give them a bath at all! Bathing can actually strip essential oils from their fur, and as the body tries to replace these your ferret can smell worse than before it had a bath. If you do have to bath your ferret then use shampoo that is pet friendly, ideally produced for ferrets, and don’t have the water too hot or deep, ferrets can drown. If preparing for a show, bathe a good few days in advance so that the natural condition of the fur can return.

Regularly check your ferrets gums and teeth. Gentle scruffing will often provoke a good yawn that will let you see how things are looking. Ferrets on kibble and cooked/minced/soft meat diets, fed commercial treats have a tendency to develop plaque and tartar. The teeth turn yellow with interspersed brown/black spots. Gums can get infected if the tartar builds up and either lead to gums receding, the infected tooth breaking or falling out, or result in gingivitus and/or blood poisoning if things are allowed to go for too long without treatment. Bad breath can also be indicative of teeth problems. If you are concerned about the condition of your ferrets teeth speak to your vets. It is far better, and cheaper, to seek treatment early than allow teeth condition to get so bad they have to be removed. NOTE - including raw bones such as those in chicken wings in their daily diet can help prevent tartar from building up on your ferrets teeth. More information >

And run your hands gently down their bodies to feel out any lumps or bumps which could be cysts or tumours.
If you find anything that you are unsure of you should consult your vet immediately.

Claws need to be trimmed about once or twice a month, if you are unsure of how to do this then your vet or an experienced ferret owner will be able to show you. A small drop of oil (Ferretone or Furotone works really well) applied to the belly will often make claw cutting easy work, but take care not to cut the claws too short as your ferret has nerves and a blood supply running through part of the claw. If you are considering showing your ferret make sure their claws are clipped 3-4 days before the show so they lose the newly cut sharpness, judges dont appreciate being scratched by newly cut claws. Small animal scissor nail trimmers work very well for trimming ferret claws.

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