|
2. Getting a Ferret
What will I need to take care of my new ferret?
You will need food and a food dish, a water dish or bottle, litter boxes and
litter, towels or old clothing for bedding, a cage, ferret or baby shampoo, pet
nail clippers (large human-nail clippers work too), toys, and a good
veterinarian. Strongly recommended are a box or basket to sleep in, and Linatone
or Ferretone. Optional are Bitter Apple or something similar, a collar and bell,
and a harness and leash. More information can be found below.
Ferretone and Linatone are similar vitamin supplements that nearly every
ferret considers a wonderful treat, although the recommended dosage on the
bottle is generally considered far too high; a few drops a day is plenty. Bitter
Apple is a bad-tasting liquid or paste intended to stop pets from chewing
things. The paste will probably be much more effective. You may want an H-type
harness and a leash; ferrets don't usually bolt when taken outdoors, but they
definitely wander off and get lost easily, so you'll have to watch yours
closely. Ferrets love to play in, and empty, water bowls, so you might want to
give them a rabbit-type water bottle too, in case their bowl gets spilled.
You will almost certainly need more than one litter pan, particularly if you
have a large home. Small-size cat litter pans work fine, and for a travel cage
or shoulder bag you can use a Rubbermaid-type plastic container intended for
bread or ice cream (about 6 X 9 X 5 inches, or 15 X 23 X 13 cm). Make sure the
sides of the pan are pretty high, since ferrets habitually back into corners to
deposit their wastes and you don't want messes over the sides of the pan.
However, one side of the pan should be low enough that your ferret can get in
and out easily.
Do I need a cage? How should I set it up?
Many people keep their ferrets in a cage or very well-ferretproofed
room whenever they can't be supervised. This drastically reduces the risks of
digestive-tract blockages from swallowing indigestible objects, injury, and
escape.
However, even if you plan to let your ferrets have the run of the house at
all times, you'll want a cage at first for litter-training and other kinds of
training as well as for temporary use. If you plan to keep your ferret caged
whenever you're not home, and you'll be gone most of the day, a reasonable cage
size is about 2 X 3 feet and 2 feet high (60 X 100 X 60 cm). A second or third
ferret could share that size cage. If you'll only be using the cage temporarily,
such as when you're vacuuming or taking your pet on a weekend trip, 1 X 2 X 1
feet (30 X 60 X 30 cm) is sufficient for one or two ferrets. Of course, the
bigger the cage, the better. For trips around town, a shoulder or duffel bag
equipped with a litter pan and mesh window works well.
In the cage, you'll want some sort of "bedroom" for your pet. A
ferret won't be very happy sleeping on the open floor of a cage, even on (or,
more likely, under) a towel, but any small cardboard box or basket works well as
a bedroom. Old towels or sweatshirts make excellent bedding, as long as they
aren't too easily chewed to bits. Don't use wood shavings; they make a lot of
dust and oils that are bad to breathe, and they're completely unnecessary. Other
than food, water, a litter pan, bedding, and a bedroom, what you put in your
ferret's cage is largely up to you. Hammocks made from old jeans or shirts and a
set of metal eyelets are very popular, and ramps, edges, tunnels, and toys
will also be enjoyed. Just be sure nothing you put in your ferret's cage could
hurt him, whether by catching a toe, being swallowed, or some other way. Also be
sure your cage door fastens securely, perhaps even with a small lock, because
ferrets can be very determined and intelligent escape artists.
What kind of litter should I use?
Some people have had problems with the clumping varieties of litter,
which can get into ferrets' noses or rectums where it clumps and causes
problems. You may not want to take the chance. Likewise, wood chips are not
recommended, for the same reasons that they don't make good bedding. Other than
that, any kind of litter meant for cats is okay for ferrets. Compressed wood
pellets are particularly popular, whether the type sold as cat litter or plain
wood stove pellets, which are much cheaper. If your pet is used to one litter
and you switch, it may take a while for him to connect the scent of the new
litter with where he's supposed to go. (Also see the section on litter
training.)
What kind of collar/bell/tag should I use?
Tags and bells are recommended, especially for ferrets who have the run
of the house. There's always the chance that your ferret will escape, and even
just around the house it gives enormous peace of mind to be able to tell where
they are! For walks, you'll probably want an H-type harness, but that's a little
much to leave on all the time. Most ferrets don't seem to mind wearing a collar
or bell, although it may take them a day or two to get used to them.
Depending on your ferret, either a nylon kitten collar, a thin, flat leather
puppy collar, or a piece of all chain (like that used for lamps or toilets)
will work well. Some ferrets will scratch at a nylon ollar, which pulls the
threads and can tighten the collar dangerously. Also, both nylon and leather can
shrink if they get wet, so never leave a wet collar on your pet: it may choke
him as it dries. Make sure to leave the collar loose enough that your pet can
slip out if he gets caught on something: better a lost collar than a choked or
panicked ferret!
A small cat bell and small-size plastic tag have worked well for us on a kit
as young as 9 weeks. The slot on some of the smallest bells is easy to get a
nail stuck in, though, so you may need to widen it a little with a nail file.
Attach the tag and bell with an S-hook or stiff wire; the split rings have a
tendency to loosen. For a nylon or leather collar, you'll probably want to poke
the S-hook directly through the collar, since putting it on the ring makes it
too long.
Any suggestions on toys?
Cat toys work well for ferrets, but avoid removable parts, spongy
rubber, and foam stuffing that might cause digestive-tract blockages. Most
ferrets are harder on toys than a cat would be, so choose accordingly. Plastic
balls, with or without bells, are good if they are not easily broken (the little
"webbed" ones break too easily). For hard rubber toys, be sure they
can't get stuck in your ferret's mouth, and take them away when they start to
crack. Avoid superballs: ferrets love to chew them to bits and swallow the
pieces. Squeaky toys are good if they're tough enough to stand up to chewing.
Catnip won't hurt ferrets, but it doesn't affect them like it does cats.
Most ferrets enjoy playing in a hammock made from a piece of cloth and some
metal eyelets, and the leg from an old pair of jeans will be fun to crawl
through or nap in. For other toys, try bathrobe belts, cardboard boxes, tennis
balls, golf balls, or old socks with bells rolled up in them. Plastic shopping
bags are popular, but watch to be sure your pets don't suffocate or eat the
plastic. Carpet-roll tubes and tunnels made of plastic pipe are popular too.
Paper towel and toilet paper tubes can be dangerous; ferrets have been known to
get their heads stuck in them. An excellent, inexpensive toy is a piece of
plastic dryer hose about 4" (10 cm) in diameter. Be sure that your real
dryer hose is out of reach, or get a metal one, so your pets don't dig through
it into the dryer or out into the world.
No matter what you decide your ferret's toys are, he or she will almost
undoubtedly choose some household items you never expected, as well. Keep
anything that would be damaged with a little chewing, or that might hurt your
pet, well out of reach.
How can I best ferretproof my home?
Ferretproofing a home basically involves blocking off all the holes
around your baseboards, removing anything spongy from reach, moving fragile
items out of the way, and making sure your closets and cabinets close securely.
Ferrets love to worm their way into any little hole (as small as 2 X 2 inches
[5 X 5 cm], or even smaller for kits and some adults), which can be very bad if
the hole leads under a refrigerator or other appliance, into a wall, or outside.
Crawl around on your stomach to look for holes near the floor, especially in the
kitchen, bathroom and laundry area. Even holes inside cabinets (which are
particularly common in apartments, where plumbers are often sloppy) should be
blocked. Also watch out for heaters or furnace ducts. You can block openings
with wood or wire mesh. Many ferrets are good climbers and jumpers. They can get
onto a sofa, into a trash can, onto the third shelf of a set of bookcases, into
the opening on the back of a stereo speaker, or over the gate you thought would
keep them in the spare room (a smooth two-foot barrier will probably do the
job). Some of them can get into tubs and toilets, where they might drown. They
can also open cabinets, unzip backpacks, and climb into some drawers from
underneath.
Apart from obvious dangers such as electrical cords (which ferrets don't
generally like to chew) and bottles of household cleaners and chemicals (which
they do sometimes like to drink), be particularly careful with sponges, erasers,
shoe insoles, ear plugs, Silly Putty, foam rubber (even inside a cushion or
mattress), styrofoam, insulation, rubber door stoppers, and anything else spongy
or springy. Ferrets love to chew on that kind of thing, and swallowed bits can
cause intestinal blockages.
For some reason, many ferrets like to eat soap. A lick or two isn't
especially dangerous, but it isn't good for them, either; you should keep it out
of reach. Also be aware that ferrets like to dig in and possibly chew on
houseplants, and some common ones are quite poisonous. Plants can be protected
from digging (but not chewing) by putting large rocks or metal mesh over the
tops of their pots. If your ferret digs at the carpet, try putting down a piece
of scrap carpet, plastic carpet protector or chicken wire, possibly nailed down
using U-nails.
Finally, once your home is done, keep an eye out for your pets. Always
double-check the dishwasher, refrigerator, washing machine and dryer before
closing them or turning them on, and watch where you sit and walk: that chair,
bed, throw rug or pile of laundry might be hiding a napping ferret.
|
