Q:
Can you teach them to use a litter box?
A: Yes, ferrets are
trainable... for the most part. It takes a lot of time, patience
and love to get them fully trained, but it can be done. It helps
to use a litter they will like (yesterdays news or generic type) and
it helps to use boxes they are willing to use. Sometimes, you
think a corner box will work, but don't realize it's too small for
a ferret to use, so they will go next to it instead.
Q:
Why do they smell?
A: If they smell, it could be due to several
reasons. Either they haven't been altered and de-scented, or if they
have, then it's something simple such as an improper diet or over
bathing, maybe the combination of both. A fish based diet will
cause their stools to stink, while over bathing, will cause their
skin to dry out and force their natural oils to overproduce, causing
a stinky ferret. Instead of bathing the ferret, wash their bedding
and clean their cage weekly, and switch to a chicken based diet, and
you will not have a stinky ferret. Using spray on products on
your ferrets just covers up the odor.
Q: Are they nocturnal?
A:
No. They will however, adjust to your schedule so that they
can spend more time with you. It is recommended to allow them
to live by natural light.
Q: How often should they be
bathed, or their cages cleaned?
A: You should hardly ever bathe
them, twice a year if that, unless they get into something that you
just have to give them a bath. You should however, clean their
bedding in the cage/room once a week. You should use a detergent
that is perfume free.
Q: Do they need to be let out of
the cage, and how often?
A: Ferrets should be let out of their
cage a minimum of four hours a day. You should interact
with your ferret for a minimum of one hour a day for a healthy “ferretude.”
Ideally, your ferrets should only be locked up at night, so that you
may find them easier if there is an emergency such as a fire and you
need to evacuate yourself and the animals.
Q: Do
you have to devote a lot of time to them?
A: Yes. Ferrets
require lots of human interaction, they love attention. You
also want to make sure to allow them a minimum of four hours per day
out of their cage.
Q: What do they eat? What should I feed my
ferret? Is cat food OK?
A: Ferrets need a high protein low carbohydrate
diet. Very few of the cat and ferret foods can provide that.
Just because a food says it’s “ferret” food, doesn’t mean it
has the nutrition that your ferret needs. It is up to you to
make sure your ferrets are healthy. We recommend you look for
a chicken based diet, minimum of 35% protein, and minimum of 18% fat.
No fruits or vegetables. Try to avoid diets that have sugar,
it can be hidden under names such as molasses. Sugar and carbohydrates
are not good for your ferret and can cause illnesses such as insulinoma
later in their life. You can also try to feed them some chicken,
see if they take to it, if they do, you can mix it in with their kibble
or give it as a treat.
Proper ferret nutrition/diet is argued by many
ferret groups and individuals. Just remember, ferrets are obligate
carnivores. This means, they need zero carbohydrates in their
diet, and they’re not designed to digest fruits or vegetables.
Q:
What are common illnesses?
A: Adrenal, Insulinoma, lymphoma.
We are currently working on our medical corner of our site, for the
time being, you can find more info on these diseases here: www.miamiferret.org
Q:
What's the average you'll spend on healthcare in one's lifetime?
A:
Ferrets are very resilient while fragile at the same time. You
need to have your ferret checked out by a ferret knowledgeable veterinarian
at least once a year, along with proper inoculations. But you
should also have a nice savings account for your ferret. Enough
to be able to rush them to the emergency room incase they have a blockage,
or need to have an adrenal surgery. The cost will vary on your
vet. It is a good idea to research vets in your area and know
where emergency services are available.
Q: How do I train my
ferret not to dig in my plants?
A: Well, you just may have to
give up, chances are, if your ferret has access to plants, it will
want to dig. You can do several things at this point.
You can put heavy rocks on top of the soil of the plant
to prevent them from digging, or you can put your plants in stands
that are too high for the ferret to jump to. Though they will
still try to find a way. You can make your ferrets a dig
box, to help with their obvious need to dig up dirt.
Q: My ferret is losing its hair, what does that mean?
A:
Chances are, your ferret has adrenal disease. I would schedule an
appointment with your veterinarian for an ultrasound. Once you
confirm adrenal disease, you have a few options you should discuss
with your veterinarian. Ferrets do not naturally lose their
hair due to old age, however, they do shed their coat twice a year.
For this reason you should give them a laxative to prevent hairball
blockages.
Q: What should I ask my vet to see if they are ferret
knowledgeable?
A: Ask if they know what adrenal disease
is, and if so, if they have performed any surgeries, what their success
rate is, etc. Are they familiar with melatonin implants. Then go deeper in, lymphoma, insulinoma, ECE, Helicobacter, symptoms
on all of these. If you know more than the interviewing vet,
then I would keep looking for another vet. You can
also check ferrets magazine or look online for veterinarians who have
been recommended by ferret clubs.
Q: What do the dots on my ferrets
ear mean?
A: Different farms have different ways of identifying
their ferrets. The biggest and most common ferrets in this area
are Marshall farms ferrets, these ferrets have two dots on their right
ear.
Q: Do I really have to give rabies and distemper shots to
my ferrets?
A: Rabies is required by NV state law. If you don't
have your rabies inoculations, they can come take your animal away.
Distemper is lethal, for the best safety of your ferret, we recommend
you do distemper once a year. It doesn't matter if your ferret
never goes outside, you could pass by someone at the grocery store
who has a dog who has it and now you have brought it home to your
fuzzies.
Q: Can you adopt to CA?
A: No, the law in CA states
that ferrets are illegal. I rescue from CA on a regular basis.
This law is very real, and ferrets do get confiscated. As a
non-profit organization we can not legally adopt to CA residents,
regardless of what my opinion is of the current law.
Q: What
should I bring to the shelter if I want to adopt?
A: A carrier
to bring the fuzzies back home in. An open mind, willingness
to learn, and understanding that I have a lot to teach about ferrets.
Even if you’ve owned ferrets in the past, or have them now, there
have been so many new developments on ferret care that everything
you learned five years ago is probably outdated. If you own
the book Ferrets For Dummies, I will not lecture you as much.
Q:
My ferret is chewing on fabric, what should I do?
A: Chances
are, something is wrong, with the gums or stomach, I would highly
recommend you take your ferret to the vet for a check up. Also,
may want to give them a bunch of laxatone to make sure the fabric
is not going to cause a blockage.
Q: My ferret is scratching
a lot, what does that mean?
A: ferrets naturally scratch a lot,
but if it's excessive, it could either be a symptom of adrenal disease,
or something simpler, such as ear mites or some kind of parasite,
either way, if it's excessive, they should be seen by a ferret knowledgeable
vet.
Q: Can I have a ferret for free?
A: If finances are
a concern, then a ferret is not the right pet for you. Ferrets
do get sick, and they do have emergencies even in the most careful
homes. You will deal with some kind of cancer at one point or
another in your ferrets lifetime, and you have to be able to financially
take care of the problem. If you can not afford our adoption
fee, then you can not afford a ferret. Adoption fees are also
one of the small ways that rescue groups recoup their veterinary costs.
Q: Will they get along with my cat or dog?
A: That all
depends on the ferret, cat or dog. Chances are, you won't have
any problems with your cat, maybe the ferret will terrorize them a
little and your cat will steer clear. Or they will be best buddies,
same with you dog, unless you have a terrier of some sort, then they're
natural instincts might kick in. Either way, you want to do
introductions slowly and under supervision. Also, if adopting
your ferret from a shelter, they should be able to tell you if they
know if the ferret has any history with other animals.
Q:
How long does a ferret live?
A: If properly taken care of, 8-10
years. However, ferrets are prone to certain cancers, that can
cut their life short.
Q: I don't have the money, can you pay
for my ferrets surgery?
A: No, unfortunately, due to the domesticated
ferret being prone to several different types of cancers, any rescue
group is over their spending limit on vet care. Just about every
ferret comes down with adrenal disease, which most commonly, it is
the ill ferrets that end up in our care, and we just can not afford
to give money out to others, we can barely pay for our own.
If finances are a serious issue, you may want to reconsider owning
a pet ferret.
Q: What kind of litter should I use?
A:
Yesterdays news or other type of recycled newspaper pellet.
Carefresh does not work unless you're using it for a dig box.
Some people use newspaper laid flat, and I have heard that to have
great results.
Q: How do I get my ferret to stop biting?
A:
Patience, love, caring words, and definitely not by flicking them
on the nose. Ferrets can bite for several different reasons.
Fear, dominance, playfulness, etc. Identifying why your
ferret bites is the most important, then you can figure out the best
way to get your ferret to stop biting.
Q: What about lupron or
melatonin?
A: These are not proven to cure your ferret's adrenal
tumor, so far, with lupron, the tumor often keeps growing while the
symptoms are being masked. Melatonin seems to be the better
answer for non-surgical candidates. Also, there is research
being done to see if giving melatonin implants will help with the
prevention of adrenal disease. I would discuss with your
veterinarian about these options. However, we are still convinced,
that surgery is the best way to proceed if your ferret has adrenal
disease.
Q: Can I give my ferret fruits or veggies?
A:
Absolutely not, you'll be rushing your ferret to the ER because it
has a blockage. Ferrets bodies are not designed to digest fruits
of vegetables, and while some older books will tell you this is their
natural diet, it is not. If you want to give your pet ferret
a treat, we recommend ferretone, eggs, or chicken.
Q: What
do I do if my ferret gets out?
A: They can't survive in the
wild, but they can survive if they have food they can find.
There are several things you can do, here is what was written for
our March of '04 newsletter:
Lost fuzzy? What should you do?
*
Microchip. This will be the most difficult/expensive preparation.
If someone finds your ferret and decides to keep it, the Sheriff will
NOT be able to help you just because you *know* this is your fuzzbutt!
You will have to prove it. Photos can help, but my two sable boys
look just like your two sable boys. Those nose freckles do change
too. In this area, Reno Animal Services, most vets, and some rescue
groups have scanners or know to have the found animal scanned.
* Train
(treat reward) your ferret to respond to some noise NOW. Do it every
day. A clicker, pennies in a can. Something louder than needed indoors.
Have on hand (in a place you can grab right now) photos of your ferrets.
Preferably printed on fliers with your name and phone numbers, the
ferrets name and microchip number. It's surprising how many folks
do not know what a ferret looks like, or that I have them. Include
info on how to approach the ferret, etc.
* Have a strong flashlight,
charged and ready to go. Mine is a re-chargeable, cordless, portable
that can run off the voltage plug of an automobile. $15 at Costco.
*
Have on hand phone numbers of friends, family, neighbors that you
can call to come help you look, NOW.
Do NOT panic. Think of this ferret's
personality. Is he/she bold, curious, likely to head into the
open? Quiet, reserved, more likely to scoot under a bush, hug the
house?
* Stop and *look*. The eye catches movement quickly when standing
still and focusing on an area for a moment.* Stop and *listen* You
won't hear those leaves rustling if your frantic and crying.
* Be prepared
to provide a safe hiding spot (to get away from potential predators)
near doors with food, treats, water. I have secured under all outside
door steps so the ferrets can get in and out but the openings are
too small for a cat.
* Feel out neighbors ahead of time (in CA) and
let them know you have ferrets in case they might see them even before
you realize they're lost.
* Do the same with local animal control (I
know I can report my missing fuzzies right away because they are fuzzie
friendly)
* Mine have gotten out of a latched sliding screen door!
by squeezing between the screen door frame and the glass door frame
so check yours. Same for certain window screens.
* Take your
fuzzies on lots of walks outside, around your house on a leash so
they are familiar with the whole area. Then they'll know how
to get home and to the door when they get hungry/scared after escaping.
*
Be prepared to place posters with pictures of your fuzzies, all around
the neighborhood.
* Ask your neighbors to keep their cats and dogs
restrained while you're searching so they don't potentially attack
your fuzzie.
* Know where to get 'have-a-heart' or similar live traps
in a hurry and use them (my neighbor has them and are
available for
my use anytime). They can trap and, more importantly, protect
your lost fuzzy from predators. Check them regularly each day
when set.
* Elicit help from all the neighbors you can muster up as
soon as possible. The more time spent searching immediately,
the better the odds of finding.
* Search in expanding circles around
the place of loss and retrace areas that are difficult to thoroughly
search
(mine would love to get into the fire wood pile; and have).
* Don't give up!
Basic Ferret Care
v feed your ferret a high quality food, at least 36% meat protein. it helps to mix the two foods. Some good foods are: Totally Ferret, 8 in 1 Ultimate (not ultra), Natural Gold, and Innova Evo cat food (this cat food is 50% protein.)
v make sure your ferret always has fresh food available (I know you’ve
heard this before, it’s important!)
v don’t
give ferrets too many treats, give ferretone 2/3 times a week- make
sure it is ferretone, other products have sugar, which ferrets shouldn’t
get!
v give your ferrets fresh water every
day. your ferrets should have at least one full water bottle per ferret,
and a bowl to catch drips.
v Change litter
at least 4/5 times a week and clean their cage/bedding once weekly.
his should keep the cage from developing an odor.
v Do not use cedar or pine litter. Instead, use litter made from
good quality recycled newspaper, like Yesterday’s News or Good Mews.
these can usually be found in the small animal litter section if not,
you can find them in the cat litter section, Winco sells Good Mews
for a great price.
v PLAY WITH YOUR FERRET AT LEAST 1-5 HOURS A DAY! More is
better, especially if you have kits!
v Remember:
FERRET-PROOF ISN’T! triple check your house for any cupboards holes,
doors, plants, "ladders," HOLES, shoes, couches, beds, laundry, appliances,
or HOLES!
v if you think your house is ferret-proof,
IT ISN’T check it over again!!!
v remember,
if a ferret can get their head through it, it can get the rest of
it’s body
You can put ferretone on your ferrets belly to distract them while clipping nails. Trim nails once weekly.
Use
a low alcohol content ear cleaner with q-tips, and clean your ferrets
ears every other week
Use Laxatone or vaseline (they love vaseline
and it doesn’t have sugar) weekly to prevent hairball blockages, ferrets
can not digest hair, just like they can not digest fruits or vegetables
Try
to feed them chicken and eggs, raw or cooked, for best diet for them.
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© 2004 Northern Nevada Ferret Network