Ferrets Make Great PetsBut They Need Extra Care…

All too many people buy their first ferret onan impulse, without realizing how much

goes into caring for them properly. And, in fartoo many cases, those ferrets end up beingmistreated, dumped at a local humanecenter… or much worse.

This brochure will provide a quick overviewof how to care for a pet ferret, but there’s alot more that you should learn before youopen your home to your first ferret.

One great resource is Ferrets for Dummies. Itprovides all sorts of valuable information andresources for finding the right foods, the besttoys, ferret-knowledgeable vets… nearlyeverything you’ll need to know to be a goodferret owner.

Another great way to learn about ferrets isfrom the folks who run ferret rescues. Mostrescue operators consider education to betheir primary job, and will be thrilled to teachyou how to care for your ferret. Not surewhere to find a rescue in your area? Twogreat resources are:

www.ferretcentral.orgwww.SupportOurShelters.org

Both sites list ferret shelters in the US, Canada,and many countries around the globe.

Before You Get a Ferret…

There are a few things you should knowabout ferrets before you even consider

owning one (or, more properly, being ownedby one.)

1. FERRETS AREN’T CAGE PETS. Sure, they’ll sleepin a cage, eat in a cage… but that’s it. Theyneed out time every day. Figure at least anhour out of the cage; two hours is better.

2. FERRETS GET INTO EVERYTHING. You’ll need toferret-proof your home… somethingeasier said than done. Get down on yourhands and knees and crawl around. Lookfor holesor open-ings incabinets,closetsandfurniture.Just aninch or sois enoughto cause aproblem.Seal those areas to avoid trouble later.

3. NO MECHANICAL FURNITURE; that is, no reclin-ers or sofa beds. At least, you can’t usethem while your ferret is out. Far too manyferrets have died horrible deaths becauseof these devices.

4. KEEP YOUR VALUABLES OUT OF REACH. Ferretslove to burrow… to dig… to steal. Andthey love a challenge. They’ll enjoy open-ing your purse and stealing your keys.They’ll be thrilled to dig your insoles out ofyour shoes, and hide them under the sofa.And they’ll have no qualms at all aboutknocking your expensive knickknacks offthe shelf, and breaking them into a millionpieces. That’s just part of their nature. Soavoid problems by keeping valuables awayfrom your ferret.

5. KEEP SMALL PETS AWAY FROM YOUR FERRET.Ferrets don’t socialize well with birds, fish,hamsters, mice, guinea pigs or rabbits.And they’re not good with lizards, snakesor amphibians. Keep them separated.Ferrets can get along just fine with mostcats and dogs, as long as you introduce

If You Can’t KeepYour Ferret Any More…

Sometimes, no matter how well preparedyou are, conditions force you to give up

your pet. Before you do, remember: Your ferrethas been a good friend to you. Return thefavor by placing it in a good home or rescue.

1. NEVER RELEASE YOUR PET FERRET into the wild!Ferrets aren’t wild animals. They have nohunting skills or defensive instincts what-soever. A ferret released into the wild hasa life expectancy of less than 3 days, andits death will probably be sad and painful.

2. NEVER ADVERTISE YOUR FERRET as “free to agood home.” That’s a flashing neon signfor people looking for cheap snake food. Isthat really the kind of treatment your ferretdeserves?

3. NEVER GIVE YOUR FERRET to a child. Pet owner-ship is serious business; it’s the responsi-bility for a living creature. Make sure thechild’s parents know their child wants totake your ferret, and are prepared to carefor it when the child loses interest.

4. FIND A NO-KILL FERRET RESCUE. There arerescues all around the world, and in almostevery state in the US. Check the internet.Two great resources are:

www.ferretcentral.orgwww.SupportOurShelters.org

There’s no cuter, more playful oraffectionate pet than a ferret.

But before you consider adding aferret to your family, make sureyou’re prepared to give it the careand attention it needs for a healthy,happy life.

© 2006 Last Chance Ferret Rescue. All Rights Reserved.

Provided by:

Ferrets get into everything, and there’snot much you can do to stop them!

The Last Chance Ferret RescueDiane Bodofsky, Director

215-357-3699www.newrainbowbridge.com

them properly and monitor their interaction.

6. SUPERVISE CHILDREN AND FERRETS. Kids, particu-larly small ones, can have trouble remem-bering to be careful around ferrets. Toomany ferrets get stepped on, kicked or letout because a child forgot. So alwayssupervise young children and ferrets; in fact,whenever kids are out playing is a goodtime to lock your ferrets in their cage.

Preparing Your Ferret’s Home

Even if you plan on giving your ferrets lotsof out-time, they’ll still need a cage. Here

are some of the things you should know tooutfit their home inside your home:

1. NOT TOO SMALL; NOT TOO BIG — Your ferretsneed enough room for their litter box,food, water, bedding, and a littlewalkabout space. Any less and they’ll beuncomfortable. But too big a cage can alsobe a problem; the ferret may not learn touse its litter box if the cage is too large.

the time; empty the crumbs and clean outthe bowl once a week.

3. WATER BOTTLE — A large bottle that’ll holdplenty of water. If the water bottle runs outin less than a day, it’s too small. Keep it fullevery day, and clean it out thoroughly andrefill it once a week. Some ferrets like awater bowl better, and a sick ferret willusually drink more from a bowl.

4. LITTER BOX — A rectangular box is best.Attach it to the cage with clips to keep theferret from flipping it over. Forget the triangu-lar boxes; most ferrets won’t use them.

5. BEDDING — A receiving blanket or polarfleece are two favorites. An old sweatshirtcan also be good. And every ferret needs ahammock.

A few things to avoid:

• Never use cedar bedding… or cedaranything, for that matter. Cedar is toxicto ferrets.

• Never use clumping litter… ferrets liketo play in their litter, and the dust willclump in their lungs, too.

• Never clean the ferret’s cage or acces-sories with strong solvents or cleaners.Use a mild detergent, and rinse thor-oughly to get all the soap residue off.

Feeding Your Ferret

Ferrets need food available at all times.Ferrets have a very fast digestive system,

and will need to eat at least every few hours.

Always feed your ferret a high quality, dedi-cated ferret food. The right food will keepyour ferret healthier and reduce odors.What’s more, even though the food may costmore initially, the ferret will eat less so theprice may even out.

Avoid low cost foods, cat foods, or any foodwith dried fruit in it. These may say “ferretfood” on the label, but they’re not good foryour ferret.

The nutritional content of a good ferret foodshould be about 30% protein and 18% fat.Check the ingredients: The first ingredientshould always be an animal protein, such aschicken. And either the second or thirdingredient should also be an animal protein.

Two excellent ferret foods are Totally Ferretand Path Valley. You can’t go wrong witheither of these brands.

Be careful trying to switch your ferret fromone food to another. If the ferret doesn’trecognize the food, it could easily starveitself to death rather than switch over.

Finding a Ferret Vet

Good, experienced ferret vets are few andfar between. And the wrong vet can harm

or even kill your furry friend. So how can youfind a ferret vet? Start by checking with localferret rescues or shelters; they’ll usually knowa vet who’s experienced with ferrets.

Or check online: www.ferretcentral.org listsvets recommended by other ferret owners.

If you can’t get a good recommendationfrom a knowledgeable source, you may beable to weed out the completely inexperi-enced vets with a couple questions. Askwhat shots your ferret requires: They shouldknow that the ferret needs an annual rabiesshot and a canine distemper shot. That’s theeasy part:

Next, ask whether they can give your ferretboth shots at the same time. If they say yes,look elsewhere: That vet doesn’t knowenough about ferrets. There should be atleast a 2-week wait between these shots.

You can also ask if they believe in fasting theferret before surgery. Most qualified vetsknow a ferret’s digestive system is so fastthat fasting isn’t necessary, and in fact can beharmful.

Finally, be prepared to travel a bit. Manypeople drive an hour or two to take theirferret to a good vet. It’s worth the trip!

How Many Is Enough?

Ask any ferret owner… ferrets are likepotato chips: One is never enough. And

the fact is, ferrets are social animals: Most ofthem prefer having cagemates to play with.

How many you have depends on how manyyou can afford to take care of properly.Never take on so many ferrets that you haveto let care or medical treatment slip.

If cost isn’t an issue, most shelter and rescueoperators agree that three is the minimumnumber to have. That way, if one dies, theothers aren’t left alone. And three are nomore difficult to care for than one; it’s stilljust one cage, one food bowl, one waterbottle… you get the idea.

2. FOOD BOWL — A plastic bowl that attachesto the side of the cage, so the ferret can’ttip it over. Make sure you keep it full all

Outfit your ferret with a decent sized cage, food bowl,water bottle, a litter pan, and, of course, a hammock.

Ask any ferret owner: Ferrets are like potato chips —no one can stop with just one.