My boyfriend and I got a ferret together!! This was a few months ago but I’m still really excited about about because I just love him so much. He is the cutest, smartest, sweetest little creature and I just adore him. I’m making this blog posts for people who are thinking about being a ferret parent and to share my experience as one!

Let me start off by saying ferrets are very intelligent and very curious little creatures. They require some training and lots of attention from their owners. Ferrets are very bonding creatures so the more interaction, the better. They bond with their owners for life so being an owner is quite a commitment! I read somewhere that you need to play with your ferret for at least four hours a day, not consecutively of course but they love love love to play! Purchasing toys such as tunnels, balls, and other enrichment toys. My ferret loves to dig so I was looking online and found that you can make a digging box our of long-grain rice and bury little toys and treats in there for them to find and it’ll keep them pretty entertained. Ferrets love shiny things and hiding things, they’re like little bandits. My ferret has a certain hiding spot and when he find something he likes he hides it in a special place under the couch-totes adorbs! But was super frustrating at first.

When it comes to their living quarters a multi-level home is recommended. They can be litter box trained which I think is really neat! The more interactive stuff in their cage the better so maybe trying to put in tunnels and toys and hidey-holes. My ferret adores his little hammock we got him, He literally lays in it all the time! It’s a necessity. Of course he needs water and food- I suggest getting a food bowl that can’t be tipped over or dug in because we had that problem a lot. Ferrets are obligate carnivores so when getting treats for them meat based products are the way to go! There’s also this product called FerretVite which is a vitamin supplement for ferrets and he loves it! It’s good for his skin and health.

Grooming wise you definitely have to clip their nails pretty frequently. I bought my ferret a harness and leash and I’ll walk him on concrete occasionally to try to help keep them filed down. When it comes to bathing them, they don’t require that much of actually bath time because you don’t want to strip them of their natural oils in their skin and fur but my little one loves bath time and playing in the water! Ferrets do have a natural odor that is very specific that may or may not be appeasing to the senses, I don’t mind it but I know some people do. Ferrets are also born with scent glands, similar to the skunk, but they can be removed when you get your ferret fixed. We got our ferret from PetCo and they take care of all that before they sell them.

Anyway, in conclusion to grooming it’s important to also clean your ferret’s ears regularly because they’re prone to ear infections. The are also more prone to other health issues such as adrenal disease and heat strokes so it’s important to look those up before purchasing! Ferrets live a life span of 7-10 years and can be kind of high maintenance pets. I adore my ferret so much and interacting with him just highlights my day! He does his super cute thing where he bounces around really excitedly, dancing around and jumping with stiff legs and sometimes runs into things and I read that it was really common behavior and it’s their way of trying to ge you to interact with them.

More official resources on ferret care:

https://www.lovethatpet.com/small-pets/ferrets/ferret-care/

https://www.thespruce.com/ferret-facts-1236789

http://www.ferret.org/read/faq.html