Ferret - cage/accessories/food

gettingready

Several days ago, while walking her dog - my friend has found a young ferret in a field. No houses near by, tame young ferret so looks like someone just dumped that little boy there (no harness so did not get lost on a walk).

It was Sunday, my friend was due to travel to Poland for few weeks the following Wednesday - we advertised "ferret found" but nobody claimed the little guy so rehomed him with another friend.

Ferret (Fred) is due a vet visit on Sunday for a check up.

He is quite tame (only bit my friend once or twice), learnt how to use litter tray pretty fast. Has the run of a room and looks like a happy little boy.

Friend's English not being that good (we found a Polish vet wohooo) - I am trying to help with logistics.

Can anyone advise where can we buy a good ferret cage, large enough for the little guy to be comfortable in for part of the day? Preferably under £100.00.

What litter is the best for a ferret?


What dry food would be best? Looked at zooplus but as not familiar with ferrets, would not know which food to get?

Friend got him some meat, froze it as per instructions for 3 days (found that info somewhere on Polish sites...) but need to get dry food - at the moment Fred is on cat food as a temporary measure but not ideal of course.

Links to all suggestions would be absolutely great...

Thanks a lot.

This is little Fred:

The day he was found:



In his new home:

krlyr

Ferrets are often microchipped, so if he hasn't been to a vet already, I would recommend she get him scanned before she gets too attached. No harness doesn't mean he hasn't got lost - they're wriggly things and could have escaped the harness, and they have been known to travel quite a distance.

http://www.ferretsforum.co.uk is a good forum - obviously all English, but you could pass on tips/post on her behalf.

For litter, newspaper is what's often used - unlike with cats, you're best off just removing the whole lot of litter and throwing it away, it does tend to smell more than a cat's litter tray (ferrets being from the Mustelidae family - same as skunks!) so newspaper is the cheapest option.

I didn't even bother with a tray for my foster ferrets, they picked a corner of the summerhouse so before I put the lino flooring down I put some ceramic floor tiles in the corner with newspaper, and just changed the paper at least 3 times a day. Once the lino was laid, I just had the paper in that corner. They had giant litter trays they used for beds, and a box full of shredded cardboard bedding that they used as a dig-box (I hid treats in it) but they didn't toilet in those areas. If she does use a tray, make sure it's fairly large - not one of the small triangular corner ones advertised for ferrets, but either a very large rabbit one or a cat litter tray.

They need pretty large cages. There will be lots of threads on the ferret forum, and there's also a for sale section too. I used a Ferret Nation cage as a 'base' but they were never shut in it. They were originally in a large double-storey hutch - no reason you couldn't use a hutch indoors if it were the cheaper option - but then I adapted the summerhouse, added an aviary, and once they'd settled in they had access to that all day (except in the hottest weather, I locked them out of the summerhouse in the day as it got too hot but they may have curled up in a deep sleep and not realised how warm they were getting - they had their hutch in the aviary for shelter). Obviously not everyone can offer that much space, but if they're going to be shut in the cage for any length of time, make sure it's a large one.
Here's the summerhouse - litter area on the left, you can see the cage I used as a base (these can be build up in height - I used to have them stacked 3 high for my rats), the dig box, etc.


Accessories-wise, they can be quite cheap pets as you can make nearly anything into a toy. As you can see from the photo, there's various things they enjoyed playing with - a large cardboard tube, which was the inner tube of the lino (so ask carpet shops if they can spare similar). A plastic box filled with bedding for them to dig through, paper bags for them to climb and hide in, plastic bottles for them to roll around (you could leave the lid off and put some food in there for them to try to roll out too), cheap cat toys, drain pipes (I had a really long flexible pipe in the aviary that they loved running in and over), they loved jumping on the chair and climbing over it. I made fabric hammocks (there's one hanging under the table, and they loved that one in the cage which came with them - looked like it was adapated from a big coat!). A bit of creativity goes a long way.

I would also say bear in mind that they are social animals and appreciate company - getting him a ferret friend would be a priority of mine. You'll find rescues on the forum who would be willing to pair him up. And if he hasn't already been neutered, it definately helps with the smell of a male (and it's completely necessary with a female, as ferrets don't come out of their heat until mated, so females can get very sick and even die if left in heat)

Food-wise, there's not a whole lot of different brands available. I think I fed a combination of James Wellbeloved and Vitalin - the latter was cheaper but the former a bit better quality. Giving a mix made it a little bit cheaper but they still got the better food in there too. They got given smaller portions of whatever raw meat my dogs were getting - I even cut the feet off the whole rabbits for the ferrets when my dogs got the rest! Chicken wings and beef chunks were quite well received too, and they'd have small amounts of the various minces. Just be careful in warm weather as they're prone to stashing the meat, which can attract flies. Something a local ferret owner I popped to see did was use a covered cat litter tray (the kind with the door with a flap) as her ferrets would stash the meat in there - so it was at least covered, and the carbon filter on the tray may even have helped with any smells! I did similar with the large dog kennel that eventually replaced the rabbit hutch (it was loaned to me by the rescue who needed it back for more ferrets), I put a piece of fabric over the doorway to keep the flies out and put their meat in there, it was dark and private enough that they didn't want to stash it elsewhere. I fed the meat last thing at night and removed any leftovers in the morning so it didn't sit around in the heat though.

Do definately check he hasn't got an owner though. To be that tame at such a young age would suggest he had someone who's taken the time to nip-train him (for the most part), and he's not your usual colour (not that rarer animals don't get dumped, bu

gettingready

krylr - thanks a lot for that.

My friend is taking Fred to a vet today and yes, he will be scanned there for a chip too.

Thanks a lot for the info.

(Fred is a "he", always had dogs/cats but never a ferret so learning as he goes).

gettingready

Vet update - Fred is about 2-3 months old, weights just over 500gram, has fleas and scabies - o medication for that now.

No chip.

Will be neutered in about 2-3 months.

YorkiePud_3

Poor old Fred ... or should that be poor young Fred ... !!
Thank goodness you found him ... they can go without food but can only last a handful of days without water to drink so you really could, quite honestly, have saved his life ... !

Same thing happened to me ... and incidentally, with a ferret the exact same colour as Fred ... ! My little girl is a DEW too (a dark-eyed white) ... she lives in a large bird cage which I have adapted for her ... I fit a hammock across the centre of the cage for her to sleep in (and boy can they sleep ... !! They are the perfect pet because they are ready to play when you are but will sleep the rest of the time ... !) ... also, it means that as she has criss-crossed newspaper across one corner of the cage to toilet on (she won't use a ferret corner litter pan), it means she's sleeping up away from her business.

I feed her on ferret kibble from Pets at Home which I have found to be really smashing and well-balanced ... she will eat pieces of cooked chicken or turkey now and then but she won't eat any other meat ... they are what's known as obligate carnivores and should NOT be fed anything BUT meat because they cannot digest it.

Some people give theirs bits of fruit but they're putting their ferret at risk to be honest ... one thing they do need in their diet is taurine. You can't find that in food so easily, so I give my girl a little Malt Paste maybe twice a week (about a 2 inch length of it on my finger) ... the manufacturer is Beaphar ... so with that plus the good balance of ingredients (and no fillers) in the Pets at Home ferret food, she's getting everything she needs ... plus, the Malt Paste will help break down any nasty furballs that try forming ... !!

Also, take care of Fred when he is climbing high ... they have absolutely no spacial awareness so if he's on a high shelf or such like, he WILL go to step off it and could fall ... he won't realise there's a drop there.

Neutering will help with the smell ... my girl hardly smells at all now (put it this way, her cage is in my bedroom ... couldn't have her in here if she did pong ... !!) but oh boy was she a pongy pudding before she was speyed ... he he he .. if you're not going to mate females they need speying because they can get a blood disease which can be fatal you see.

You don't need to bath them really more than a couple of times a year otherwise it strips the oils from their skin and their coat can go wiry and their skin can itch ... and only ever bath them in pure warm water ...

The biggest thing really with ferrets is that they are very susceptible to high temperatures ... they only sweat through their feet (I know, strange, eh ... ?!) and anything abover 15 degrees Celsius you need to be keeping an eye on them, make sure they're in the shade and in as cool a place as you can pop the cage ... believe it or not, they do better being cold rather than warm ... ! If it seems like he's suffering in the heat, best thing is to put a tea towel in cold water, then put it on a surface and stand him on it ... the cold will filter through his paw pads and cool him down, though you may need to keep changing the tea towel every few minutes until he seems more comfortable.

My ferret is a lone ferret but I don't work so she's with me most of the day and I provide the fun and games she would get if she was with others ferrets ... they do as well on their own as they would in a business (that's what they call a group of ferrets ... !) ... as for nip training ... never ever tap the nose of a ferret because it is a very sensitive area and will hurt them A LOT ... !
If he forgets himself and gives a nip, maybe in the throes of playing, stick him back in his cage ... give him a minute then get him out and carry on ... ferrets love human company and attention and if you deprive him of that for a minute or two he will soon realise he upset you by doing what he did and he won't do it again ... they are VERY intelligent and learn in no time at all ... when my girl plays and has a daft half hour I purposely put my fingers to her mouth and she will turn her head away as if to say, "I know I'm not allowed!" ....

One thing that people don't realise is how much joy and laughter they can bring ... they jump about, all four feet off the ground, dooking (making little noises) ... they roll over and over and over and jump sideways ... they've no idea where they're headed, but they have so much joy and exuberance about them and are such loving, affectionate little clowns that I always say if you want to laugh every day, get a ferret ... !! I wouldn't be without mine and love her dearly ... she is every bit a loving pet to me as my dog is ... you wouldn't believe it, I mean, we all think of ferrets as being nasty little things, but as with any animal, if you treat them right, you get a fabulous pet ...

One thing though ... when you get Fred a cage, PLEASE get locks for the cage doors ... they are fabulous escape artists ... !!!
The first night I'd found my girl, I stuck her in a small bird cage till morning ... when morning came she had gone ... panic stations ... !!
I eventually found her in the cupboard where I keep my rubber gloves for cleaning ... hence her now being called Marigold ... he he he ... !!

It seems such a lot to take in and I know it is confusing at first, getting to know them and getting them used to you and getting them to trust you, but I can truly say, hand on heart ... if you choose to keep him as a pet, you will never ever regret it ... they are just wonderful ... !!!!!

Give him a big kiss from me and Marigold ... ! xxx

.. just remembered to say ... Marigold is now cage-trained, in that she will go back to her cage to do her business no matter where she is in the house but at first the instinct is to poop or pee in any corner ... so just keep an eye on him, if he looks to be backing up into a corner he's about to leave you a present so whip him back into his cage and close the door until he's done, then let him out straightaway ... he'll soon get the idea he needs to do it in there not in the house ... !!
I always tell Madam she has to "poop or pee" before I get her out ... believe me, they know what you mean ... she backs up to the corner and just pretends to do something, then comes racing back to the cage door ... so I just point to the corner and back she goes ... 2 seconds later, she's running to the door ... trying to fool me into thinking she's "been" so I let her out ... !!! Four or five times later, she eventually does something so out she comes ... they're very wily ... !!!

krlyr

I have to say, I don't think human company (no matter how long for) replaces that of a same-species companion in sociable animals. One of my foster ferrets was very playful, and although he would play with us, it wasn't half as much as with his foster 'brother'. I think we also can't substitute a lot of the interaction - curling up with them to sleep, grooming each other, I certainly couldn't run through tubes after him!
I would definately recommend a companion ferret for any lone ferret, unless it's been tried and failed (with help from someone experienced in ferret intros).

YorkiePud_3

Well I respect your opinion of course but it's also important for people not to be made to feel they absolutely must do this that or the other to have a happy pet ... yes, the general advice is to have more than one but many experts will tell you that advice is given considering people who are at work and who don't have the amount of time to spend with their ferrets as someone who doesn't work.
I know lone ferrets and multiple ferret families too and I see no difference in them, nor do the specialist vets who treat them.

As with all animals there are no hard and fast rules and some ferrets don't get along with others so it's certainly not imperative that they have ferret company.

All we can do is give our own personal experience and leave the OP to take in all the info and do what they feel is best for their own pet :O)

gettingready

Thanks a lot - will pass all the advice to my friend...

Person_one

Its only a few days since he was found?

I really think you need to spend more time looking for his original owner.

Remember Sazzy?

gettingready

Yes I remember Sazzy - posters about ferret all over where he was found.

Still - as I mentioned, the little one has scabies and fleas. Do you RALLY think he was where he was by chance? My take it he was simply dumped.

krlyr

Or he could have picked them up while roaming loose. Have you/your friend posted online on places like the ferret forum, incase he's wandered or been stolen from an area not so local?