Mady the Ferret
Caring for a ferret can be an interesting journey. On the one hand, they're quite easy-going innocent creatures of habit. With lots, and lots, of mischievous energy. This seemingly odd contradiction is what makes them thoroughly enjoyable. This joy is additionally offset by some significant limitations of their health and lifespan. If you can see past these points, then you’re in for an unforgettable experience. Initial DevelopmentWhen approaching six months of age, ferrets begin to notice that the world is different to us as compared to how it is to them. They become aware of the fact that human skin can be punctured more easily than their own, and if nurtured well, they adapt their biting skills as such. It was around this age that we found Mady and brought him into our household back in 2005. The Ferret Cage
Food & Water
Ferrets eat a lot of food. In fact, they need to have an ample supply of clean food available at all times, and it must be specifically designed for ferrets due to their high protein requirement. As most ferret food is preserved with Vitamin E, we avoid buying the large bags of food and instead stick with the medium-sized, air-tight sealable bags to prevent spoilage. Mady has no interest in any food other than his own, including treats specifically designed for ferrets, other than the occasional reward of cat food. Personal Hygiene
Activity LevelFerrets sleep A LOT. Ours tends to sleep about eighteen hours out of every day. This is balanced quite nicely with periods of increased activity outside of the cage. While we haven’t had too much of a need to ferret-proof the house, we have found that installing chicken wire to the bottoms of the bed and couches was necessary were we ever to be able to find him again. He has a collar with a bell that he usually wears while outside of the cage; we take it off him while inside the cage for fear of his accidentally hanging himself. Noise-wise, ferrets are very quiet. If they yell out, it’s usually because they’ve hurt themselves and it’s a terrifying scream for an owner to hear. Early on, ferrets tend to fixate on certain, unique patterns. In Mady’s case, he had an extreme fascination with any hard, rubber toys which would evoke a "must-hide-it-now" response. Health IssuesFerrets tend to have a short life span, averaging about five years. Around this age, they begin to develop glandular tumors. In Mady’s case, the tumors were affecting his health and their removal greatly increased his activity level. Starting in his fifth year, he takes 1 mg of prednisone every other day to keep his prostate shrunk to prevent bladder obstruction, which has landed him in the ER many times before establishing this new Rx routine. TrainingNeed we say more? |
As ferrets are, by nature, fearless, they can get themselves into a lot of hurt and trouble without proper supervision. A well built ferret cage, at a minimum of 2.5’ x 1.5’ x 2.5’ is therefore strongly recommended. A variety of towels, blankets and other such items make up his bedding. Mady had chosen the far back left corner of his cage as "his spot" to do what has become a verbal command for, "do your business". We quickly found that non-fabric velcro (for waterproofness) was needed to keep him from sliding his litterbox out. Some 3.5" plastic underground conduit tubing from the local hardware store provided a collection of tunnels and places to squiggle, held in place with zip ties. A plastic dish rack was used to add an additional level for him to further enjoy his cage. Oddly enough, the cats have discovered the delicacy of that which is ferret food, and we’ve had to implement locks on the cage doors to keep the cats out, rather than the ferret in. 
It took us a while to realize that Mady was dehydrated despite having a water bottle installed in his cage. To keep him from overturning a water dish, we found one with a twist-and-lock combination for ease of removal for a daily water change. 
One of the difficult things for potential ferret owners to come to terms with is the issue of smell. Even a descented ferret has a noticeable odor, and there are more opinions on this issue than you can shake a stick at. For us, the most reliable and consistent method has been to use tea-tree oil enriched facial soap for his body and unscented baby shampoo for his head. After each bath his ears are cleaned with a q-tip as this is where a lot of the smelly wax buildup comes from. While there are those who will say that frequent bathing is inhumane for a ferret, or may contribute to increased oil production, we have found the issue of balancing oily skin vs smell to best result by bathing him two to three times per week. His bedding is changed at the same time, and a large plastic box sits next to his cage for the storage of various bedding materials. We wash these with fragrence-free laundry detergent and fabric softener sheets to reduce any irritation of smell, a highly developed sense for ferrets.