Ferrets at home: pros and cons

Probably, every person, at least once in his life, had a desire to have a pet. Cats and dogs are no longer so interesting – recently, the fashion for exotic and wild animals is gaining popularity. One such option is the domestic ferret. Keeping this animal and caring for it is not an easy task, because today few people are familiar with the habits and character of an outlandish animal.

All the features of keeping and breeding ferrets at home will be discussed below. Here you can find detailed instructions on the “education” of animals: from an approximate cost estimate to methods for cutting claws.

Description of decorative ferrets

In the houses and apartments of s, ferrets appeared only 8-10 years ago, while in Europe and the USA these animals were “tamed” more than 40 years ago. You can’t argue about the exoticism of such a pet: a graceful ferret walking on a leash with incredibly soft fur will certainly attract the views of passers-by.

Not all Hori can live in captivity. Only one of the many wild breeds, the forest ferret, has been specially domesticated. Such a tamed type of animal is commonly called a ferret. The animal is small in stature, with short legs, has a squat body elongated in length and a very beautiful fluffy tail.

In nature, the forest ferret “wears” a fur coat of only one shade – dark brown. But in a domesticated pet, the color can be almost anything: from white to black, spotted individuals are often found. Below is a photo of a domestic ferret: an incredibly cute creature!

Many people get ferrets because of their fur, because the fur of a pet is incredibly soft and pleasant to the touch. And yet, the ferret is very graceful, and you can watch it for hours – the animal has interesting habits and a multifaceted character.

The nature and habits of the ferret

In Latin, “ferret” is translated as “cunning thief”, and this says a lot about the nature of a pet. However, you should not think badly about the animal – its temper is very complex, in the habits of the animal there are not only minuses, but also “fat” pluses.

Before you get a pet, you need to learn about the character traits of domestic ferrets. Frets are distinguished by the following features and habits:

1. The domestic animal is very mobile, energetic, he is always in a good mood. The owner of the ferret will never be bored, because it is a “perpetual motion machine”, which rarely sits still. Ferrets are interesting to watch, because they have a lot of things to do (even in a one-room apartment).
2. The ferret is very smart, it lends itself well to training, and, with enough patience, it is really possible to teach the animal several commands. But here we should not forget about the tricks of domestic ferrets – training can be incredibly fun.
3. A domesticated animal quickly gets used to a new place and immediately begins to explore “uncharted territories”. Thanks to this character trait, you can take a ferret with you on vacation or to visit – this will be great entertainment for the animal, and not psychological trauma (as for a cat, for example).
4. Domestic ferrets are easy to toilet train, which is great news for anyone who decides to get an exotic pet.
5. Ferrets quickly get used to the rhythm of their owner’s life, they will not make much noise or interfere with a person. At night, a domestic ferret may not sleep, but it rarely wakes other inhabitants of the apartment.
6. Pet ferrets do not have to be walked, so the animals are perfect for those who always do not have enough time. If the owner wants to take a walk with the ferret, the animal will only respond with gratitude – for him this will be an occasion to learn something new (the ferret is incredibly inquisitive and curious).

Is it worth getting a ferret in an apartment?

Care and maintenance of a domestic ferret will not be the same as for a dog or cat. The future owner of the ferret must prepare for the appearance of an unusual pet in the house, he will have to learn a lot of new things, purchase everything necessary for the little ferret in advance.

The dimensions of many modern apartments do not allow to have a dog in the house, and a large percentage of people are allergic to cats. In this case, a ferret is a great option for a pet, because it does not take up much space and very rarely causes allergies.

Ferrets as pets: the pros and cons of keeping

A photo of a ferret ferret will not leave anyone indifferent: the animal is indeed very beautiful and charming. Attractive appearance is one of the many advantages of a domestic animal. Ferrets also have other advantages, such as:

1. The size of the animal is very “compact”, and this quality causes a lot of positive feedback from the owners of domestic ferrets. The animal can be carried in your arms, put in a bag or backpack, carried in public transport or in a taxi.
2. Unlike cats, domestic ferrets do not resist putting leashes and harnesses on them. Walking the animal will be safe, and he will not run away anywhere.
3. After sterilization, these pets do not become lethargic and fat. On the contrary, castrated ferrets are even more active and mobile.
4. The thick fur of ferrets is not only beautiful, it is an excellent thermostat: in winter, the animal does not have to be dressed up like a tame dog, and in summer it will not get heat stroke.
5. Domestic ferrets are very playful, they are constantly on the move – the owner will not be bored.

In addition to the advantages, domestic ferrets also have such features that you need to know about even before buying a pet. The owners of ferrets note the following nuances of their content:

1. The coat of the trochee has a specific musky smell, which some owners may not like very much (this issue is solved by castration or regular bathing of the animal).
2. Domestic ferrets are prone to overeating, so the owner will have to carefully monitor the pet’s diet.
3. Curious ferrets love to chew on hard objects. So they can not only spoil the right thing, but also eat plastic, for example.
4. When raising pets, you can not “give slack.” Feeling impunity, the ferret “becomes impudent” and begins to spoil the furniture, tear the wallpaper, behaves aggressively.
5. Frets are very clean, so their toilet and house should always be clean. If the owner does not have time for regular cleaning, the animal begins to “shit” in the secluded corners of the apartment.
6. The maintenance of outlandish animals requires a lot of money, because domestic ferrets need special food and regular care.
7. Domesticated ferrets often “steal” and hide small things – ferret owners often look for a second sock or a gold earring. You will have to keep order in the house and clean up all the little things “under lock and key”.
8. The ferret is not suitable for those who grow indoor plants. In nature, this animal constantly digs holes, when he sees the ground, he will immediately begin his favorite pastime.

Before you decide to keep a ferret at home, you must definitely weigh all the pros and cons – this animal is not easy. If the animal “does not take root” in the house, it will be difficult to attach it – not every pet lover will agree to take a demanding ferret.

Do ferrets get along with cats and dogs

The advantages of tame ferrets include their friendliness. Ferrets are absolutely not afraid of other animals, which greatly facilitates the maintenance of a ferret at home in an apartment where there is already a beloved pet.

Ferrets love to play with cats and dogs. And these large animals, in turn, also perceive fluffy animals well. Conflicts on the basis of jealousy between pets should not arise – ferrets do not require too much attention from the owner.

Is it worth getting ferrets if there are children in the house

Small children in an apartment can be a “contraindication” to buying a pet ferret. Do not forget about the origin of these pets: at any second, the ferret can become aggressive and harm the baby. The nature of children and ferrets is somewhat similar: they love to play and have an excitable psyche. This often results in scratches and bites on the child’s body, as well as injury to the animal itself.

If a newborn appears in the apartment where the ferret lived, most likely, the animal will have to be placed in good hands. There are cases when an animal attacked an infant and harmed him. It has been proven that the smell of the baby and the sounds it makes are not liked by the ferrets and cause them to become aggressive. For the sake of justice, it is worth mentioning that some owners note the special tenderness of domestic ferrets for young children (but this is more an exception than a rule).

Selection rules

Like any pet, a ferret is not recommended to be bought on the market. These animals are often aggressive in nature, and sellers from the market can use special preparations to calm the animals. In addition, no one guarantees that such a pet will be healthy. The future owner will not recognize the exact age of the ferret. It is recommended to purchase a domestic ferret either from private breeders or in a club.

When buying a ferret into the house, you need to know some rules. Before choosing one or another ferret puppy, you should analyze the following:

1. The nature of the pet. It is easy to find out how docile or aggressive the animal is by the behavior of the breeder. If the owner, without fear, takes the puppy with his bare hands – the ferret is affectionate and accustomed to hands. When the breeder himself puts on gloves and tries not to bring the ferret closer to his face, you should think about it.
2. Babies up to 1,5 months old can be a little sleepy and slow. This condition in older puppies should cause alertness – the ferret may be sick.
3. The color of all small ferrets is the same – gray. You can find out what shade the fur of an adult ferret will be if you look at its parents.
4. In addition to the genitals, females and females of domestic ferrets differ in muzzles: in “girls” the muzzle is more elongated and pointed. The sizes of animals of different sexes are also different: males are usually much larger than females.
5. You can find out the approximate age of a pet by its teeth. Three-month-old puppies should already have fangs in their mouths: sharp and snow-white. The yellowish tint of the teeth indicates the “advanced” age of the ferret. In such animals, the tops of the teeth are usually ground off.
6. Often unscrupulous sellers try to pass off adult female ferrets as puppies. If a small-sized animal has coarse hair and yellow teeth, one has to suspect deception.

A video about domestic ferrets and their habits will help to get to know the animals better:

Which one to choose: female or male

Male and female trochees have pronounced external differences: the “boys” are larger, they have a stocky body structure, a flat muzzle, and large paws. The habits and habits of animals of different sexes are also very different. So, male ferrets have the following qualities:

• they need more food;
• the pet excretes more feces;
• the smell emitted by the skin is stronger in males;
• “boy” can lie in one place for a long time, bask on the owner’s lap;
• male ferrets do not slip out of harnesses, it is convenient to walk them.

During the rut, the male ferret behaves almost the same as a cat: he “marks” the territory.

Female ferrets have their own distinctive behavioral features:

• eat less and defecate less;
• do not have such a pronounced smell as in males;
• “girls” are more mobile and emotional;
• often female ferrets slip out of the harness during a walk.

During the rut, female domestic ferrets become very agitated and anxious – this can be very tiring for the owner. In addition, ferrets rarely come out of heat without the help of a veterinarian or the use of special drugs.

If you decide to have a ferret in the house only as a pet, it is better to choose a male. When the owner wants to become a breeder and breed ferrets, then, of course, it makes sense to buy females.

What are the costs

Keeping ferrets at home for beginners and inexperienced owners can be an unpleasant surprise – such pets will cost a lot. Before buying a small animal, it is better to make an approximate estimate. Mandatory expenses for a pet ferret:

• ferret puppy – from 2 to 20 thousand rubles;
• cell – at least 3000 r;
• food – from 300 r per kilogram (the better and safer for a domestic ferret, the more expensive);
• vitamins and nutritional supplements – about 400 r per month;
• tray – 50-300 rubles;
• a house or a couch, a hammock – 500 r and more;
• shampoo – 100-200 rubles;
• leash – 500-700 r;
• toys – 100-300 rubles (will need to be updated regularly);
• scissors for cutting claws – 150-200 rubles;
• vaccinations – 500-600 r per year;
• sterilization / castration – 700-3500 r (more expensive for females);
• carrying bag (for trips to the veterinarian, for example) – from 300 r.

Ferrets rarely get sick, but no one is immune from this. You will have to pay 400-600 rubles for an appointment with a veterinarian – only a consultation. For example, a cardiogram for a ferret will cost 600-750 rubles. Serious treatment with an operation and a hospital can cost up to 30 thousand.

Reproduce or sterilize

Photos of ferrets living at home, full of admiration for these smart little animals, can make you want to start breeding pets. In the conditions of a city apartment, it is better not to breed animals, but the inhabitants of private houses can try to earn money by breeding ferrets.

The body of domestic ferrets is ready for mating from late winter to mid-summer. The first time to “knit” animals is recommended not earlier than 10 months (although the rut in males and females of a domestic ferret can begin as early as six to seven months of age). For mating, the female is placed in a cage with the male and left for several days together.

Domestic ferrets can bring offspring 1-2 times a year. Depending on the period of the cycle, fertilization occurred, the female ferret leads from 2 to 12 babies.

If the owner of a pet does not set himself the goal of breeding ferrets, it is better to castrate both the female and the male. The operation will have a beneficial effect not only on the behavior of the animal, but also protect its body from possible tumors and other problems.

How to keep a ferret at home

In order for the ferret to feel good in an unfamiliar house, grow up healthy and be constantly cheerful, it needs to create suitable conditions. It is necessary to prepare your house for the arrival of a new “tenant” in advance. The first thing the owner of the ferret should do is to close up all the cracks in the floor and walls, with a diameter of more than three centimeters.

A curious domestic animal can also climb into the housing of household appliances, so all equipment in the house must be inspected and secured. Rubber and rubber objects, electrical wires, small plastic parts will have to be hidden – the ferret will certainly gnaw on them. Pots with indoor flowers and boxes with seedlings are also removed, otherwise the pet will dig holes in the ground and damage all the plants.

You can settle a pet in a living room, on a heated balcony, loggia or in a cage. Of course, the ferret feels best in a large room. If it is decided to keep the ferret in a cage, a spacious and multi-storey “house” is chosen for it.

How to care for a ferret at home

In the cage or in the corner of the room reserved for the ferret, you need to place the things necessary for the animal: a tray, a feeder, a drinker, toys and boxes for hide and seek. All items must be kept clean, then no unpleasant smell will appear in the house. The floors near the tray and feeders must be cleaned regularly, otherwise the domestic ferret will not approach them.

How to litter train a ferret

In order for a pet to get used to defecate in a designated place, the first thing a person must provide a ferret is cleanliness. If the owner uses an empty tray, it will have to be washed several times a day, as it gets dirty. In the case of toilet filler, it is changed regularly.

To accustom a home ferret to a tray is not an easy task, but doable. There are several rules:

1. The tray must be firmly attached to the floor or cage – with suction cups or clamps. Otherwise, it will become a toy for the ferret.
2. A pet will not “walk” into an already soiled litter box, and ferrets have a very fast metabolism (they can defecate more than ten times a day). Therefore, it is better to arrange several trays around the house.
3. Ferrets do not know how to “tolerate”, if the animal does not find a clean tray, it will relieve itself right on the floor.
4. Before putting the tray, you need to follow the animal – it is easier to teach a ferret to defecate in the place that he himself has chosen.
5. After sleeping or eating, you need to watch the domestic ferret. At this time, he usually begins to look for a “secluded place.” It remains for the owner to “direct” the animal to the tray.
6. It is better to choose special corner trays for domestic ferrets – animals get used to them much faster.

How to bathe a ferret

After sterilization, ferrets need bathing much less often, because the smell from them becomes several times less pronounced. One or two bath procedures per month is enough for a pet. The owner will be pleasantly surprised by the ferret’s love for water, he will not break out and scratch – this domestic animal loves to swim very much.

Bathing water temperature should be high enough – 39-45 degrees. On sale you can find special shampoos for domestic ferrets, but cat “cosmetics” are also quite suitable.

Feeding

The domestic ferret is a carnivore, so it likes to eat raw meat and fish the most. However, such a diet is dangerous for the health of a domesticated pet; natural food should only be given with dry food. Special choir food can be found on the Internet or in large pet stores.

As a natural supplement to the diet of a domestic ferret, raw quail or chicken eggs, low-fat cottage cheese, and hard cheese are suitable. You need to feed the animal 2-3 times a day. The domestic ferret will not eat “yesterday’s” food, so they pour a little food on it, after eating the dishes must be washed.

How often should the bedding be changed

Care and maintenance of a ferret at home is not an easy task. Even the litter is not suitable for a fastidious animal. The floor of the chorine cage is best covered with a piece of dense fabric. To keep the “house” clean, it will be enough to wash the bedding once or twice a week.

It is better not to use sawdust and hay for keeping ferrets, they can cause various diseases in animals. If the cage has a hammock or “sleeping tube” and the ferret likes to sleep there, you can completely refuse the bedding.

Sharp claws: pedicure at home or at the veterinarian’s appointment

Untrimmed claws in a pet are not only a risk for upholstered furniture and carpets in the house, they can cause injury to the animal itself and its owner. How to cut a ferret’s claws at home, you can see in this video:

As a tool, it is better to use special scissors for cutting the nails of cats and domestic ferrets. If the owner cannot cut the claws of the pet on his own, you can contact the veterinary clinic, for a specialist this is a matter of a few minutes.

Ferret toys

The ferret always chooses what and how to play. For this pet, even an ordinary box or some kind of garbage can become a favorite toy. However, not all of these items are safe for ferrets. The best toys for pet ferrets are:

• special cat toys from the pet store;
• hard balls with rattles inside;
• soft toys made of fleece or faux fur;
• unnecessary cardboard boxes;
• pieces of PVC pipe with non-sharp edges;
• hanging toys for parrots (if they have a rope, a domestic ferret should play under supervision);
• teethers and rattles made of hard plastic, intended for infants;
• tents or houses;
• old bags;
• hammocks and pipes for domestic ferrets.

Toys made of soft plastic, rubber or rubber can become unsafe for ferrets – everything from which the animal can bite off a piece and swallow it. Toys with small parts should be avoided. Bitten or damaged toys should be thrown away immediately.

And now for a walk

Outdoor walks are very popular with domestic ferrets. In order for walking to bring health benefits to your pet, and not harm, you need to follow a few rules:

1. Walk only those animals that are regularly vaccinated.
2. You should not take a puppy under the age of 9 months with you to the street, he still has too weak immunity.
3. Those ferrets that are on walks should be regularly treated for parasites (fleas, ticks, worms).
4. Walking domestic ferrets is necessary only on a leash, frightened or carried away, the animal can quickly run away.
5. Between the neck of the ferret and the harness, two fingers of the hand should be placed.
6. For walks, it is better to choose quiet parks away from the roads. It is desirable that there are no dogs nearby.

You can walk with a domestic ferret at any time of the year. Only in extreme heat and severe frost is it better to stay at home.

How to tame a ferret

Although not forest ferrets are brought into the apartment, but their domesticated relatives, sometimes the new owners have problems – the animals show aggression and demonstrate complete disobedience by their behavior.

It is necessary to tame a domestic ferret in several stages:

1. Get a few pairs of sturdy gloves so you don’t get hurt by failed “training” attempts.
2. First, lure the animal with delicious food.
3. When he begins to safely approach for a treat, shift the piece into his palm – so that the ferret eats from his hand.
4. Then you can gently pet your pet.
5. It is better to take a ferret fully in your arms while sleeping. Waking up, the animal will see its owner and understand that the person did not cause him any harm.

Conclusion

The domestic ferret is not an easy, but very interesting animal. You should not start such a pet in the heat of the moment, indulging your own or children’s whims. First, you should learn about the character and habits of a cunning creature, prepare a house for him and all the necessary attributes. Maintenance, and even more so, breeding ferrets is a troublesome and costly business. But the cute fluffy is worth it all – he will quickly get used to the house, the person and become his best friend.

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