Ferrets are kept in the apartment as pets. If you know the secrets of keeping, feeding, hygiene, then this animal will become your reliable friend. Ferret (weasel, ferret), in English Weasels - a cute playful animal. If you want to settle him in an apartment, you must first find out his habits.
Deciding whether to have ferrets or not
The life span of ferrets is 7–9 years. The animal will sleep for about 14 hours a day, the rest of the day will be active. He will not be able to spend all the time in a cage, a rather inquisitive animal needs movement. So that ferrets or, as they are also called, ferrets, do not arrange a hole in a large pot of a home flower, do not stir up a trash can, the animal needs to be given enough attention.
Allocate one or two rooms for him to walk. Put small items (glasses, pens) in the closet, otherwise the pet may hide them in such a way that it will be difficult to find. Trash cans, flower pots, and electrical cords should be out of reach of your furry friend. Since his sharp teeth are capable of gnawing wires if they are energized, this can lead to dire consequences.
Remove vases, dishes and other fragile items, otherwise the ferret, examining these interesting objects, may break them.
In the photo, a domestic ferret Usually in nature ferrets, playing with each other, grab the skin of the second individual with their teeth. But they have it very thick, so the animals do not feel much pain. At home, a ferret can run after a person's moving legs, grab his heels with his teeth. Such behavior should be stopped immediately so that the furry fidget understands that pain cannot be inflicted.
When deciding whether to adopt a ferret or not, think about who you can leave it on during your vacation. If there are children or other animals in the house, you also need to think carefully about whether to buy a ferret or not. After all, the animal, playing, takes a stand, and the domestic dog can perceive this as a danger and take action. Children should not be left unattended with the ferret, because they can play with each other and, not wanting anything bad, the ferret can use its teeth.
If you do decide to get a ferret, then you need to know how to care for it, how to feed it.
Buying a ferret. Going to the vet
When deciding where to buy a ferret, it is better to purchase it at an animal store, where you will be given a certificate of the ferret's health. You can also buy a ferret from a breeder. Here you can see your pet's parents.
After purchasing an animal, be sure to show it to your veterinarian to make sure that it is healthy, well developed. It is also necessary to vaccinate the ferret there, this will save her from possible diseases, and you will be sure that even if the animal, playing, slightly scratches someone from the family, it will not entail infection with infectious diseases.
What to feed your ferret?
Ferret nutrition is based on dry food
Speaking about what to feed your ferret, it must be said that it is suitable for its diet. specially made dry food for ferrets and for cats. Food intended for other animals must not be fed to the animal.
Moreover, not all ready-made cat food will suit a ferret. There are four classes of such food:
- Economy;
- Average;
- Premium;
- Professional.
If you love your animal and want it to grow strong and not get sick, get professional-grade food for it. In this regard, pay attention to the classification of the finished ferret food. If it says "economy", "average", then this should not be bought. It is much better to purchase food of a professional grade, or at least a premium group.
Here are the brands of ready-to-eat kitten meals (ideal for ferrets) that experienced ferret owners recommend using:
- Eagle Kitten;
- Hill's Science Plan Kitten;
- Nutro Choice Kitten;
- Eagle Kitten.
For older and overweight ferrets, the following brands are suitable:
- Iams Rich in Lamb;
- Hill's Feline Maintaince;
- Eagle Cat Adul.
Comparing dry and soft food, it should be noted that the first is preferable, since its particles help to remove tartar.
There is no need to mix homemade food and ready-made food, since the latter contains all the necessary elements for a healthy diet. In addition, it can lead to urolithiasis. The ferret must have clean water available so that the animal can drink at any time. The food should also be in his bowl so that the ferret can satisfy her hunger whenever she wants. The remnants of food are periodically removed, the dishes are thoroughly washed, and a fresh portion of food is poured.
Natural food ferret
When developing a ferret's menu, you need to remember that she is a predator, so include offal, meat, less often fish and eggs in the diet. With this method of feeding, you need to feed the ferret 2 times a day.
Plant foods include only 2% of the total diet. Fish are given infrequently, it can be: cod, mackerel, trout, flounder. You can give quail eggs whole to the animal, but chicken eggs must be boiled first. As a treat, sometimes give your pet a piece of cheese, some cottage cheese.
If you have chosen natural food for your ferret, then be sure to include vitamin supplements in your diet. They are especially necessary when the ferret is preparing to become a mother, shedding or actively growing.
Sometimes a so-called "freksha" is prepared for ferrets
To do this, poultry offal, meat, some fish, boiled cereals and vegetables are passed through a meat grinder. Vitamins are added here and feed to the animal. Such food cannot be stored for a long time, especially in the heat.
Animal house
The ferret must have a cage not shorter than 1 meter and not less than 50 cm. Place a pet house in it and hang 1 or more hammocks.
A cat litter box is perfect as a litter box. Place an additional tray in the room where the animal will walk.
You can fence off a part of the room for the ferret and keep it in a so-called free way. At the same time, there should be no holes in the walls and floor with a hole of more than 3 cm, electric cords, rubber, plastic objects that the ferret can gnaw and thereby cause great harm.
Ferrets love to play
Buy your pet a furry squeaker, cat rattle and you can watch the pet's funny antics. They also love rustling packages. But in such games, do not leave the animal unattended. After all, it can gnaw the rattle and choke on its small parts or get tangled in the bag.
Hide the trappings of entertainment after games.
Ferret hygiene
In the photo bathing a ferret For some reason, it is generally accepted that a very unpleasant odor emanates from ferrets. But the wool of most of them, on the contrary, smells pleasantly of musk and honey. The urine and excrement of these animals, unlike felines, has almost no smell.
In nature, ferrets, when they are very frightened and feel danger, can emit a stream of pungent smell from special glands, but domestic ferrets have almost no such habit. In addition, as a last resort, these glands are surgically removed. Correct feeding also helps to reduce odor.
Here are some additional measures that will also help prevent unpleasant odors in the apartment:
- You do not need to bathe your ferret often (1-2 times a month is enough). Since after bath procedures, their sebaceous glands open as much as possible in order to wet the fur with a protective secret.
- It is necessary to frequently change the litter in the furry house.
- When bathing, you need to wash your ferret with special shampoos, which are sold in pet stores.
It is very interesting to watch how ferrets swim. To see this, pour some water into the tub. Be sure to build an island in the middle where the ferret could rest.
To do this, you can use an inverted high basin or bucket. The water temperature for bathing ferrets is 39 degrees. Once the ferret has soaked its fur in the water, apply some shampoo, wash and rinse thoroughly with the shower. After water procedures, the animal must be wiped off with a soft towel. Then place it in a box lined with soft rags for the ferret to dry its own fur. Make sure that the apartment is not cold at this time, there are no drafts.
After bathing, inspect the ears of the animal, if a lot of brown earwax has accumulated in them, very carefully remove it with a soft cotton swab dipped in petroleum jelly. You can clean your ears only from the outside, in no case penetrating deeply, otherwise you can damage the eardrum. This can be done no more than once a month, since a healthy animal itself monitors the cleanliness of its external organs.
They need to cut off the nails on the forelegs periodically - once a month
if the ferret does not have the opportunity to dig the ground with them, thereby grinding off the claws. For this, use a cat clipper or nail clipper. This procedure must be done very carefully. If the furry is desperately resisting, postpone the processing of the nails until he falls asleep, then carefully cut off the tips of the nails at an angle.
During the molting period, ferrets are carefully licked, wool, getting into the stomach, it can clog it, which leads to sad consequences. Therefore, during the moulting period, comb the animal's fur, give it a special paste for cats. It promotes hair removal.
Walking
If the ferret is old enough, you can take it outside on a leash. In summer, make sure that it does not overheat, otherwise it may lead to heatstroke. Ferrets love to dig minks in the snow in winter, do not deprive the animal of this pleasure. After the snowfall, take a walk with him. Of course, when it's not very damp outside.
If you follow all the recommendations, the pet ferret will delight you for many years, giving you joyful emotions and many happy moments!
Video with expert advice on how to get a ferret at home:
Ferret videos: