Detailed Explanation of Ferret Raising Methods and Technical Points

Before bringing your ferret home, you need to prepare the following things in advance:

Food - eating high-quality dry ferret food will make ferrets thrive. If you cannot find dry food specifically for ferrets, you can substitute high-quality kitten food, but cats and ferrets have different nutritional needs, so kitten food or adult cat food cannot fully meet a ferret's dietary requirements. The nutritional composition of dog food is not close to the nutrition ferrets need to absorb. Look at the ingredient analysis on the packaging to see whether it meets the ferret's basic requirements. A ferret's main food should consist of fat and protein, especially animal protein, because their digestive system is very short. If they only absorb plant protein, it is not nutritious enough. Chicken, turkey, beef and lamb can all be fed to them. Most ferrets do not like to eat fish, and eating fish makes their feces smell worse. Ferret food should contain 30-35% protein and 15-20% fat. Most plants cannot be absorbed by a ferret's digestive system. Feeding plants to ferrets may lead to bladder stones, so make sure there are no plants in the food.

Cage - this gives animals a protected and reassuring place. At night or when no one is watching it, it is best to shut it in the cage, which ensures it will not be harmed. Your ferret will regard its cage as a safe place. If it is given enough time to play outside the cage, it will not dislike being shut in the cage. When letting it out to play, make sure the cage door is open, so it can go into the cage to eat food, drink water, use the toilet and sleep. (Although they would rather sleep in drawers, behind the refrigerator, under the mattress, under the TV, or in some place we cannot see.)

The cage should be big enough to give the ferret room to stretch and play, although it spends most of its time in the cage sleeping. The cage should be able to hold a litter pan, a food bowl and a water bottle, and also have a place to sleep. A cage about 90cm wide, 90cm deep and 60cm high can let one or two ferrets live very comfortably.

A multi-level cage can provide ferrets with more activity space and can save your space, but make sure there are no traps in the cage that would let the ferret fall from a height. The bottom of the cage should be flat and covered with bedding.

The wire at the bottom of the cage will injure their fragile paws. You can lay carpet over the wire. To prevent the carpet from shifting, you can punch small holes in the corners of the carpet, then tie the carpet and the wire tightly together. You can put woven fabric on the bottom of the cage. Woven fabric is soft and easy to wash, and it is cheap; once it is worn out, just throw it away. Small pieces of carpet or sweaters, etc., can all give the ferret a soft place to sleep, and the ferret can also sleep in the sweater. Check its claws for cracks or excessive length, because they will hide hair and debris in the claws. Please do not use wood shavings or shredded newspaper as their bedding; these materials will become a breeding ground for bacteria. If you use cloth material as bedding or lay it on the floor, check regularly to see whether the ferret will eat the cloth? Has the cloth frayed? Frayed long threads sometimes wrap around the ferret, which may injure it or even kill it. Cloth bedding should be washed at least once a week, which can slightly reduce the odor given off by the ferret. A cage made of metal is a good choice; you can make one yourself or buy this kind of cage. Do not use an aquarium to raise your ferret, because an aquarium will cause poor air circulation and make the ferret breathe air with bacteria. Most plastic pet carriers have a problem, which is a lack of air circulation. These carriers are only suitable for transporting your ferret to the vet, or taking it to visit friends. Most plastic carriers are not recommended as a cage for ferrets.

Remember, you cannot keep a ferret locked in a cage for a long time. It needs to play outside the cage and also build a relationship with its owner. A ferret should play outside the cage for 4 hours every day (longer is better). It will very much want to play with you.

Food bowl and water dispenser - always provide enough dry food and fresh water for the ferret. A ferret needs about 3-4 hours to digest food, so food must be replenished often to maintain the operation of the digestive system. Ferrets often knock over the food bowl. To prevent it from knocking over the food bowl, it is best to use a heavy flat-bottomed bowl. Using a water dispenser can avoid water leakage and also keep the water clean. But you still need to change the clean water every day, and clean it regularly, and always provide fresh food and water.

Litter pan - an ordinary cat litter pan can be used. However, sometimes you can use a small rubber tray, and one side can be cut to a height of 1-2 inches. This kind of litter pan is easier to use and also cheaper. If your ferret is not one that likes to dig and play with litter bedding, an ordinary cat litter pan is fine, and handling is also simpler. If your ferret treats it as a sand pit and plays in it, then clumping litter bedding is not recommended. Ordinary dust-free bedding, eco-friendly bedding, or similar bedding can all be used for ferrets. Some people use wood bedding compressed from wood shavings, which is a relatively cheap and effective litter bedding.

Vitamins - if you feed it high-quality ferret food, there is no need to supplement extra vitamins. These vitamin supplement foods are very useful for training ferrets. Ferrets usually love to eat them (if you give it for the first time and it refuses to eat, you can put a little on your finger, then smear it on its mouth). These vitamin supplement foods all contain a large amount of vitamin A, so it is best to dilute these vitamins to reduce their intake. Olive oil can be used to dilute them; dilute one part vitamins with two parts (or a little more) olive oil. Do not give it more than half a teaspoon of diluted vitamins each day.