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A Ferret Care Guide for Beginners

Ferrets are adorable, high-energy pets that do best in small groups. Discover our tips and advice for caring for ferrets as pets.Ferrets are small members of the weasel family that have been domesticated for more than two thousand years. These energetic little bundles of curiosity are a big responsibility, often requiring as much, if not more, care than a cat or dog.

However, if you are truly ready to bring a ferret into your home the rewards will quickly become obvious to you and your family.

HEALTH

Ferrets live for 6 to 10 years and during that time they will require regular vaccinations and veterinary check ups to remain in tip top shape. In particular, Ferrets are prone to canine distemper and heartworm, so regular preventative treatments like Heartguard should be used.

Unless you plan on breeding your ferrets its also important that you have them de-sexed prior to reaching sexual maturity. Not only does this reduce the smell associated with Ferret reproductive glands but it is also essential to ensure the health of female ferrets who, once in heat, remain so until mated. This can lead to a condition of the uterus, known as Pyometra, which can have serious and even fatal consequences for female ferrets.

TEMPERAMENT

Ferrets are highly intelligent and social pets that do best in small groups. It is highly recommended you consider adopting a pair of ferrets so they will always have a companion to socialise with. Ferrets natural play includes nipping and training is required to ensure your ferret knows that nipping humans is not an acceptable behaviour.Whilst ferrets are relatively robust when playing with each other, as small pets, they are not animals suitable for homes with small children. It’s best to wait until children in the family are at least twelve or thirteen years old. First, ferrets can be easily injured by handlers who lack manual dexterity.Second, children are easily injured and frightened by the nips and bared teeth of ferrets. A frightened child may injure a ferret by dropping or accidentally hitting the pet in retaliation.

ESSENTIAL EQUIPMENT

Ferret cages are usually designed with two levels and a place to hang a cozy hammock. The cage should also contain a dark enclosure such as a wooden hut, where the ferrets can make a nest for sleeping. Towels and similar fabrics make good bedding. The bedding will need to be washed frequently, and the cage itself will need regular scrubbing.EXERCISE

Ferrets love to play. They will bounce back and forth and sideways with their teeth bared and looking quite ferocious. When they do this, they are inviting you and any other ferrets to play with them. Bounce along with them, and they will be happy.

They also like to wrestle and play-fight. They tend to play rough, but they learn to be careful with humans if their human playmates yelp when nipped. A firm “no!” will also get the job done.

FEEDING

Ferrets are weasels and, as such, they are obligate carnivores. This means they need meat in their diet. They also have very high metabolisms, so they need a large amount of animal fat in their diets. For a detailed review of your ferrets dietary needs check out our article Ferret Food: A Recipe for Success.

There are many high-grade ferret foods on the market, however, be sure to read the ingredients to make sure that the food is not fish-based. Several types of ferret food are nothing more than modified mink food. Mink eat fish. Ferrets do not. Some ferrets will starve themselves instead of eating fish-based food.

Ferrets tend to be picky eaters. Buy small quantities of food, so that it doesn’t go stale before its used: no more than a month’s worth at a time. Meat or whole prey can be frozen but it will need to be properly thawed prior to giving it to your ferret. Changing foods or flavours abruptly will make the ferret sick. As a result, it is a good idea to ensure your ferret experiences a mix of foods at an early age so as to accustom them to different diets in the event their preferred food is unavailable for a short period.

Fresh water must be available to your ferret at all times.

GROOMING

Ferrets are naturally clean animals, and tend their own fur carefully. They need a bowl of water in order to wash their faces, and they clean the rest of their coat in the same fashion as a cat. Once a month or so, give your ferret a bath using a “no-tears” children’s shampoo and lukewarm water.

HOME ENVIRONMENT

Ferret-proofing a house is a bit like preparing your home for a remarkably agile toddler and a litter of hyperactive kittens, while trying to keep out mice and snakes. Ferrets can wiggle through almost any hole or gap that is 3cm across. They’ve been known to get out of houses through dryer vents, screened windows, and the gaps under doors. At the same time, you’ll need to keep rubber items, electrical wires, breakable items, and any dangerous substances out of their reach.

Temperature is another thing to watch. Ferrets do not do well in hot weather. Any time the temperature is likely to get to 80F/27C, check on your ferrets frequently and put an ice-pack in their cage.

TRAINING

Like all weasels, ferrets can be trained to use a litter box, a “piddle pad,” or newspaper as a toilet. Their bathroom needs to be in the same room where they play, though. Unlike a cat or puppy, a ferret can’t “hold it” very long, because his digestive tract is very short. You’ll have the easiest success if the box or paper is placed in the corner of the room, to take advantage of your pet’s natural preferences.

Ferrets are also receptive to other forms of training. From sitting to shaking paws you can discover the basics of training your ferret in our article Ferret Training: Teaching Your Ferret The Basics.

REGULATION & LICENSING

Before you decide whether ferret ownership is right for you, it’s important that you understand that the regulation of ferrets as pets varies between states and territories across Australia:

It is illegal to keep ferrets as pets in the Northern Territory and Queensland where they are classed as prohibited or restricted species;
A license is required to keep ferrets in the ACT;
Ferrets are legal in New South Wales and Victoria, however, local councils laws may require ferrets to be registered or place restrictions on the number of ferrets and minimum care standards;
Ferrets are legal in Western Australia, however, ferrets must be declared upon entering the state as close relatives are classed as restricted species; and
Ferrets are legal in South Australia and Tasmania
In states where ferrets are legal it is a good idea to check with your local council to ensure you are aware of any restrictions or registration requirements and fees prior to adopting or purchasing a ferret for your family.

Finally, ferrets are not approved for live import under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. As a result, ferrets should only be purchased from a licensed breeder or, better yet, adopted from your local ferret rescue organisation.

WHERE TO NEXT?

What’s the next step? Think long and hard before bringing ferrets into your home. They are wonderful pets, but they require a lot of work. If you decide that ferrets are right for you, consider adopting from a rescue or shelter.

Be sure to check out Pet Rescue, Australia’s largest on-line directory of rescue pets, as there are always plenty of ferrets on the lookout for their fur-ever home.


Your ferret needs several litter boxes: one for the cage and several for playtime outside the cage. The best litters to use are shredded paper and newspaper-based cat litters.

From time to time, your ferret will need to visit the vet’s office. To transport your ferret safely, you’ll need a pet carrier with gaps small enough that your pet can’t worm his way through them. A leash and H-harness will also be useful.

Heavy ceramic bowls are good dishes for ferrets. Expect the playful little pet to up-end the water bowl, however, so supply a sipper bottle as well.
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- A FEW WORDS FROM ME-
I love Ferrets as a secret love. They are beautiful creatures. I know we have many, many animals but, I want the ferret to live its best life it possibly can. I will build, and clean the cage. I will clean the animal as directed, above. Even if we go on vacation, all we will have to do is fill up a few bowls of water, and food with a clean litterbox/cage. Instead of buying a gigantic cage we can use Oscar's cage and Oscar can have Hoshi's old cage. We can get a cheap corner litterbox. The reason for a corner box instead of a square one is they are prey and predators and they know that so they like to see everything around them because they are worried or scared. We don't have to get a bottle feeder but it would be preffered by many Ferret owners. I will feed the Ferret in the morning before I go to school and after I get home, and whenever I am gone to do whatnot I would appreciate if you could check on him/her. As you can tell I don't mind what gender it is. I will love, play, care, and protect it. I will "never" ask you to do anything for them unless it is an emergency, and if I make you do something for them when it is not an emergency I will have you take away my cellphone, laptop, desktop, and band me from watching my t.v. for as long as you would like. As the woman said at the grooming section in Petco, the food should not be very expensive. I absolutly with not let my Ferret anywhere near and animal. We do not have to pay for a bed, toys, or a hammock I can make them all, so all we will have to pay for is the Ferret, the food, and we already have litter(unless you think we should get a fancy kind.). I found a Female Ferret on Craigslist that has already been Decented, Fixed, and has already had her shots. She cost 50$. They call her Asia she is 2-3 years old. Aswell as those things she has grown up with kids and cats encase either one of those interfear with her. Included with her is some of her things, it does not say exactly what her things are but I am guessing something like toys, and treats or something like that. I can make plenty of room in my room as in on my toybox or next to my vanity. I love her she is a beautiful light Siamese color. I would call her Felicia. If you would like to see a picture just ask me, I can show you. I know I don't have much experience with them, but when I held one earlier I knew that bread of animal was meant for me, when we left the Ferrets, on the inside of me I was balling and in real life I was trying to be chill. Even though I believe she lives in Texas I am sure you are not going for that. We can still look for others, and it will cost no where near what Hoshi did. I watched a YouTube video called "Why Ferrets Are Worth All of the Trouble".