Data sheet ferret
Latin name:
Mustela Putorius Furo
Origin:
Europe
Size:
Males: about 45 cm, females: about 35 cm
age expectation:
around 10 years
Behavior / stocking:
sociable
Groups vs. individual housing:
at least 2 ferrets
Lining:
meat, vegetables, fruits
Difficulty level:
advanced Aurélien Mora, Mustela putorius furo profile, CC BY-SA 4.0
General information
ferrets are domesticated European polecats. The wild form has been tamed and used to hunt rats in ancient times. In the meantime, the animal was further bred and it emerged various color variants. Albino and polecat ferrets are well known.
Polecats and ferrets differ only in that Wood polecats loners are and live alone Ferrets, on the other hand, like to socialize and should not be kept alone.
They are lively animals, playful and curious, which is why keeping them alone is not species-appropriate. They can be educated a little, but occasionally they do practical jokes. ferret can be housebrokenbut sometimes mishaps happen.
The ferret is a popular pet, which certainly has something to do with his pretty fur and her friendship with humans. A disadvantage is that polecats and ferrets, when threatened, unpleasant-smelling bodily fluid from her tail gland hand over. Polecats are therefore often called stink martens.
While ferrets are pets, anyone interested in these animals should know that they nocturnal predators and are extremely lively when they are awake.
acquisition and maintenance
If you want to get a ferret, you should first secure whether his landlord tolerates such an animal in his premises. ferret don’t just stay in their cage, they are predators. It is best for all family members to welcome the ownership of ferrets.
In addition, the Ferrets have higher acquisition and maintenance costs than is the case with other animals. They reach an age of about 10 yearswhich means that their owners have a long-term commitment to them.
Ferrets also need one quite large cage and freewheel within the living space. It happens that they nibble on all sorts of things, which should then be replaced. ferret eat mostly meatwhich costs more than small animal feed.
The costs for the veterinarian are also higher, because healthy animals should be vaccinated once a year, which is effective against viral diseases.
The Ferret care is not that complicated. It is enough to brush the fur, clip the claws and clean the ears. A bath is only necessary if the animal is very dirty or if a veterinarian recommends it. When bathing, a ferret-safe shampoo is useful.
Finally, for some people, the argument against keeping a ferret is that odor development. Both sexes have tail glands that secrete secretions with a strong odor. Especially during the mating season, the males can develop a really extreme odor. However, if the animal is castrated, this odor decreases considerably and is no longer a nuisance Neutering is done for husbandry and health reasons recommended.
socialization
There ferret are very sociable, they enjoy living together with conspecifics. They like to romp and cuddle together. The ferret husbandry should exclusively with 2 or more ferrets take place.
If you have the appropriate space, sufficient financial cushion and enough time, you can of course hold even larger groups. However, visits to the vet can be expensive. The purchase of ferrets must therefore also be considered from a financial point of view.
One Socialization with other ferrets works better when they are young than the adult stage. Even living with cats and dogs is possible with careful acclimatization. other small animals do not fit with ferrets as the ferrets may chase the small animals.
freewheel
The Freewheel is important, since the cage offers little space for extensive romping. A 5 hour workload per day is optimal. A litter box prevents scattered impurities in the home. Cat toys are a good employment opportunity and distracts from nibbling on home furnishings. Possible sources of danger must be removed from the start. These include, for example, exposed power cables, cleaning supplies or candles. Ferrets also enjoy being allowed to roam freely in nature. Therefore there is leashes and harnesses.
requirement for posture
Ferrets are carnivores and need a lot of space and enough movement. The ferret enclosure should at least 2 square meters be tall A normal small animal cage is not a good idea. A room specially prepared for the ferrets that offers them space to run around is ideal. Her Cage best has a few levels and is furnished with a lot of variety.
Homemade cage
A recommendation are homemade cages. But if you don’t have any manual skills and can’t offer your animals their own room, you should consider buying a ferret enclosure carefully proceed. As a rule, the majority of cages for ferrets are very small. Larger rabbit hutches with freedom to run are an option. So the little robbers have enough space and retreat possibilities.
To Avoid accidents or runaway ferrets, the living space should be well secured. This is especially true with regard to balconies, windows and doors, since they are quite dangerous can become.
Small cracks and holes should be covered and do not give access to the ferrets because they are inside them to get stuck can. Fragile objects have no place near the animals. ferret jump about 80 centimeters high and about 1.60 meters wide.
She like to dig in plant soil, so that an apartment quickly looks like a torn flower bed. Plants are best kept out of reach of the little rascals. cleaning supplies and medicines should also be inaccessible.
Setting up the ferret enclosure
After securing the apartment, good employment opportunities are also important, Boxes of leaves and balls are just as suitable as cat toys. The animals should do not swallow small partsso care must be taken that they do not come into contact with such. drainage pipes bring a lot of variety and fun. dog beds are great places to cuddle and sleep.
gender differences
are females mostly smaller as male. You will about 35 centimeters large while males are round 45 centimeters grow up. Your weight is between 600 and 900 gramswhile males between 800 grams and 2 kilograms weigh.
feed and nutrition
Ferrets themselves don’t cost that much, but theirs do Nutrition is clearly reflected in the household budget. They don’t eat lettuce or straw like rabbits or guinea pigs, they do prefer decent cuts of meat.
Pork should be avoided because of potential pathogens always cooked are given and among the treats the ferrets also include Pieces of chicken, beef and rabbit meat. Good, very meaty cat food is readily accepted.
The ferrets like always an opportunity to eat as they digest within a few hours and quickly get hungry again. Vitamin pastes, dead chicks, eggs and greens complement the diet well.
acclimatization and handling
Once the ferrets become accustomed to their owners and environment, they will extremely tame and greet people almost like dogs do. If they feel comfortable, the little robbers are very agile beingswho like to romp, jump and run. Since she sleep a lot during the day, they are particularly active at night. Ferrets love the company of their peers.
She like eating together, cleaning each other and common jokes. Nevertheless, they are also happy when their owners spend enough time with them. Of course, keeping ferrets requires a lot of space, otherwise the nimble animals wither away or become aggressive.
The Ferret cage is ideally cleaned every day. Also a regular one Shortening of the claws is important. This works particularly well with a nail clipper and the animals usually do not resist this procedure. Ferrets ears need to be cleaned regularly.
If a ferret scratches its ears a lot, it might have Ear mites, which requires treatment. Gums and teeth should be properly cared forbecause tartar often develops in older animals, which can cause painful gingivitis.
Other questions
What is the cost of a ferret?
On average a ferret costs up to 150 euros. Animals with special fur colors can also cost more than 300 euros.
Each animal requires a chip that is approx It costs 30 euros and the vet also charges fees. Every Castration beats with around 90 euros to book and one Vaccination per year costs 80 euros.
Unforeseen veterinary treatments amount to three-digit amounts and not every vet treats ferrets. The complete accessories, for example the litter box, cost around 200 euros. fall monthly about 100 euros for good feed, meat, bedding, earth and sand at.
What do I do if the ferret bites me?
Here is a discussion of why the ferret bites. Is it Fear because of bad treatment, or biting it because of aggression, because it is in a cramped cage lives? If it is fear, an experienced ferret owner should take care of the problem.
At aggressive behavior it’s better not to live in a cage anymore. With untrained animals, the owner should speak loudly and firmly No call out and stop playing. This way the ferret will learn to bite less hard.
Are ferrets good for children?
It lies at the discretion of the parents. A Children and ferrets living together can work well, but it depends on the respective characters. Ferrets may bite if a child handles them roughly.
If the child is ready for such a living being, harmonious coexistence is possible. Older animals that have already been trained are better choices for children.