I have always thought ferrets look like amazing animals, but they don't seem very popular pets in the UK, the only people who seem to keep them over here are people who use them to hunt, and they usually live outside in hutches. Can someone give me some advice on keeping a pet ferret in the UK, where to get supplies from, what foods to feed, how to find a good vet, things like that? Also where would I get a ferret from?
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I agree that most people in the UK keep ferrets to hunt, but they really are amazing pets!
You can usually get food form a normal pet shop, James Wellbeloved is very good, but you can get a few others, you also need a water bowl (a typical rabbit bottle will do fine, because they make a terrible mess with a bowl)
They can live inside or outside – they do fine in either, although if your house is very warm, I suggest outside. (anything over 20˚C isn’t very good for permanent housing)
But if it’s outside I suggest it goes in a hutch style cage and the hutch be in a enclosed shed (with a window)
You will probably find ferrets at late spring/early summer game shows/ hunting fairs . . . assuming you want a baby. Or atleast find information on who has some for sale. The person you buy from will tell you a good vet in your area (from their experience) also what food they have been eating – this is important because you can’t just switch food, you need to gradually introduce it to the ferret.
Are you considering getting one or two? a male or female? – all this matters because females can go into extended heat if not bread and could die of aplastic anemia. – so you’ll have to consider getting a girl spayd, or getting a male, but then you would be totally out of your depth with babies, so you’ll have to get the male fixed, also neutering doesn’t always work in the long term I had a ferret who had the operation 3 times and still managed to father litters! so just spay the female.
Males can also smell really bad if not fixed, so especially if they will live indoors – it’s something to consider.
You can buy cages from the internet as I doubt pet shops will actually carry a decent selection, just google ferret cages or indoor ferret cages . . . (you get the idea) you can also get ferret ‘hammocks’ and other cage accessories from the internet.
They can play with practically anything, but not squeaky dog toys, they will get their teeth stuck, and if they manage to get a bit off . . choke.
Cat toys are better, but NEVER leave your ferret alone with one unless it is 100% hard plastic with no bits it can pull off.
You should actually never leave your ferret alone, with anything! they will literally get into everything and probably hurt themselves.
They sleep 20 hours a day and need to be out playing for 3-4, but you need to interact with your ferret! don’t just sit and watch it from the other side of the room, you will never tame it that way.
To correct a biting ferret ‘tap’ in firmly on the nose (dont get mad and smack it) the ferret will soon learn and you will find yourself using it less and less. Although ferrets do ‘play bite’ they will grab your finger in their mouth genitally and pull or chew . . you need to learn to recognize this from actual biting and not correct unless you want the behavior to stop.
A ferret can also bite down hard and not let go, it’s his/her hunting instinct, nothing more, but it can really hurt, cause shock, bleeding and scarring.
If this happens run your ferret under a cold tap (not its head) or dunk it in a bucket of cold water (not it’s head) it should soon let go (they dont like water)
You also don’t need to “bath” your ferret, especially not with shampoo or other products. If it gets into something a damp cloth should get it off.
I highly suggest you get a beginners book on ferrets, it will help you no end. – seriously. nail cutting . . cage layout . . behavior . . .
good luck! x
If you want to know something else just mail me and let me know! x