Ferrets In Bedrooms: Safe Or Not?

Ferrets are playful, intelligent, and social creatures that can form strong bonds with their owners. They are also very active and curious, which means they need a lot of space to play, explore, and exercise. They are known for their mischievous behaviour and can get themselves into trouble if left unsupervised. Therefore, it is important to ferret-proof your home, especially if you plan to keep them in your bedroom.

Ferrets need a large, safe space to play and explore

Ferrets are highly active and playful animals that need a large area to play, explore, and exercise. They are very curious and will test out most items with their mouths. They are also flexible and can move in confined spaces and turn around in narrow tunnels. They love to tunnel, dig, and climb, so it is important to provide them with opportunities to exhibit these natural behaviours.

The floor space for a pair of ferrets should be at least 3m x 2m x 2m, but more space is preferable. They need room to play, forage, hide, toilet, groom, and rest. They are social animals and should be kept in pairs or groups, so they will need enough space to comfortably accommodate multiple ferrets. They enjoy sleeping together, so make sure there is space for more than one ferret to snooze.

Ferrets love tubes, tunnels, hammocks, and other toys. Drainpipes are ideal for playing in and running through. They also enjoy digging, so providing a large storage box full of dry rice or soil to dig in will be appreciated. They can be housed indoors in a wire cage or outdoors in a hutch or converted shed. If kept indoors, regulate the temperature of the room, as anything over 26 degrees celsius is too hot, and over 30 degrees can be fatal.

Ferrets are great diggers and escapers, so their enclosure should have a solid base. If the enclosure is made of wire mesh, sink it into the ground so they can't burrow out. They are also excellent climbers, but their poor eyesight means they can misjudge jumps and fall, so provide safe platforms that aren't too high off the ground.

Ferrets are usually very clean animals and will often use a litter tray if provided with one. Place the litter tray in the corner they usually use as a latrine to encourage its use. Clean out the litter tray daily, along with any uneaten food, water bowls, and food bowls. Wash all bedding weekly, and give their enclosure a deep clean every month.

They are very inquisitive and will chew almost anything

Ferrets are very inquisitive and will chew on almost anything. They will chew on cushions, foam, rubber, cardboard, wood, and plastic. They will also chew through electric cables, which poses a serious risk to their safety. To prevent this, you should cover the underside of furniture with a thick, impenetrable fabric or other material. You should also keep all wires out of reach. If this is not possible, you can purchase special cable covers that are designed to prevent chewing, or use a liquid that naturally but safely deters ferrets and cover the wires in it.

Ferrets will also chew on hairbands, elastic bands, and rubber toys, which can cause dangerous blockages in their digestive system. It is important to keep these items out of their reach. Similarly, you should lock away all cleaning supplies, shampoos, makeup, bleaches, and other harmful chemicals.

Ferrets are also attracted to mattresses, especially box mattresses, which they can easily chew through. To prevent this, you should cover the base of the mattress with fabric before the ferret gets in, as it will be much harder to retrieve them afterward and there is a risk of them eating the mattress stuffing.

They are social animals that enjoy sleeping together

Ferrets are social animals that enjoy sleeping together. They are domesticated animals that likely descended from the wild European and Steppe polecats. Domestic ferrets are sociable and usually enjoy living in groups, although this depends on the individual animals. They are playful and intelligent, and need mental and physical stimulation. Play behaviour in young ferrets helps to develop motor and social skills, learning and predatory behaviours. They are also very flexible, with a sleek, elongated body and large vertebrae that allow them to move in confined spaces and turn around in narrow tunnels.

Ferrets are very curious and will test out most items with their mouths. They are also mischievous and love stealing items to take to their favourite hideaways. They are always on the lookout for new items to add to their stash, which can include dangerous items such as chemicals, toxins, and items that could cause intestinal blockage. Therefore, it is important to check their stash often and remove anything problematic.

Ferrets enjoy sleeping together, so make sure there is space for more than one ferret. They don't have great eyesight, so make sure any platforms are not too high off the ground so they can't fall far. They also love sleeping in hammocks, so give them a range of different sizes so they can choose to sleep alone or cuddle up with other ferrets.

Ferrets love sleeping in clothes that smell like you. They will often be found curled up in dirty laundry as dirty clothes smell the strongest. This can become dangerous if you keep clothes scattered on the floor, as you might step on them and cause serious injury. To avoid this, either keep all clothing off the floor or shuffle your feet when you walk instead of stepping.

They are vocal and communicate through scent

Ferrets are vocal creatures with a wide range of vocalizations that they use to communicate, alongside body language. The most common sound they make is "dooking", which is a sort of chuckling sound. "Dook" to a ferret is like "bark" to a dog.

Ferrets also hiss, which can be a sound of displeasure, fear, anger, or a warning, but they also hiss when they are happy or playing. Deaf ferrets are known to hiss frequently and make other "socially inappropriate" vocalizations.

Ferrets also huff or laugh, which is a rapid huffing or panting sound that they make when they are very excited. This is more common in younger ferrets, but older ferrets may also laugh when excited.

Ferrets also make a distinct barking noise when they are trapped or startled. They will scream when in severe distress, pain, or fear, or during seizures.

Ferrets also communicate through scent. They have preferred corners that they use as a "latrine", and they can be litter-trained by placing a litter tray in this corner.

They are susceptible to intestinal blockages from chewing rubber

Ferrets are susceptible to intestinal blockages from chewing rubber, and this is a very serious issue that could be life-threatening for your pet. Their teeth and jaws are designed to tear through flesh and crush bones, so they can easily make short work of even the toughest rubber. Even toys marketed as "chew-proof" and "indestructible" are not safe for ferrets.

Ferrets often swallow rubber, and this is especially a problem in young, curious ferrets. The key features of a gastrointestinal foreign body are severe lethargy (lack of energy), anorexia (reduced appetite) with or without vomiting, and a reduced volume of feces. Foreign objects in the small intestine often cause severe pain.

To prevent intestinal blockages, it is important to keep all rubber objects out of your ferret's reach. This includes rubber toys, rubber feet and cords on electronics, stools, and decor. Even items that are usually out of reach, such as rubber-soled shoes, should be stored securely.

In addition to rubber, ferrets also like to chew on foam, plastic, cardboard, and wood. Hairbands, elastic bands, and rubber dog toys or children's toys should be kept out of your ferret's reach. It is also important to regularly check all toys for damage and remove any that are worn or have small parts that could be chewed off and swallowed.

If you suspect your ferret has swallowed a foreign object, it is important to seek veterinary attention as soon as possible. Exploratory surgery of the abdomen is often necessary to remove and resolve the obstruction.

Frequently asked questions