Extreme Weezils - Ferret Care : Caring for Your Ferret Every Day

There is a certain quality of panic accompanying not being able to find your ferret. Having six ferrets has taught us to be as vigilant as we can, trying to keep track of all six while they are out and about in the house for their supervised free - range time. However, occasionally we cannot find one or more of them when we round 'em up to go home, bringing that same sense of panic, loss, and guilt simultaneously. This is where our constant efforts to train our weezils to come at the sound of a squeak toy [Booda Bunny, a purple stuffed bunny found in the dog toy section of a pet store] pay off, as all of our ferts know that emerging from their hiding places at the squeak will be instantly rewarded with a treat.

If all else fails, don't give up. Of course the most important thing to make sure of is that there is absolutely no way that the ferret could have escaped to the outside of the house. Living on the top floor with only one door connecting us to the outside world almost guarantees that no one could escape. Our dryer vent is connected over four feet above floor level with only smooth appliance surface top to bottom, creating an almost impossible to reach scenario for the only other escape route for any fuzzy. Once the 'must be in here somewhere' criteria has been established, calling out the ferret's name, continuing to use the squeak toy call, and trying not to break down into a sopping, sobbing mess helps to coax the missing critter out.

I find that the 'Let Go and Let God' rule seems to apply at this point: just when I am almost positive that we somehow have lost our fuzzy forever due to an accident, carelessness, or just a mystery and I am praying that somehow our little baby will be all right [making silent deals with God seem to inevitably show up at this point as well.] Seemingly out of nowhere, the missing ferret appears to either myself or my husband, flooding us both with agonizing relief and unexpressed anger. Said ferret gets smothered in kisses and flooded with hugs, and usually gets a bit damp from my inevitable tears that flow at this point if they had not already done so.

The digestive tract of the ferret runs on average as a two hour transit cycle. Therefore, it is unusual for a ferret to go a significant amount of time, like eight hours, without eating a thing. This could be indicative of gastric or oral ulcers, gastric or intestinal blockage, or various types of endocrine disorders. One full day of not eating at all needs to be treated as a ferret health emergency and warrants a trip to the vet asap.

Most ferrets sleep about 15 hours a day, so sleeping too much almost appears to be normal! However, if your ferret misses usual activities such as eating, using the litter box, playing, wanting to explore, or any of that particular ferret's normally beloved routines because of sleeping right through, then THAT is too much. Two causes immediately come to mind: illness and depression.

If a normally docile ferret becomes a biter overnight, then that can be translated as a sure sign of illness or ferret angst.

Lots of things can cause ferrets to have loose stools or even discolored stools [green, lighter, darker, slimy, mucousy] which usually resolve themselves within a day or less. If stools are very dark more than once or twice, are ribbon-thin, or contain blood, or if the ferret seems to have a real difficult time going at all, please consult a vet asap.

Ferrets were Born to Dig! Not only do they enjoy it just for fun, but they are physiologically and genetically made to do so. Digging tendencies are hard to discourage, so giving your ferret an opportunity to do so is fun for all: human and ferret alike. We use an old cat litter box filled with organic potting soil. It is messy, but the fun had by all is well worth it!

Unfortunately, there is no cure for curiosity. Distraction and physical blockades seem to be the only recourse for this annoying to very dangerous ferret characteristic.