Yes, I am the proud owner of two fuzzies. Cinnamon is a cinnamon (or is it chocolate?) ferret with a beautiful heart-shaped face mask. He loves nothing more than searching every inch of the house looking for new challenges and projects, such as opening and infiltrating drawers, climbing furniture and stealing remote controls – go figure. Truffle, Cinnamon’s little brother, is a large, tubby sable with a cute little white bib and has a far simpler outlook on life. While questing is not usually on his agenda, Truffle enjoys running, playing with people, being held, cuddled and scritched and carrying around paper towel rolls and ferret food in search of a storage spot (usually a cardboard box with a hole in it. Together they form a my social life demanding love and attention for several hours each day. I guess it’s an introduction to future parenthood…..
Before anything else, I must stress that owning a ferret carries a lot of responsibilities that you would not find with dogs and cats (not saying ferrets are harder, just different). They offer a lot of rewards – I went from thinking ferrets were weird to loving them to bits – but they have numerous special needs that require a fully-committed owner to ensure well-being for the duration of their lives (maybe seven years or so). So if you are interested in ferrets PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE make sure you are fully aware of what you are signing up for. A lot of tragic stories have arisen from the owner being unaware of something (such as the ferret who drowned after climbing into a washing machine full of clothes and falling asleep), neglecting something (a ferret who died needlessly from a bowel virus), unsafe environment (eating tasty yet incompatible snacks left around the house, being squashed by pulling down a heavy object from a shelf), etcetera.
So please research ferret ownership as fully as possible before committing. Buy a few books on ferrets, visit ferret shops, talk to current ferret owners, talk to ferret shop owners and staff, and maybe consult a vet specializing in ferrets. This is absolutely vital to protect your piece of mind, not to mention the fuzzball’s life, from unintended shocks, expenses and accidents.
Hopefully I haven’t freaked you out. I don’t mean to scare you, but there are so many things that can go wrong, and I would hate for anyone and their pet to learn the hard way. Do the homework and preparation so you can set yourself up to make the most of a unique family friend.
The first ferret book I read gave a good crash course on readying my mindset, preparing the house and getting on with the ferret – Training Your Pet Ferret. You might also want to check out Ferrets for Dummies – I haven’t read it, but should be pretty good.
Training Your Pet Ferret
A good quote to start with…Can you handle a bundle of energy? Are you looking for a pet that will provide hours of fun for the whole family? Are you prepared for instant attention wherever you go? Congratulations! You’ve made the perfect choice. Ferrets are wonderful pets and will reward you with years of fun. They are playful, lovable, endearing, and intelligent.
They are, however, different from other house pets and need a special approach when it comes to training. Ferrets are much more inquisitive and resourceful than the average cat or dog. They are constantly on the go when awake and can get into things that Tabby wouldn’t even dream of! If you go out and leave your cat alone, Tabby will snooze on the sofa. If you leave your ferret on the loose, the little rascal will ransack the kitchen cupboards.
Okay, back to the ferret worship.
Ferrets certainly do not fit the general mold of pets: lovable dogs, narky cats or balmy birds, but they are certainly valid family familiars. It is very easy to develop a close, possibly obsessive, relationship with the fuzzy boy or girl.
As ferrets sleep around 15-20 hours per day, they make the ideal working-person pet. Don’t worry, they make up for it when they are awake – leaping, running, jumping, playing and investigating your entire wardrobe when you are home. Sleep time is usually on a hammock inside their cage, and when they sleep they really sleep.
They might not be good for little kids (and vice versa as ferrets are smaller than a cat and easier to break), but for responsible, older kids they would be a really cool companion.
Ferrets do not make much noise (Truffle chortles or dooks nonstop, but they are quiet little chortles) so they don’t annoy the neighbors.
The ferret personality can range from independent-minded – allowing only short cuddles unless bribed, spending time investigating their world, but still loving the owner and a good play – to totally sooky, attention-seeking things – enjoying 15-minute holds at a time, demanding full attention when playing – but will always be friendly with owners as long as they are brought up with care and attention, like most pets.
Ferrets have a noticeable smell, which, depending on the person may be interpreted as reassuring pet smell or an intolerable reek. Potential owners should check out the smells at a ferret shop before buying.
There is a tendency to dig in some ferrets, which could be a problem if the ferret is a compulsive digger and you have expensive wallpaper and other things that would be lovely to scratching paws.
Ferrets can be trained to do a number of things including: coming when their name is called, understanding some commands (the most useful command I found is oishi-oishi or yum-yum, which is the universal call to Cinnamon to drop what he is doing and come over for a treat – this has stopped impending disasters, found the hiding ferret, and much, much more), standing on their tippy-toes to eat treats (very cute), walking with a little harness and leash (not the same as a dog, but if you wanted a dog you’d buy a dog, right?), and other funky things. They certainly would never get through first level of dog school, but owners need to understand that ferret motivation is different from dogs. A dog can enjoy a pat as a reward, while a ferret would prefer something more tangible (like a treat).
They’re playfulness is expressed in all kinds of ways including stealing little things and running around (possibly hiding them), funky ferret jumping-dances during a game (trust me, this is an explosion of glee), spinning & rolling dances (I thought Truffle was having a fit the first time), tunneling into piles of old clothes, pouncing on your legs, and generally doing things that just feel good to them.
Toilet business with ferrets is very easy, once they are toilet-trained. They pick a few places they like to go, usually corners. Strategic distribution of high-backed litter boxes in the cage, playroom and house (if they’re allowed full roaming rights), will cover this. The business is low-odor and easy to pick up, except when the fuzzy is afflicted by a bowel virus. I have found recycled newspaper pellets to be the best litter for ferret feet and bottoms. Kitty litter tends to get gooey and my boys just don’t like the stuff on their feet. Pine pellets have been tried, but seem to irritate the boys’ footsies and nasal cavities.
I could go on, but the basic message is that ferrets can be very rewarding friends. They will take your full attention when awake, as their inquisitiveness can lead them into dangerous situations – your mind will boggle at what they get up to. They need a safe environment and you would not believe what can constitute a potential threat to ferret-lifestyles. Sleep time should be in roomy cage with no gaps to get their paws stuck, and have a supply fresh ferret food and water, along with a litter box, available at all times. They look very cute lying back on their sleeping hammocks.
Now if you are looking to get a ferret, I would recommend going to a ferret specialist rather than a general pet store. Why? The simple reason is that the ferret specialist has seen so many interesting problems arise from a shop full of fuzzies, and they will know a lot about specific issues that can arise from keeping ferrets.
Tokyo-ites looking for places to check out ferrets, should check out Ferret World in Nakano (Tokyo) and Funabashi (Chiba) – a veritable ferret emporium. Here you will find many varieties of ferrets (the angora ferrets are incredibly fluffy), all kinds of ferret goods and foods (yes, ferrets have special dietary needs due to short digestive tracts), knowledgeable staff (another reason to learn Japanese), and owners coming in with their own fuzzballs. A fun afternoon.
Near Ferret World in Nakano, you can find Nomura Veterinary Hospital (4-16-18 Arai, Nakano-ku, Tokyo 165-0026). Nomura-sensei specializes in all kinds of animals and is one of the best people in Japan to go to for ferrets and other nonstandard familiars. I have seen him on TV a few times too, with all kinds of interesting anecdotes (like the guy who wanted to fly his hamster in a remote-controlled toy plane!).
I could go on, and on, and on, but I will finish up this post for today. If you got any comments or questions, just let us know.