Ferret 101

Purchase Price
100-200

Cage
60-150

Litter Pan
5-8

Feed Bowls and Waterers
6-10

Harness and Leash
7-14

Pet Carrier
14-30

Grooming supplies, e.g.; brush, shampoo, deodorizing spray
10-20

Toys
18-40

Accessories, e.g.; hammock, sleeping tube
10-50

Litter
25-50

Food
50-60

Routine veterinary care and vaccinations
75-150

Other veterinary care, e.g.; dental cleaning, blood screening test, chronic illness
100-300

Heartworm and flea prevention/control
20-200

Medications and supplements, e.g.; nutritional, fatty acids, hair ball remedies, ear mite medication
12-50

Treats
10-40

Totals
$412.00-$1072.00

**Based on my reseaches, these fee is minimum for you to adopt a healthy long live ferret. So this is just to acknowledge those ferret fevers whom 'feel like' or excited to get one but forget about highly maintainance fee...this is what you need to prepare at least to see your ferret keep on 'weasal war dance' ^^

Copy and Paste from Ferret.Com. Credit to TortieBaby

Here's some odds'n'ends info that I collected from all over the internet that will not only help newbies, but I'm sure there are a couple things here that even the "oldies" haven't hear before:


* Nine out of ten ferret-specific treat foods have no meat products whatsoever and are comprised entirely of sweeteners and grains, with some fruits and vegetables thrown in. This is not only not healthy it is downright dangerous.

* Here's a good, free online book to read about raw diets for pets. It talks about dogs and cats but can definately be applied to ferrets: http://pet-grub.com/

* A ferret's cage should be a minimum size of 24"x24" x18" high for up to two ferrets. The cage can be multilevel, but avoid steep ramps because ferrets are not natural climbers and could fall and injure themselves. Aquariums are not suitable cages for ferrets because of inadequate air circulation. Also, the flooring should be solid, not wire bars or mesh.

* Also, if your ferret has a cold, here's a good way to help get rid of it, or help prevent future colds: http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cl...3&articleid=564


* Litter boxes should be rectangular (NOT triangular!) and large enough for the ferret to get all four feet in and back up in a corner comfortably.

* Zinc, iron, vitamin D can be toxic to ferrets if given in too high of doses.

* For info on the dangers of giving your ferret(s) supplements(ferretone,ferrevite, etc...), check out this site: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/ferreter/supple.htm

* If you would like to know all about the different vitamins, their functions, and how to know when your ferret is not getting enough of each vitamin, check out this page: http://www.ozferret.org.au/articles.php?page=ferretvitamins

* Clumping litters are harmful to ferrets and should never be used.

* Pine litter or crystal litter should not be used for ferrets.

* Cedar shaving bedding should NEVER be used for ferrets as it can cause irreparable respiratory damage.

* Ferrets need to be provided with fresh food and water twenty-four hours a day.

* A few drops of Ferretone or a pea sized dab of Ferretvite should suffice as a daily treat (don't follow the directions on the bottle- your ferret's food contains vitamin A as well). Always be aware of the dangers of possible vitamin A toxicity. For this reason, it is not advisable to give your ferret too much of any supplement, even though they may really enjoy it.

* Baths are recommended no more often than once a month. More frequent bathing will dry out the skin and coat, and actually make your ferret smell worse as the body works extra hard to produce more skin oils.

* Clip your ferret's nails every 2 weeks. Clipping at one week may be uncomfortable for the ferret and cause retraction of the "quick" which can lead to later arthritis, and waiting three weeks allows the "quick" to elongate, which can cause pain while walking.

* Clean your ferret's ears twice a month.

* To clean the ears, use a Q-tip moistened with a gentle cleanser such as Oti-Clens or Clorahexiderm. You could use hydrogen peroxide or mineral oil, but HP may dry out the ear, and mineral oil may add to the was problem. Alcohol is too strong and painful to the sensitive ear membranes.

* Ferretone and Linatone are OK treats, but if you are already feeding your ferret(s) a good food then the supplements should only be given in very small quantities. Maybe a couple drops a day, at the most. However, the supplement can halved with olive oil or vegetable oil(NOT mineral oil).

* Too much ferretone or Linatone can give your ferret loose stools.

* Vitamin A can be harmful and sometimes fatal to ferrets.

* Older ferrets can have kidney problems from too much protein. So, if you have an older ferret (4+) you may want to switch to a low protein dry food.

* Soft cat food is not good for ferrets, generally contains less protein than dry food and can lead to tooth decay. However, it can be used for young kits and ferrets recovering from surgery or illness.

* Dog food is NOT acceptable! It does not contain taurine or other nutrients that are only found in ferret and some cat foods. Also, they contain high levels of vegetable protein and fiber(ferrets cannot digest fiber).

* The protein in ferret foods should be meat-based protein, NOT vegetable protein. Vegetable protein has been proven to cause diseases such as bladder stones, poor coat and skin quality, eosinophilic gastroenteritis(wasting, diarrhea, and ulceration of the skin), poor growth of kits and decreased reproduction.

* Ferrets use fat for energy, NOT carbohydrates(thus, they should not eat foods that have corn as one of their main ingredients) and they need highly digestable meat-based protein, not vegetable protein.

*Is has not been proven, but is thought that feeding high carbohydrate foods to your ferret(s) may cause insolinoma and neoplasia.

*The best diet for ferrets would be whole prey foods such as rats, mice, or chicks.(for more info, do a yahoo search on B.A.R.F.)

*A dry ferret diet should contain at least 30 - 40 % crude protein and 15 -20% fat. The protein should be of animal origin and highly digestible.

*The first three ingredients of ferret food should be meat-based.

1. Feed your ferret a premium ferret or premium kitten food (only if ferret food is not available). Make sure the food you choose contains at least 34% protein and less than 2% fiber. Make sure that meat is the first ingredient on the list of ingredients on the back of the bag. Avoid any ferret foods that contain dried fruits and vegetables. Remember, ferrets are strict carnivores!

2. Give your ferret meat based treats or fatty acid supplements as treats. Give your ferret cooked chicken, chicken or turkey baby food, chicken livers, cooked egg, and chicken or turkey flavored cat or ferret treats. Avoid giving your ferret fruits and raw vegetables as treats. A raison a day won't hurt your ferret, however raisons provide no nutrients for your ferret (and they contain sugar). Raw vegetables can cause intestinal blockages in ferrets. Remember, ferrets do not have a cecum and cannot digest vegetable matter.

3. Give your ferret a one-half inch ribbon of hairball remedy a few times a week during non-shedding seasons, and a one inch ribbon daily during shedding season. Be sure to give your ferrets the hairball treatment at least one hour after they eat. Don't give your ferret hairball remedy right before he or she eats a meal. Remember, hairballs can and do cause stomach and intestinal blockages in ferrets. They can't cough up hairballs in the same way cats do.

4. Give your ferret at least three hours of supervised out of the cage play time each day. Invent creative games to play with your ferret and provide him or her with lots of interactive toys. Remember, ferrets are very intelligent animals. They can get depressed and stressed if caged for too long. This can lead to illnesses such as ulcers and other gastrointestinal problems (plus it is just isn't nice). Hold your ferret often and give him or her lots of affection. Ferret are social animals (like dogs) and need interaction with others for good mental and physical health.

5. Purchase the largest cage possible for your ferret. One ferret requires a cage that is at least three feet wide, two feet deep and three feet high. If you have more than one ferret, you need a much bigger cage. Choose a ferret cage that has multiple levels. Fill the inside of the cage with tubes, tunnels, hammocks, sleep sacks, dangle toys, a litter box, food bowls, a water bottle and lots of soft fabric bedding. Don't ever use a fish aquarium as a ferret home.

6. Use recycled paper litter in your ferrets litter boxes. Do not use cedar or pine chips as litter for the litter boxes or as bedding in the cage. These products may cause respiratory problems in ferrets.

7. Ferret proof your home!!! Keep your ferret away from shoes, soft rubber items, foam rubber, Styrofoam, pencil erasers, rubber bands, nuts, candy, chocolate, soda, chips, gum, cleaning supplies, soap etc.. Be aware that ferrets like these items and will do anything they can to get them. All of these items are potentially lethal to your ferret. Block off any openings around the dishwasher, stove and under cabinets. Keep your ferret away from the laundry room. Also be aware that ferrets can climb into reclining chairs, sofas and beds to fall asleep. Ferrets are often injured by getting crushed in furniture. Always know where your ferret is at all times. Never let your ferret run around the house unsupervised. Ferrets can open cabinets and climb into bath tubs, washers and dryers and drawers. Try to have a ferret safe room for your ferret to play in.

8. Groom your ferret. Make sure your ferret's nails stay trimmed. Clean your ferret's ears whenever you see wax building up. Keep your ferret free of fleas. Don't bath your ferret more than once a month (unless he or she gets into something). Brush your ferret's fur regularly, especially during shedding seasons (spring and fall). Brush your ferret's teeth with cat toothpaste at least once a month.

9. Have money set aside for medical emergencies. Be sure to have enough money set aside for emergency surgeries and vet visits. Try setting aside a certain amount of money every month for your ferret's medical care. Just one surgery can run as much as $800.00 or more. Your ferret depends on you to care for it in the event of a medical emergency. Have at least $1000.00 available at all times for medical care. Ferrets do tend to get illnesses that require surgery.

10. Keep your ferret up to date on his or her vaccinations and heart worm medication. Ferret do need to be vaccinated against rabies and canine distemper on a yearly basis. Both diseases are lethal to your ferret. If you live in an area with mosquitos, your ferret needs to be on a monthly heart worm prevention medication. Take your ferret in for a check up and vaccinations every year (more often if your ferret is ill).

Written by Mahri