Ferrets: everything for a curious carnivore

A ferret is not a rodent. It is a small, clever and playful carnivore from the mustelid family. Ferrets sleep a lot, often 14 hours or more a day, and when they are awake they want to run, crawl, dig and investigate everything. They are sociable and are usually happiest together with other ferrets. That calls for different supplies than for a rabbit or hamster: meat-rich food, plenty of soft sleeping spots, a good toilet corner and daily free-roaming time with toys.

In this category you will find everything you need for that, from cages and food to hammocks, corner litter trays and tunnels. From our own brand Zooply you will find the Zooply Ferret Snack Mix and Zooply bedding here.

At a glance

• ✓ Ferrets are carnivores: ferret food with plenty of animal protein and fat, never rabbit or rodent food.
• ✓ They sleep a lot: provide hammocks, sleeping bags and dark, sheltered sleeping spots.
• ✓ Ferrets can be litter trained well with corner litter trays in their usual spots.
• ✓ Free-roaming time every day in a ferret-proof room, with tunnels and toys without small parts or soft rubber.
• ✓ Ferrets are sociable and generally enjoy the company of other ferrets.

What will you find in the Ferrets category?

Cages

In Hutches & Cages you will find spacious cages with levels, platforms and tunnels, including models from Ferplast at 108 and 152 cm high. The cage is the safe home base for sleeping, eating and going to the toilet.

Ferret food and snacks

In Ferret Food & Snacks you will find Versele-Laga Complete Ferret food as the daily basis and the Zooply Ferret Snack Mix for rewarding and training.

Bedding and corner litter trays

In Bedding you will find low-dust Zooply bedding made from cotton, cardboard, hemp and wood fibre, paper pellets, washable fleece blankets and mats, and corner litter trays from Zolux, Trixie, Flamingo and De Boon, among others.

Care products

In Care products you will find cleaning products and Halamid-D disinfectant to keep the cage hygienic.

Accessories

In Accessories you will find play tunnels from Trixie: a long tunnel, a tunnel with five exits and an extendable tunnel.

Hammocks, sleeping spots and toys

Directly in this main category you will also find plenty of sleeping and play items: hammocks for rats and ferrets from Savic, Trixie and Flamingo, radiator hammocks, the Trixie ferret sleeping bag, hanging igloos and houses, the Savic Sputnik, De Boon play posts of 90 cm (with or without sisal), Ferplast Metró tunnels, the Trixie ferret snuffle mat and the Trixie ferret snack puzzle.

Sleeping: most of the day

Ferrets sleep a lot and deeply, preferably in something soft, dark and enclosed. So hang several sleeping spots in the cage: a hammock, a sleeping bag your ferret can crawl into and a hanging house. With more ferrets you also need more sleeping spots, although ferrets often like to curl up together in one spot. Wash hammocks and sleeping bags regularly and check them for loose threads.

Eating and drinking

A ferret digests quickly and often eats small portions, at night too. So always leave a portion of ferret kibble in a sturdy food bowl and refresh it daily. Provide fresh water in a heavy bowl or a drinking bottle. Snacks are an extra for rewarding and training. Fruit, vegetables, sugar and dairy do not belong in a ferret's menu.

Litter training

Ferrets do their business in a corner, often shortly after waking up, backing up against the wall as they do so. A corner litter tray with a high back wall, fixed in the corner your ferret chooses itself, therefore works best. Fill it with low-dust pellets or hemp and scoop it out daily. Put litter trays in the free-roaming area too.

Play and free-roaming time

Even the biggest cage is not enough. A ferret needs a few hours of free-roaming time every day in a room you have made ferret-proof: holes blocked off, cables and small objects out of reach, windows and doors closed. Tunnels, a play post, a snuffle mat and a snack puzzle make that time varied. Choose toys without small parts or soft rubber, because ferrets chew and can swallow pieces.

The first weeks with a new ferret

A new ferret has to get used to its cage, to the smells in your home and to you. Fully furnish the cage in advance, so your ferret has a litter tray, food, water and sleeping spots straight away. In the first few weeks, stick to the food it is used to and only switch after that, gradually, if you want to. Start with short free-roaming sessions in a small, manageable space and enlarge it step by step.

Also use these weeks to litter train and tame your ferret. Put it in the litter tray briefly after it wakes up and reward it with a piece of snack. Pick your ferret up calmly, with one hand under its chest and one under its hind legs, and let it get used to your lap or arm. A young ferret sometimes nips during play; respond calmly, put it back for a moment and only reward calm behaviour.

Ferrets and other pets

A ferret is a predator. Rabbits, guinea pigs, rodents and birds are prey to it, even when they are in a cage. So always keep ferrets separate from these animals and do not let them roam together in the same room. Ferrets can sometimes live well with cats and calm dogs, but never leave them together unsupervised.

Transport

For a visit to the vet or a stay elsewhere, transport your ferret in a well-ventilated, lockable carrier with a soft cloth or some bedding inside. Ferrets are skilled escape artists; check that the catch is secure. Never leave the carrier in full sun or in a warm car: ferrets cope poorly with heat.

Care throughout the year

Ferrets usually moult in spring and autumn. During those periods they lose a lot of hair and a shorter coat is normal. Trim the claws when they get too long and check the ears regularly. Do this at a calm moment, with a snack as a reward. If you are unsure about the coat, ears or claws, ask a vet with knowledge of ferrets for advice.

Health

Weigh your ferret now and then, check the coat, ears and claws when cuddling, and keep an eye on appetite and droppings. Ferrets cope poorly with heat; keep the cage cool and out of the sun. If your ferret is not eating, is lethargic, is vomiting, has diarrhoea or is breathing with difficulty, go straight to a vet with knowledge of ferrets.

Handy routes in the shop

• Ferret cages with levels and tunnels.
• Ferret food as the daily basis.
• Zooply Ferret Snack Mix for rewarding.
• Corner litter trays and litter pellets for a litter-trained ferret.
• Play tunnels for in the cage and during free-roaming time.

Frequently asked questions about ferrets

What do I need when I bring a ferret home?

The basics are a spacious cage with levels, ferret food and a food bowl, a water bowl or drinking bottle, one or more corner litter trays with pellets, bedding or fleece, several hammocks and a sleeping bag, and toys such as tunnels. In addition, make a room in your home ferret-proof for daily free-roaming time.

Can a ferret be kept on its own?

Ferrets are social animals and generally enjoy the company of other ferrets. They play together and often sleep curled up against each other. If you keep one ferret, it needs a lot of extra attention and playtime with you.

How many hours a day does a ferret sleep?

Often 14 hours or more. That is why soft, dark sleeping spots in the cage are so important. If you wake your ferret, give it a moment to wake up properly; right after getting up it usually heads to the toilet first.

Why does a ferret not eat rodent food?

Ferrets are carnivores with a short gut. They need plenty of animal protein and fat and cannot process fibre, grains and sugars well. Rodent food and rabbit food are therefore unsuitable, even as a snack.

Do ferrets smell?

Ferrets naturally have their own musky body odour. That is part of the animal. What you can control is the smell of the cage: scoop out the litter tray daily, wash hammocks and blankets regularly, use absorbent bedding and ventilate the room. We advise against fragrances or perfume in the cage; ferrets have a sensitive nose.

Are hammocks for rats also suitable for ferrets?

Some of the hammocks in this category are explicitly intended for rats and ferrets, such as the Savic hammocks. For an adult ferret, choose a size it can lie in completely, check that the fixings are sturdy and that your ferret can get in and out easily.

Ferret supplies at Knaagplaza

At Knaagplaza you will find everything for your ferret in one place: from cage and food to hammocks, corner litter trays and toys. With the Zooply Ferret Snack Mix for rewards and Zooply bedding for a dry cage, you give your ferret a pleasant and safe home.