Ferret cage: a safe home base for your ferret

Ferrets sleep for a large part of the day, often 14 hours or more. When they are awake, they are curious, fast and clever. A ferret cage is therefore above all their safe home base: the place where they sleep, eat, drink and go to the toilet, and where they are safe when you are not around. The running, exploring and playing happens alongside that, during daily free-roaming time in a ferret-proof room.

In this category you will find spacious cages with several levels that are suitable for ferrets. They have platforms, and some also have tunnels between the floors. That way you can divide the cage into a sleeping area, an eating spot and a toilet corner.

At a glance

• ✓ A cage is the home base; ferrets also need free-roaming time every day in a ferret-proof room.
• ✓ Choose the largest possible cage with several levels and sturdy platforms.
• ✓ Furnish it with hammocks or sleeping bags, a fixed toilet corner and a sturdy food bowl.
• ✓ Place the cage out of draughts and out of the sun; ferrets cope poorly with heat.
• ✓ Check doors and catches regularly: ferrets are skilled escape artists.

What will you find in the Hutches & Cages category?

Ferplast rat and ferret cages with tunnels

These Ferplast cages come in two heights: 99.5 × 53 × 108 cm and 99.5 × 53 × 152 cm. According to the product information, they are made of painted steel wire with a base of thermoplastic resin, and the floors are connected by platforms and tunnels. The tall version gives the most room for climbing and for hanging several sleeping spots.

Ferplast large cage with platforms and accessories

This grey cage measuring 80 × 75 × 86.5 cm comes with several platforms and accessories, so you can get started straight away. The depth of 75 cm gives a wide floor area, handy for placing a corner litter tray and a feeding spot side by side.

Large rat or ferret cage with several floors

This is a two-part enclosure measuring 93.5 × 63 × 76 cm in anthracite. The top section and the base are offered as separate products. If you want the complete cage, check in the product information which parts you need.

What should you look for in a ferret cage?

Space and levels

Bigger is better. A shop-bought cage is often the minimum basis, especially if you have two or more ferrets. Ferrets are social animals and like living together with other ferrets; in that case, allow for more sleeping spots, more space and possibly a second litter tray. Several levels add extra floor space and make the enclosure more varied.

Safety

Ferrets push, pull and try everything. Check that doors close securely and that there are no gaps a head can fit through. Platforms must be firmly fixed. Make sure a ferret cannot fall down from a great height: hang a hammock or platform between the high levels as an intermediate step.

Cleaning

Large doors and a removable base make the daily cleaning of the toilet corner much easier. A cage that is easy to clean stays fresher.

Setting up the ferret cage

Start with the toilet corner. Ferrets usually choose a corner themselves to do their business. Put a corner litter tray with litter pellets there and keep that spot fixed. Place the sleeping spots as far from the toilet as possible: hammocks, a sleeping bag or a dark hanging house, because ferrets like to sleep sheltered and in the dark. Put the food bowl and drinking water in a fixed spot, also away from the toilet. A heavy bowl or one you can fix in place prevents your ferret from tipping it over.

On the floor you can use a low-dust bedding, or fleece and small rugs that you wash regularly. Toys and tunnels can go in, as long as they have no small parts or soft rubber that a ferret could swallow.

Where do you put the cage?

Choose a quiet spot in your home, free from draughts and not in full sun or next to the radiator. Ferrets cope poorly with heat. On warm days the cage must be kept cool and there must always be fresh water. Also do not put the cage next to a TV or speakers, because ferrets sleep a lot during the day and need that peace and quiet.

Free-roaming time is part of it

Even the biggest cage is not enough for an active ferret. Give your ferrets a few hours of free-roaming time every day in a room you have made ferret-proof: gaps behind cupboards blocked off, cables out of reach, no small objects on the floor and windows and doors closed. Tunnels and toys make that time more fun.

Handy combinations

• Litter pellets and corner litter trays for a fixed toilet corner in the cage.
• Bedding for ferrets, including Zooply bedding, fleece blankets and mats.
• Accessories such as tunnels for in the cage and during free-roaming time.
• Ferret food and snacks for the daily feeding spot.

Frequently asked questions about ferret cages

How big should a ferret cage be?

As big as your space and budget allow. In the cage a ferret needs a sleeping area, an eating spot and a toilet corner, and these should not be on top of each other. With two ferrets you need more sleeping spots and more space. Thanks to its levels, the tallest Ferplast cage in this category offers a lot of extra floor space. Do bear in mind: the cage is the basis, daily free-roaming time is at least as important.

Can a ferret live in a rabbit or guinea pig cage?

Usually not. Cages for rabbits and guinea pigs are low, often have no levels and are not made for an animal that is so handy with doors and loves climbing so much. Choose a cage that is explicitly suitable for ferrets, such as the cages in this category.

How do I set up the levels safely?

Make sure every level can be reached via a platform, tunnel or ramp and that a ferret cannot fall all the way down from the top level. Hang hammocks between the floors as a soft intermediate step. Put the litter tray on the lowest level or in the spot your ferret chooses itself, and keep sleeping and eating spots away from it.

How often do I clean the ferret cage?

Clean the toilet corner every day: remove droppings and wet pellets. Wash hammocks and rugs regularly. Clean the whole cage with a suitable cleaning product for animal enclosures when needed; rinse and let everything dry thoroughly before putting the furnishings back. Preferably leave a little familiar scent behind, for example in the sleeping bag, so your ferret quickly feels at home again.

Can the cage stand outdoors?

These cages are made for indoor use. Ferrets cannot cope with heat, draughts and damp. If you want to keep ferrets outdoors, you need a special, weatherproof and sheltered outdoor enclosure. If in doubt, consult a vet with knowledge of ferrets.

Ferret cages at Knaagplaza

At Knaagplaza you will find spacious cages with levels in which your ferrets can safely sleep, eat and go to the toilet. Combine the cage with a good toilet corner, soft sleeping spots and daily free-roaming time, and your ferret will have a home base where it feels comfortable.