What products are best for ferrets?

Question

What food products,cleaning products,etc. are the best for a ferret?I'm about to get my first ferret and I have to have the best of everything for my new family member.So if you know anything please tell me.Thanks. :)

Answer 1

you need a high qulity ferret food or kitten not cat kitten food they need the high protein and i have yet found a cat food but the kitten foods you can stay away from cheap food.

you need a good caged remember ferret do not live in a cage they need time out of a cage and time to play and have fun

litter pan you may want to start of with shoe boxes this is how i trained mine and you can go to any shoe store and get them you can tie them to a cage and once you find out their corner you can go to a pan and it easy to train them just put the shoe box in it and they will still go.

bedding good old t-shirts towels or i use baby fleese blanket mine love love these.

toys mine just play with my dog toys i also have box with holes in both side and i cover it in a blanket and they love to play hide and go seek in this.

i use ferret shampoo once a month if not less and in between i use ferret dry shampoo and ferret spritz and every one tells me that my ferrets smell good

stay away from clump litter they like to play in this and it get in their nose and cause lung problems can be dangerouse also stay away from dusty litter again lungs. yesterday news is great some tidy cats is good.

i dont' like watter bottle but they are fine i use a plane water dish and tie to the cage and same with food but they have many dishes that screw on to the cage i have this also i have a huge huge cage.

cleaning the cage don't use bleach but pine is fine if you let it dry outside i use that all the time and i let it dry outside but again i have more than one cage because i do rescue but if they keep it clean and use the pan than i also use those new wipes just because i am a freak about makeing sure every thing is clean.

i wash thier bedding 1-2 a week i use a fragrant free detergent just for safty reason for them.

Find a ferret knolageable vet i say it is better to have one before you have your vet maybe you will be lucky and have a great one like me i have the best in the world i feel lol

make sure you have a ferret proof room and watch them you will be surprised at how easy they can sneak by you and what they can get under i even took the legs of my couch for safty reasons

Other than that i think just love them and they will love you back if i missed anything i am sure some one will pick it up.

Have fun enjoy and soon you will be telling people about ferrets oh yea they are like potatoe chips you can't stop at one lol

oh and about marshal farms they don't warrant their ferret they give the store a health record letting you know when your ferret was fixed and they have number so they know what litter they come from they don't give a damb what you feed them they sell their ferret to labs i have a ferret board and marshal farms is a big huge topic on their they wanted to stop buying marshal farms ferret but i had to tell them it wouldn't hurt the farm just the ferrets i have had ferret before they were even populor please don't think because you buy a marshal farms ferret you half all this great stuff not true tell you the truth their food is the worst on the market would not even dare give my ferrets this it sucks.

Answer 2

Food: There is cat food that is just as good and better then some of the ferret food out there. But not all cat food is ok, just like not all ferret food is good. I wouldn't dream of feeding my fuzzbutts crap like Marshalls, Sunseed, Kaytee, or most of the 8-in-1 foods. I mix Felidae Cat food, Maxximum Kitten, and Natural Balance Ultra Premium cat. This is the absolute best ferret food comparison chart availible: http://everythingfert.proboards36.com/index.cgi?board=kristen&action=display&thread=1109195167 . Just pick a few food that rate a 1 or a 2 and you're all set.
Cleaning: Natures Miracle. Absolutely safe around fuzzies since it uses natural enzymes. Works wonderful.
There is so much that you need for a ferret it's hard to list. The best cages are the Ferret Nation and the Martins cages. Superpet cages suck. Definately get a bunch of litter boxes. Don't use cat litter, the cheapest and best litter is woodstove pellets (just like feline pine but less costly). Don't even think of using pine or cedar shavings as it wreaks havoc on the ferrets delicate respiratory system. You can never have too many hammocks. Make sure they have a dark place to hide or they could get cage stress. Let them out in a large ferret proofed room for at least 4 hours a day. They will eat foam, rubber, and sponge which can result in a intestinal blockage. Use ferret lax a few times a week in case they do eat something they're not supposed to. This also is essential for furballs as they can't hack them up like cats can. Keep thier nails clipped.
Top ways to keep the smell down:
1. Keep their ears cleaned (once a month)
2. Wash their bedding every couple of weeks.
3. Don't bathe them too often (the more you bathe it strips natural oils off of them and their skin works overtime to replace them thus a worse smell!)
4. Feed very high quality food. (they smell like they eat...both body oder and poop!)
5. Keep litter boxes cleaned out.
I can't think of anything else at the moment. But no ferret owner should be without "Ferrets for Dummies" by Kim Schilling, be sure to pick up a copy!!!! Also join "Everything Ferrets": http://www.everythingfert.proboards36.com/ . It's a wonderful community of ferret lovers who can answer any question you have about ferrets!
A word on Marshalls Farms. Marshalls is a large ferret and beagle breeder that sells many of their animals to research. They spay and neuter the ferrets too early when they are only weeks old. This has been linked to problems such as adrenal gland disease. They also ship ferret kits out way too young, some end up dead before they even reach the petstore due to poor shipping practices. Try to boycott their products as much as possible, they really don't have the welfare of ferrets in mind. And their food is terrible, yes their guarentee is void if you don't feed their crappy food. But the health of your ferret is far more important than that. Plus, how are they going to prove you didn't feed their food? All you have to do is send in a UPC symbol off of a bag of food.

Answer 3

Go to ferretuniverse.com. They have loads of info. But I would get 2, not just one. They are a ball to watch play, and when you don't have time, they will wear each other out. We use Hard wood pellets for pellet stoves for litter, Marshall Farms Ferret Food, with Maximum Kitten Food as well. Young ferrets imprint on certain foods and will not eat anything else, so it is best to start them on more than one food. BUT they have to have a food that is at least 34% protein and Marshall Farms will not warranty their ferrets unless they are fed Marshall Farms food. Make sure they have fresh water at all time, and lots of food. Stay away from raisons for treats (ferrets can't digest fruit etc. They are obligate carnivores and need meat) Get specific toys for fuzzies...they are destructive and will ingest things they shouldn't and that can run into the 100's of dollars for emergency surgery, or they can die from stuff that blocks their intestines. Get the book, Ferrets for Dummies...lots of info, what to look for, what to watch our for etc. Just don't feed them fruit. Remember they need at least 4 to 6 hours a day out of their cage to play and they have to be supervised, or else they can get themselves into trouble. Marshall Farms has lots of neat things, and Ferret Magazine has do's and don'ts. Remember they do need shots every year, distemper and rabies and dog shots won't work. Do not bathe them too often, it will cause them to produce more oil in their coats and then they will stink. They need their teeth cleaned and their claws cut. And, And And. AND OF COURSE THE SPELL CHECK DOESN'T WORK RIGHT NOW...SO FORGIVE SPELLING.

Answer 4

what ever you do, buy it food specific for ferrets, many people believe they can give the ferret some cat food....very wrong, it causes all sorts of health problems.

Buy a book or bookmark a good website on your PC. Frequent ferret forums or communities on the web, it's always great to communicate with other people who have ferrets.

Have a good cage with a lock because they're rascally fellas. AND DON'T LEAVE ANYTHING SHINY LYING AROUND!!!!! they love shiny things and will steal them and hide them!!!

Answer 5

This site is fairly good, you can browse through more then 600 items designed for ferrets
http://www.nextag.com/ferret-product/search-html
This site has a lot of info on care/health etc.
http://www.texasferret.org/index.shtml

Answer 6

lots of colorful, durable toys. you can make mazes out of pvc pipes and the corner parts - they love running through them. we have always used kitten food rather than ferret food. two vet clinics recommended science diet.

Answer 7

look it up on the internet. it should tell you some stuff and you can also call my uncle (he is a vet.) Dr.Lewis at Bell Road Animal Medical Center at : 279-9100 and ask.

Answer 8

live chickens