can someone help me name my new ferret? it is a girl. and i am not sure how to take care of her the right way?

Answer 1

"Caring For Your Ferret
As a ferret owner, you now have a responsibility of insuring your new pet's health and well being. By following the simple guidelines outlined below, your ferret should bring you many years of enjoyment.

As you know by now, your ferret is a highly energized pet. A healthy ferret should be alert, inquisitive and bright eyed. If just awakened, ferrets may be slightly lethargic at first but should respond to handling in a few minutes. All ferrets have a high metabolic rate and require a diet high in protein. A young ferret requires 3 - 4 meals a day, with the adults having 1 - 2 meals daily. They are carnivorous animals and there are a number of commercial ferret foods available. Totally Ferret by Performance Foods,and Ultra Blend Ultimate ferret diet by 8 in 1 Pet Products are two of our favorite ferret diets. Always make fresh water available. Ferrets will also eat fruits such as watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, raisins and bananas, but please don't overdo it as they can sometimes upset the intestinal tract.. Cheese may be fed in moderation, however, stay away from milk-based products, as they may cause loose stools. You may also add 1/4 teaspoon of corn oil to their diets to promote healthy coats. Should your ferret have highly odorous stools, you may want to change to feeds with a lower protein content, but not below 25%. Ferrets will occasionally enjoy a taste of salt in the form of salt licks or tablets.

If your ferret is purchased as a house pet, neutering the male and spaying the female should be considered. All ferrets have musk producing glands located at the base of the tail, around the anus. When angry, excited, or when the female is in heat, a malodorous discharge is secreted. Descenting is highly recommended and can be performed at the time of neutering or spaying, or at 5 - 6 months of age. Many ferrets have already been spayed or neutered and descented when purchased from the pet store.

If you are planning to breed your ferret, females are polyestrous, meaning they come into heat twice yearly, usually in March and August. The heat cycle may last 120 days and is recognized by vulva edema and swelling. Gestation of the ferret is 38 - 44 days, with litters ranging between 2 - 17 kits. We refer to males as "Hobs" and females as "Jills".

Your ferret is susceptible to potentially fatal illnesses and should be immunized against them. Ferrets may be protected against Canine Distemper by vaccinating at 8-10 weeks of age and again at 14-16 weeks of age. Canine Distemper is universally fatal in ferrets if contracted. Signs of illness with distemper include ocular discharge, diarrhea, thickening of the foot pads, nasal discharge and respiratory infection with eventual seizures and deathe. We also recommend vaccinating ferrets against Rabies. The initial Rabies vaccine is given at 14-16 weeks of age. Vaccinations for Canine Distemper and Rabies should be boostered annually.

Along with vaccinations, a yearly stool (feces) exam should be checked for internal parasites. Ear mite infestation is also common and may be evidenced by repeated scratching at the ears, shaking of the head, or the presence of a dark, waxy-like dirt in the ears. As with dogs and cats, flea control is important. Ferrets may be treated with Advantage, a topical spot-on flea product that kills virtually all the fleas on your pet within 24 hours of application. Ferrets are also susceptible to heartworm disease and we recommend a monthly heartworm preventative.

Do ferret-proof your house! Block off tiny spaces such as the bottom of stove and refrigerator. Ferrets love to hide in small spaces so you may wish to attach a bell to his/her collar. Caution must be taken to check bags, laundry, and other items before emptying them. Ferrets are curious animals and will get into anything and everything. They will also hide their food, so watch them carefully to make sure they are not eating stale food which can cause gastrointestinal disorders and botulism. Don't let your ferret run out of your house unsupervised or without a leash. A ferret cannot survive on its own out in the world.

Ferrets are especially fond of rubber and you must keep rubber toys, foam pillows, door stops, or other rubber items away from your ferret as they may be ingested, causing an intestinal blockage. Signs of this are lack of appetite, grinding the teeth, and lethargy. Ferrets are also prone to getting hairballs in their stomachs. Ferrets with hairballs will be anorexic, have dark tarry stools and be lethargic. Feline hairball preventatives can be used in ferrets.

Important: Unspayed female ferrets will not go out of heat unless they are bred or given a hormone injection by your veterinarian. When in heat the vulva will swell markedly. If they stay in heat for extensive periods, they can develop life-threatening anemia (low blood count). Therefore, if you do not plan to breed your female ferret, she should be spayed.

By following these simple guidelines, your ferret, with proper health care and supervision, will be around for a long time! "

Answer 2

The first thing I would do is buy the book "Ferrets for Dummies" it will really give you everything you need to know about ferrets and how to care for them. Ferrets need their nails trimmed every 2 weeks, an easy way to do this is to place ferret vite on the ferrets belly and while she licks it off cut her nails. You only want to cut the white part, don't go near the red inside the nail other wise she will bleed. You also need to clean her ears out regularly. I bought a ferret safe ear cleaning solution and dip cottor swabs in it and clean out the ears. Ferrets will smell much worse if you bathe them often so you don't need to bathe them but a few times a year. You should buy a ferret approved diet and always offer food and water and a place to use the bathroom. Ferrets need at least 4 hours out of their cage a day to play. You should also supply hammocks and old shirts and blankets for the ferret to sleep in, any more questions just email me, good luck

Answer 3

There are tons of ferrets sites. Go to Google and plug in the word ferret. There is a wealth of info on the net. They also make some great books, one of which is called "Ferrets for Dummies". They take quite a bit of care as you will see. Another good site for supplies is www.theferretstore.com. As far as names, well I used to have 21 ferrets and am now down to 2 that are very old. Some of the names were: Duke, Darla, Noodles, Crackers, Spankey, Butterscotch, Domminic, Ethyl, Lucy, Podo, Kodo, Little Boy, Little White S**t.

Answer 4

As to a name, I like to let pets "name themselves" after their personality. If they love to play with your socks, name them Socks, that kind of thing. I used to have a girl ferret named Jinxie, I thought that was a good name for a ferret because they're always getting into hijinx!

As to the care, the previous answer went pretty in depth; but I'll give you some tips anyway ;)

Ferrets need to eat good quality ferret food. They'll enjoy fruit and yoghert as a treat, too, but don't overdo it. Yoghert helps their digestive tract, so it's a nice healthy treat. Some people will tell you that ferrets can eat kitten food -- and they can -- but they won't be as healthy and they won't live as long. So please get good quality food made specially for ferrets.

Your ferret has probably already been spayed and descented by the pet store. If so, she'll have a little, hard to spot tattoo on her ear (I think it's the left one). If not, you'll need to have this done as soon as it's safe for her. This is very important.

You must keep your ferret's cage clean, or it'll get very smelly very quickly. Ferrets can use a litterbox, but their poo smells pretty bad! You can use pet bedding to make a nice comfy home, or just put a towel or small blanket or soft cloth in the cage. They'll love playing in it and sleeping in it. Ferrets also love to sleep in hammocks which you can buy at the pet store.

Ferrets are very, very smart and curious. They're likely to learn to open their cage - if so, you can clip it shut with the metal clip on the end of a leash. They can't open that. They need toys and they need to be played with often and allowed out to get some exercise. Be sure to "ferret-proof" the room they're allowed out in -- they get into EVERYTHING and can fit their whole bodies through a hole the size of a quarter! If they can get their nose through, they can get their whole body through.

Having a ferret is like having a very active two-year-old -- it's loads of fun but also lots of work to keep it safe and happy. I hope I've helped!

Answer 5

Name her after yourself. Then when you get called to dinner, just have the ferret run to the dinner table...it's quite a funny sight.