i rescued a ferret the other day which was loose in the street . i had him scanned and he belongs to nobody...

Question

i have fallen in love with him . he is the most delightful little felllow ever. someone clearly didn't want him because he smelt and did no research on how to deal with the smell. he has been to be neutered today and seems fine. God nknows i would be not very happt if my nuts had been snipped. Anyhow can anyone please recommend any toys or actvivties to make my little friend more happy. Also can i add another ferret to give him a friend and if so waht sex. Many thanks foro yur answers. PLease don't answer if you know nothing about these critteres

just for information tanjelok. I am a qualifie animal behaviourist si am no fool. I just don't know abour ferrerts. Of course i can go to the shop but half the staf are dimwits so don't be so presumtious as to be so clever .!!!!

Thank you for all the advice it's been very useful, apart from the idiot whou just says go to the pet shop

Answer 1

Ferrets will play with anything. We have a huge construction of old shoe boxes with holes in them taped to gether. Every time someone gets shoes we just cut a couple of holes and taped it n the end. They also love playing in carrier bags. The more crinkly the better.
Even if he is an ex hunter if he has been well kept he shouldn't bite. After all who wants to stick their hand down a rabbit hole and get it bitten. A companion of either sex would be a good idea but do not just throw them intogether and expect them to get on. Integration can be immediate or in some cases months but you need to stick with it.
I have seen some really bad uninformed advice on ferrets on this forum from people who claim to have kept and bred ferrets. Ferrets that consistently bite are being mistreated. A well looked after ferret that bites is so rare I have never met one and I go to ferret shows and displays regularly.
Lastly, dog food, cat food, and god forbid, bread and milk are not suitable for ferrets. Feed only completed ferret food such as Vitalin, James Wellbeloved, Chudleys etc along with some raw food on the bone. Either Chicken or Rabbit. My lot get a whole minced rabbit once a week as well as free access to JWB. Never ever feed cooked chicken bones.
If you saw Britains worst pet on TV there was a biting ferret. The gent claimed to have kept ferrets for many years but was feeding cat food from a tin. He was actually an embarassment to ferret keepers everywhere from that fact alone

Answer 2

I keep ferrets. They are the most wonderful creatures and stay playful for their entire lives! I would get another male as company for him...they'll play together really well and ferrets do need ferret company.

Don't get a female as they have to be neutered or become anaemic and can die.
They do have a natural odour which is kind of musky.

As for toys....they love tunnels, old jumpers...you can put some of their favourite treats into a sock and watch as they try to get it out. When you are supervising them, ferrets absolutely love plastic bags.

Sometimes I pile up a load of old cushions and they love ferreting around in between them.

Also they love cat toys on string they'll chase them just like a cat does.

A really good buy is those long tubes that are used for washing machine outlets...you can get these quite cheaply at a DIY store. Mine love theirs!

I love my ferrets so much and you will have a very happy relationship with yours too, I'm sure. But do get that other ferret for him!

Best wishes

Answer 3

Ferrets LOVE places that are narrow and dark...I used to find mine sleeping in the laundry pile all the time. The Doctor Foster and Smith website has lots of ferret goodies and info. Unless, specifically used for breeding ferrets are much better of if they're neutered or spayed. They should also have the rabies vaccine.

Answer 4

Cardboard boxes were always very popular with mine, especially with little holes cut out. What did go down very well is when my neighbour gave me loads of old drain pipes and connectors and stuff. I washed them all thouroughly, and oh the fun we had!

A word of warning though, my male ferret used to steal silk and satin underwear from the radiators. I wondered where it was going for weeks until one day I caught the little beggar at it and followed him...8 pairs of knickers stuffed inside the couch!

Answer 5

Ferrets are very much like having a pet dog!! I know sounds funny but you can train them to walk with you , take them out for walks( You can little halters for them now!) .As for toys ,they love tubes to run through , get lots of small dog toys squeaky, balls ropes etc, they love it all!!!! Also in around big bowl of water they love having a bath ,Good luck and have fun !!!!! I know you will!!!!

Answer 6

Do not feed it cows milk. Be careful as they can leave a nasty bite. It's quite possible he is a hunter and escaped. You could expect rabbit for tea any time soon. They like to chew and are very playful with tunnels etc. Cardboard tubes etc are a good temporary measure.

Answer 7

Hi Bailey P
I answered your other question on toys so I won't repeat myself but on the question of whether to get him a friend or not I would say this: I have been a ferret owner for about 6 months, I got my boy Freddie first and he is a little sweetheart. I am led to believe that he is one of those rare ferrets who loves to cuddle cos most of them don't but my Freddie jumps up on me when he wants me to pick him up and then snuggles on my knee and goes to sleep.Awwwwww adoreable! We had him for about 4 1/2 months and he was no trouble, we let him out of his cage for about 6 - 8 hours a day and he just ran around the room like a cat or dog on speed, then crashed and burned and slept for hours!!! We wanted to get him a friend so we got another rescue ferret and by chance it was a girl we called Hattie. She is a totally different kettle of fish, she NEVER sits still, HATES cuddles and does ANYTHING she can to explore/ destroy the house but I still adore her.
For the first couple of weeks we had Hattie she bullied Freddie no end and hissed at him constantly and bit him if he went anywhere near her but with time and a little cunning on our part she has grown to love him and they look so cute when they are curled up asleep together or dancing and dooking with each other. A couple of days ago Hattie escaped and our next door neighbour knocked on our door to say she was under their kitchen unit!!! That's another story!!
What I would say is that if you have lots of time and lots of patience to cope with 2 of these lovely creatures then go for it, I really don't think it matters if the next one is a girl or boy, just take him with you when you get your new one and let them interact with each other for a bit, you will soon tell if they like each other or not.
Sorry this was such a long answer but it's hard to give a short one when talking about ferrets! Let me know if you get another one. Good luck xx

Answer 8

They like tubes and hammocks.You can also buy harnesses for them and take them for walks.

Get him a companian yes.Either sex is fine but make sure you get a baby and that he has recovered from his op.The baby should be neutered/spayed and micro chipped too.

I assume your vet vaccinated him for canine distemper?

Answer 9

They love to hide and burrow... tubes and tunnels... I use dryer vent tubing... some like to chase balls around as you roll them across the floor... mine like to hide in a shipping tube and have me roll them across the floor... hide under blankets... go for 'rides' in plastic bags...
Friends are good for ferrets, they are social animals, be sure to introduce them slowly, any sex should be okay as long as they are fixed.

Answer 10

Give him a ball to play with a long as its soft and light and he will ave loads of fun and im not so sure you should mix him with a boy (they fight) so so have a girl mixed in and im sure they will be happy