Ferret questions.?

Question

Long story short, my son got a ferret from his dad. The ferret was terribly neglected in a divorce situation while it stayed at his dad's house. (My son and I live out of state 8hrs away). So the dad demands we take the ferret with us, we did and this poor thing is so emaciated. He had cat food in his pen.

We brought him outside to play and he wobbles on the back end. I am hoping this is either a normal ferret thing, or it is from lack of muscling due to being cooped up in his cage. Not sure.

So yesterday, the day after we get the ferret home, I spent $120 dollars on supplies and feed and bedding and cage and harness and treats and blah blah blah.

The feed I got has high taurine, he has a water bottle, his cage isn't real huge about 3 ft by 1.5ft, but the ferret only stays in it during work hours, he is out with my son playing except sleeping times.

He appeared to eat all the food I gave him last night, I am hoping he isn't hiding it in his bedding.

How much do I feed him?

I have alpine bedding for litter?? Can I use regular sawdust from pine trees?

What things do they like to do, we are going to take it to the barn with us to let it play on a leash of course, what else do they love to do.

I know nothing about these things, she is 3 yrs old, very active and playful for the bad shape she was in. She is very very sweet. So any positive comments would be helpful. I am giving her all the food she wants right now until she is back up to snuff on her weight. Then I don't know what to do for feeding.

Thanks so much!!

Answer 1

Thank goodness you are taking good care of it! Poor thing.
Make sure you let it run around as much as possible because they do not like being in a cage for long and need lots of attention.
Make sure it has plenty of toys here is a link about homemade toys:
http://www.petplace.com/small-mammals/making-homemade-toys-your-ferret-will-love/page1.aspx

http://www.ferretuniverse.com/care/toys.asp

As for the feeding they need a food with about 34% protein level and 19% fat level. Also, make sure it's first ingredient listed on the package is a meat. Also, corn is not good for ferrets because it is hard to digest so try and buy a food with no corn in it. Ferrets can be picky eaters so try and mix two different brands together.

You need to keep a full bowl of food in it's cage at all times because it only takes a ferret about 3 or 4 hours to fully digest food so they eat a lot! And of course, change the water daily.

Also, feeding it cat food is a highly debated subject- it if is fed cat food, it needs to be fed a high quality one such as Science Diet which is available at pet stores.

Pine/cedar or any wood chips isn't necessary- they prefer an old t-shirt or towel because the wood chips can cause allergy/breathing problems for ferrets.

Here is a great link that will answer all your questions:
http://www.ferretcentral.org/faq/part2.html#treats

Also, for treats- feed it a mushed up slice of banana or a slice of pear. Don't feed it too much of these though because they need more nutrients than just that so stick with majority of his regular food. Ferrets lack cecum to properly digest fruits and veggies so they shouldn't be fed too much.

Good luck! Also, call a vet to ask anymore questions you have- they are very willing to help.

Oh and avoid dairy products.

Make a vet appointment to get her checked out and to make sure her back end is alright. Also, they should see a vet on a yearly basis just like dogs and cats.

Answer 2

You need to bring your ferret to the vet like any other animal. They needs shots. Ferrets shouldnt be in their cage a lot. Put them in their cage at night or if you are not home, but when you are there you should let him out. You wouldn't cage a cat would would? I have owned three ferrets. They need food and water all the time. If they hide their food, they will eat it later. Marshall ferret food is the best for them. Don't feed your ferret cat food! Check out http://www.marshallpet.com/

Answer 3

First thing I would do with the poor thing is take it to a vet. Have it checked out. It could be suffering health problems due to malnutrition and that thing with it's leg is a definite concern.

Try feeding it some duck soup to help it gain weight. Duck soup is basically pureed chicken baby food. As for food itself, be sure to have a quality food (not Marshall's) that has a good balance of protein, fat, and as little preservatives, corn, and additives as possible. Good ones to try are Zupreem, 8-in-1 Ultimate, Totally Ferret, or Chicken Soup for the Kitten Lover's Soul (the cat formula works too if you can't find the kitten formula). Most other cat foods aren't good for ferrets but Chicken Soup is pretty much an exception.

For bedding, no pine. No cedar. No wood chips. Aspen is fine but you need to change it often. If it comes down to it try using plain old shredded newspaper.

The cage sounds like it's fine, as long as he gets out of it often.

Definitely get him checked out by a vet though.

Answer 4

Well having a play mate for your ferret is great but that means more food more toys more everthing and maybe a new cage depending how big your cage is. And as for dooking some ferrets dook almost constantly when jumping around playing with you or his ferret friends and some ferrets dook very softly or not at all.

Answer 5

Kudos to you for helping this poor little guy out.

You MUST go buy "Ferrets for Dummies". It's recommended by first time and veteran ferret owners. It will answer every question you could ever come up with.

A few other quick notes:

Take him to get checked out at the vet for his back end. There are a few therapy techniques they will give you to strengthen his backside and legs.

Go get non-clumping litter. It looks like little clay pellets. Ferrets are like little kids - they will put everything in their mouth. In case they ingest this litter, it won't clog them up.

Don't use any kind of woodchips/shavings for his cage. This is SUPER important because it will give him respiratory problems. I use old t-shirts/pants/sweatshirts. Our little guy gets super snuggly when the shirts smell like us (not in a BO kind of way though)

If you have any other questions, doubts, thoughts, check out a few of the websites i listed below. Definitely start by seeing a vet first.

Good luck with your fuzzy!!

Answer 6

I have two ferret they love company. Mine play with each other and my cats. They don't have sawdust or pine bedding mine have old clothes to burrow in at night and sleep. If you have room in the cage a hammock is good. Mine also like yogies they are yogurt treat I found at the pet store. Other then that it sounds like you are doing a good job and it is good that you are treating it nicely cause in the right hands ferrets can be so sweet.

Answer 7

You'll find that she'll like to play with items around the house instead of store bought toys. My ferret used to love love love socks. My friend at the time had 4 ferrets and they would always steal her socks and hide them in their hiding spot behind her dresser. They also like to nibble on them while they're on your feet so watch out. There's a supplement called ferratone that's excellent for their coats and they love it. It comes in liquid and paste form and the paste is brown and smells like raisins. Also, If she's started making hier "chuckling" sound then that means that she's happy. If she runs at you and then backs up, then that means that she's trying to get you to play with him. One last important thing, ferrets are prone to cancer (mine died from colon cancer at age 3) so make sure you take her for regular check-ups every 4 months or so. Have fun and I hope she gets back to full health. They are one of the most entertaining and cutest pets you can ever have =)

Answer 8

Your son is very lucky to have a ferret, i've wanted one for a very long time, they will sometimes hide stuff in your house, like they'll take a sock and drag to his nest, they are very playful they need at least 4 or 3 hours of playtime each day you might want to get her a bigger cage and another ferret in the future, so you won't need to play with her as much, every time you see it's food dish empty you need to fill it up again, they smell a little but if you clean their cage every day or every other day they won't smell, and if you neuter them they won't smell as bad, but thankfully if you buy them from a pet store they've already been neutered. you might also want to check these websites: http://www.exotichobbyist.com/NaturalFerret.html
http://www.ferret-universe.com/care/index.asp

Answer 9

You need to get this ferret to a vet right away. Weakness in the hind legs could be a sign of a serious issue. You can check out this web page that talks about possible reasons for hind leg weakness(easier than me writing out everything)
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=481&S=5

Some general info on ferrets that may help:

Food:
Since your ferret it currently thin you may want to feed a little duck soup(does not contain duck, it is actually named for a ferret). It is a high calories food that is used to put/keep weight on sick ferrets. Here is the recipe:
http://www.wuzzles.com/ferrets/documents/whatisducksoup.htm

Normal food should have at least three high quality food mixed together(three foods ensures that if your store stops selling the brand, you still have food your ferret will eat, as some are very picky eaters). Marshals food is not a high quality food(do not feed the ferret this). High quality means first three ingredients meat, and no fish.34-36% protein and approximately 20% fat (and low fiber) The high quality food can cost anywhere from 15 dollars to over 20 for a 5 -10 lb bag. Feeding them low quality food may be cheaper for awhile, but will lead to health problems and costly vet bills later.

Your ferret needs food available all the time. They have very short digestive tracks, thus food is absorbed and expelled very quickly. Ferrets will eat a little amount several times through the day.

I have never seen a ferret that hides food(they are not like hamsters) Be sure to keep the bowl full at all times. I usually fill the bowl to the top in the morning, and then again in the afternoon(or whenever I see that it is getting empty)

Bedding:
Pine/cedar is not recommended for ferrets. These woods contain toxins in them. Your best bet would be to line the bottom with paper(I use newspaper-but be sure it is soy based ink), you can then fill the litter boxes with a paper based litter(carefresh, yesturdays news, etc)

Litter training:
Ferrets are den animals and will usually choose to eliminate in a certain corner of the cage. After a few days, you will be able to see which corner the is using. Place the litter pan in this corner and place some of the feces in the pan(so the know to use it)

When out of the cage most ferrets will not use a litter box. Ferrets are very low to the ground and cannot see very far. They will not seek out a litter box, but may use one that is right in front of them. You may want to buy several litter boxes and place them around the room. When you see your ferret getting ready to "go" place him in the box.

Play:
Ferrets are always on and love to play. They can have fun with anything. Boxes, old towels, dryer hosing(new of course), cat scratching post house, digging boxes(I fill mine with ripped up papers), mine love squeaky dog toys(the ones for toy breed dogs/puppies)

Ferrets must be supervised at all times, they get into everything! Be sure you have ferret proofed the room he plays in. They love to steal things, so what small items.

Vet Care:
Depending on where you live, rabies may be a required vaccination for your ferret. It is a good idea to have regular yearly vet check ups(especially after age 3). Older ferrets are prone to many illnesses. Quick identification and treatment of these illnesses are key. Some common illnesses are Adrenal Disease, Insulinoma, Renal Failure, Lymphoma, etc. It is a good idea to know the signs and symptoms of these common diseases. You are more likely to end up with a sick ferret than not, many of these illnesses can show up as early as 3/4 years old. Saving money to treat possible illness is necessary ,as treatment can range $1000 or more to treat many of these illnesses.

A good book to read(It is usually always recommended to new ferret owners) is Ferrets for Dummies. It will give you a lot of information that is helpful.