i need some advice from ferret owners on methods that have work for you when it comes to ferret proofing your kitchen. In the rental house i live i have a small kitchen and then a space attached for my washer and dryer which for some reason doesn't have a door in front of it. (For now i have temporarily ferret-proof everything by stuffing towels tightly into every hole they could possible find to crawl into). I was thinking about getting a children's gate to the entrance of my kitchen, but didn't know if that would actually work since one of my ferrets is a semi-good climber. any advice would be appreciated. thanks!
2007-09-29 00:09:55 · 5 answers · asked by maggs 3 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
Can you keep you ferret out of BOTH areas?
For one, just when you think you found all the holes, they'll show you how wrong you are. And the kitchen(bathroom too) is a good place for them to crawl into the wall, sometimes through little gaps between your plumbing and the drywall.
Another reason why I sould advise that is that you don't know how many moving parts there can be in a kitchen. Some refrigerators have small fans underneath them and dishwashers have springs and other things on their underside. A friend of mine was missing her ferret one day and ended up finding it under the dishwasher, her little neck snapped by a spring.
Also, ferrets explore their world with their mouths a lot, so they will lick just about anything to see what it is. Some chemicals in kitches are toxic to ferrets, even if it's just a tiny lick.
Laundry rooms are just as bad. I know one ferret who figured out how to get the dryer hose off the wall outlet and use it as an escape hatch.
So you see, there are so many things that could go wrong.
Try to keep them out of both rooms if possible at all.
A baby gate won't do in most cases, unless it's either solid plastic or plexiglass. You can buy a sheet of plexiglass to fit your door and attach it by sliding it between four dowels you screwed into the doorframe or you can cut the plexiglass a bit bigger so it will hold itself in place through tension when you bend it to fit the door opening. The good thing about plexiglass is that you can see through it, avoiding accidental stepping on a fert when you climb over the barricade.
Good luck to you and your ferts.
2007-09-29 11:32:54 · answer #1 · answered by Huh? 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Your backyard? Not ferret proof able- they can dig and get through most fences. I would suggest a ferret harness and a lead- I tie mine up outside when it is nice out. House- go on your stomach and look everywhere. Anything bigger than an inch and a half needs to be closed up. Anything they can climb on to that is dangerous has to be moved. Some ferrets are smarter than others, and other than making sure there is no poison lying around, you just have to watch your ferret and see what they get into. One of mine gets into my couch somehow...I haven't found a hole to tape up yet. Your ferret should NEVER be left unsupervised out of their cage. They get into trouble very easily, and even in a completely ferret proof room (or so you thought) they can find something.
2016-04-06 06:41:43 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You're better off doing a sheet of plexiglass (plastic) or plywood cut to fit into the door frame. Make it a little taller than knee high, so they can't jump and grab the top. They won't be able to get over it that way but you can still step over it.
Slide it between the frame and the edge of the door, you might need to nail a small section of wood onto the frame to make the groove for it to stay in place.
Any child gate or doggie gate can be climbed over.
2007-09-29 13:32:29 · answer #3 · answered by Elaine M 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Kitchens and laundry rooms are NOT safe areas for your ferret at all. I suppose, if you are lucky, that a children's gate could work.
I for one am a firm believer of letting ferrets 'free roam' in 1 ferret proofed room ONLY!! My ferrets live in my bedroom and for good reason. :) Ferrets are too curious for their own good...and like I said before...there are just to many appliances that ferrets can get in and out of and ruin. They also risk hurting themselves. Either way, especially since you are renting, it is not good.
2007-09-30 13:37:18 · answer #4 · answered by ? 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i have a ferret and to keep her from getting into places she wasnt supposed to we use big pieces of cardboard which are alot cheaper than baby gates and they cant climb cardboard as easy. just watch where it is going and block that area with a sheet and see what happens. plus squeek toy training helps also and a bell collar to hear where the sneaks are at is a BIG help.
2007-09-29 00:57:01 · answer #5 · answered by atthean 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋