Ferret Male - Ref ID: 13438

Ferret

Ferrets are playful, mischievous, entertaining little animals who can bring endless enjoyment to a family. They are cuddly, interactive, spunky pets that can be great for owners who have time to take them out of their cages every day and play with them. Ferrets are social and many ferret owners choose to have multiple ferrets to help meet this social need.

Grooming

Healthcare

• All Marshall ferrets are fully vaccinated for Distemper and need a rabies vaccine after 12 weeks of age.
• Ferrets, especially babies, are susceptible to upper respiratory infections so it is extremely important to shield your ferret from sick humans or other sick pets. Prevention is key, but if your ferret contracts a cold or the flu, you will notice sneezing and you may see a nasal discharge. Cleaning your ferret’s nose is a good step since ferrets have a hard time breathing with URIs. In addition, make sure your ferret is well hydrated – solutions like Duk Soup are particularly helpful and soothing. Your ferret, like a sick child, should start to get better in a few days. If that isn’t the case, you should take him to a veterinarian, because he may need antibiotics.
• Ferrets could develop upper respiratory infections and/or influenza that are related to stress and introduction to a new environment, both of which can be transmitted through human contact. If the ferret is sneezing, pay close attention to the color of mucus and check to see if its eyes are clear. Certain types of litter can cause sneezing. We recommend Marshall Recycled Newspaper Pellet Litter. If the discharge is yellow or green, it may be time to take your ferret to a vet.  A vet will often treat with an antibiotic for the infection. Using Marshall Ferret Rx for congestion along with the antibiotic is an effective treatment. A very wet (soupy consistency) of Marshall Premium Ferret Diet should be given. Mixing in Marshall Furo-Vite high-calorie vitamin supplement is a great way to build up ferret health after stress experienced during shipping. Also make sure to keep the ferret hydrated by adding Pedialyte to the water.
• Ferrets will benefit from annual veterinary care and monitoring.  Schedule your ferret rabies vaccines shortly after acquiring your pet ferret and have a well-check performed by the vet at the same time.

Nutrition

Ferrets are very different than other domestic animals when it comes to dietary needs. They require a much higher protein diet than a cat, for example. That is why it’s extremely important to feed ferrets food that is specifically formulated for them. Marshall Premium Ferret Diet is the optimal ferret food – high in fresh meat proteins and omega 3s, plus it’s one of the easiest diets for ferrets to digest.

Ferrets are considered free-feeding animals, which simply means that they should always have fresh food and water available to them. This is due to the fact that ferrets have an extremely fast metabolism and digest their food every two hours. It also means that they use the litter pan more frequently than other pets, so fresh litter is a must.

It is important to sufficiently moisten the diet for young ferrets (6-11 weeks of age).
• Mix three parts warm fresh water to one part Marshall Premium Ferret Diet (3:1 ratio).
• Allow the mixture to sit 3 -5 minutes.
• Add more Marshall Premium Ferret Diet or water until it reaches a wet oatmeal consistency.

If you’re feeding your ferrets a protein-rich diet such as Marshall Premium Ferret Diet, they are getting a majority of the nutrients they need, but it’s always good to use a daily supplement for optimal health and well being. Supplements help maintain a shiny coat and prevent dry skin as well as boosting immunity. High calorie supplements, such as Furo Vite are particularly helpful when a ferret is recovering from illness and needs to gain weight.

Cat Foods and Treats are not recommended!

A ferret’s digestive tract is much shorter than a cat’s, which results in rapid food passage. A cat’s digestion is approximately 5 hours, where a ferret’s is closer to 2 hours. Because of this, many cat foods don’t have ample time to break down in a ferrets system and valuable nutrients are lost.

Ferrets require high amounts of meat protein and fat. Many ferret and cat diets use meals and grains to substitute for meat-based protein. Ferrets that are fed the Marshall food will normally eat less and receive more nutritional value than other cat and ferret diets.

Behavior

Ferrets are very curious animals with an instinct that drives them to burrow, dig, and chew.  Baby ferrets will have a higher level of liveliness and will potentially get into more trouble if they are not supervised.  We do not advise ferrets be allowed to roam free in a room without supervision.

Ferrets need a lot of exercise and providing for this need will help prevent them from becoming obese.

Ferrets are also highly social. This is an animal that will enjoy cohabitating with others of its own kind and having a friend (or two!) will keep the ferret more mentally stimulated compared to one that lives solo.