Are Ferrets As Pets Suitable for the Household – Should Your Family Get One?
Are you wondering whether your home will be suitable to have ferrets as pets? You may have observed ferrets at a pet shop or even at a friends place and felt his playful animals would be great companions for you at home. You wouldn’t be wrong in your assumptions because these adventurous and playful animals can indeed provide you plenty of happiness apart from keeping you entertained whenever you get close to them. In all probability, the ferrets are going to keep you busy with their antics even after you return home after a long day at work.
How to Decide Whether Your Home Is Suitable For Ferrets As Pets?
Your home will be the perfect place for ferrets if you can give them at least a couple of hours of playtime beyond their cage in the home.
You can definitely have a multistoried cage for them to remain in during the time when they are asleep which is approximately 12 to 14 hours every day.
However, they are accustomed to waking up at sunrise and also at sunset at which time you can consider taking the ferret for a walk with a harness on it. You can also consider the following for the safety and wellbeing of your pet ferret:
- Ferrets need space to exercise, explore and being mischievous animals can put themselves at risk especially around electrical cables. Ferret proofing your home would be a great idea to give it the space needed to play around without encountering any risks.
- Extremely young ferrets aged below three months can nibble at your fingers but will eventually overcome the habit after they are held by the scruff of the neck a few times after such incidents. Being intelligent ferrets are quick to understand biting is not appreciated and therefore give up the habit quite fast, making them an ideal family pet.
- Ferrets are carnivorous animals and similar to cats in their toiletry behavior. They prefer to relieve themselves in corners with their backs against the wall. This habit makes it easier to have the ferrets’ toilet trained because you just need to place empty boxes in the corners of your bathroom or other places where the ferret is running around the home.
You can have all the fun you want with this inquisitive animal and even have your hands full with their antics if you can keep them away from anything which is likely to harm them.
How Many Ferrets Do You Plan to Have?
Ferrets are social animals and are ideal to be maintained in pairs or groups. You can definitely have a whole group of ferrets in your place if you are willing to consider the costs of maintaining them and of course apart from the ferret price you would have paid when buying them. However, they also need to be maintained apart from being given the space and time they need.
Are Ferrets Suitable For Households With Children?
Ferrets are playful animals and will get along great with children. These animals are highly intelligent and will be happy to mix around with children for playing with them. Being rather small in size ferrets need to be handled carefully but children who have been trained appropriately should have a great time in the company of ferrets.
The only problem may be with younger children who may handle the ferrets roughly leading to a nibble or two around their arms or fingers.
Factors to Consider Before Deciding on Ferrets For Your Home
- If you have elderly members in your home who are at risk of falling you are advised to provide a separate space for the ferrets to ensure they don’t get tangled in the feet of the elderly to cause any accidents.
- Ferrets love the outdoors and wouldn’t mind joining you for a walk along with other pets you have. However, you cannot let them free as you would your dog, so be prepared to have a suitable harness in your possession before you decide to give it some fresh air.
- Ferrets need some supervision before they are allowed to mix with larger animals in your home. This is primarily because the ferret could injure itself when trying to play with larger animals but with a little supervision, you should be able to get over this problem without any concerns.
How Can I Determine Whether I’m Suitable To Have Ferrets At Home?
You can rest assured you are a suitable candidate to have a ferret at home if you have the following qualities in you:
- Your working hours do not restrict you from spending time with your ferret regardless of whether it is before or after work.
- You have taken the precautions needed to train other pets in your home to get along with the ferret.
- Ferrets are pets and will be with you for their lifetime which is in the region of 10 to 13 years. While giving you plenty of happiness they will also be devoted to you. You also need to display a similar commitment to them if you have decided to have a ferret or some ferrets in your place.
You can consider yourself as a suitable candidate to have ferrets at home if you can satisfy any of the conditions mentioned above. You can rest assured you will never have a boring moment at home with their company and may even find it difficult to adjust in their absence after you have made the decision to have ferrets as pets.