Ron Hines DVM PhD 4/24/06are husbandry

Pet ferrets are domesticated European polecats. They have been kept as hunters and pets for over one thousand years. The scientific name for a ferret is Mustela putorius furo. Other Mustela to which they are related are mink, skunks, otters, weasels and badgers. All animals in this group have a distinctly strong odor emanating from glands below the base of their tail. In olden times, ferrets were used to flush rabbits out of their burrows. Today, they are generally kept as pets and as scientific research subjects.

The natural color of ferrets is “fitch” or sable, brown with a dark mask and tail, but they can be obtained in many colors. Boy ferrets are called “hobs” while female ferrets are called “jills” Male ferrets weigh approximately two-thirds more than females. Their babies are referred to as kits. The lifespan of ferrets is 8-11 years. Ferrets are able to breed when they are 5- 6 month of age. Ferrets are quite nearsighted but their sense of hearing and smell are quite acute. Wild ferrets live on a diet consisting primarily of rodents. Although they will accept a varied diet in captivity, they are strict carnivores.

In the United States, almost all pet ferrets are neutered. This is generally done while the pets are very young (4-6 weeks of age). The largest producer of pet ferrets in the United States is Marshall Laboratories (http://www.marshallpet.com/).
In 1939, The Marshalls began raising ferrets in the backyard of their family farm. Mr. Marshall vigorously marketed these animals for research studies within the scientific community. One of his selling points was the ferret’s susceptibility to human influenza. When sales did not meet expectations, the Company began marketing their animals as pets. Their selling points were their predictable mellow temperaments, small size, cleanliness and intelligence as well as their ability to be litter box trained. Their drawbacks include a rather pronounced musk odor present even when the animals have been descented and the high number of pets that die early due to cancers. Because ferrets are not territorial and are masterful escape artists, they often wander off and become lost.

Ferrets tend to be highly animated for short periods of play activity and then lapse into a deep sleep. At play they love to seek out objects and rollick about but while asleep they are difficult to disturb or rouse. They do well in pairs and triplets either confined to a large ferret habitat with tubes, tunnels and bedding or allowed to roam loose in the house. Ferrets will prob every conceivable nook and cranny so ferret-proofing a house or room is quite a challenge. Generally, if a ferret got into a space unassisted it is able to get out unassisted. They do not do well out of doors unless they are on a leash. They are active both in the daytime and at night. Small toys and rope-like objects are best kept out of reach because young ferrets often eat them. Ferrets train quite easily to use litter boxes. Silica or bentonite clay-containing cat litter will often cause ferrets to sneeze. I prefer to use cellulose products.

Ferrets should have food and water available at all time since they love to snack. They do well on dry kitten or ferret chow providing 30-40% crude protein and 15-20% fat. Although they enjoy eating them, they do not digest carbohydrates or roughage well. Ferret vitamin supplements are available but are not required. Feeding foods that they are not accustomed to often results in diarrhea. The diet of older or frail ferrets can be supplemented with cooked eggs and beef liver as well as strained baby meats. Older or sick ferrets seem to also benefit from high energy pastes such as Nutrical or Energel. Do not feed them products containing refined sugar.

My choice of litter box litter are the new bio-friendly products produced from cellulose, flax, and bio-engineered wood fibers. You will find them at pet supercenters.

Ferrets that have been handled when they are young are usually docile and gentle when handled. They rarely bite. An exception are ferrets that did not receive human contact early in life. These individuals will often snap and lock on to fingers and hands.

A small number of diseases account for the majority of ferret illness. Young ferrets often become obstructed with objects that they eat. String, foam rubber, insulation, acorns and pot scrubbing pads are some of the objects I have surgically removed from ferrets. Beginning quite early in life (4 years) ferrets frequently develop adrenal gland disease, pancreatic tumors (insulinomas) and tumors of the blood (lymphomas). Vitamin E and vitamin C have been found to retard the aging process. Because of this, I give it to all ferrets. I vaccinate ferrets annually with Merial’s imrab3 rabies vaccine and every one or two years with Merial’s canine distemper vaccine. I no longer use Fervac-D because of the high number of vaccine reactions it caused. Ferrets can develop canine heartworm disease. If ferrets are housed out of doors or in unscreened areas I suggest they receive monthly heartworm preventative.

I made some suggestions that ferrets be occasionally bathed. I bathed my male ferrets weekly without problems. However, a reader has taken exception to this. please read her email below.

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