What temperature is too cold for a ferret?

Question
I am strongly considering getting a ferret but the only logical place to keep its cage is in my basement... In the winter it can get around 53 degrees. Is this too cold for a ferret?

Answer
Hi Daniel:

I would strongly recommend you research ferrets social and housing needs (in more ways than just temperature-wise) before deciding to get a ferret. Temperature wire it would be marginal; is it damp in the basement too? Is it dark? Is it around people where there would be a lot of socialization? A single ferret won't stay warm as well as two ferrets or three ferrets, but of course there is much more work to be done with multiple ferrets too. Lots of blankets for snuggling down into make for a nice cozy place to sleep, but I worry about whether there are enough people coming and going there to provide the social interraction a ferret needs with people; they need to be talked to during the day and even sometimes throughout the night they will come and nibble on your toes to wake you for a snuggle if you let them. Of course a caged ferret is really limited in how he can control his own environment by seeking somebody to play with - such as chasing you around the room if he has free roam of the room or socking a ball towards you for you to chase down and roll back to him (my ferret does this trick).

So, as you can see, there is a LOT more to consider when deciding where to house a ferret than whether or not a basement is too cold. Here are some great articles on housing a ferret and information in general about getting a ferret - all which should be read BEFORE getting a ferret and/or deciding where you should house your ferret:

GENERAL INFO - ALL TOPICS: (PERFECT FOR FOLKS CONSIDERING OR NEW OWNERS)
* www.thechipster.com/fert-man.html   <---------- THE BEST!!
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferret#See_also
* http://www.craftycreatures.com/forferretsonly/ferret_school/ferretschool_aboutfe...
* http://www.ferretcentral.org  & scroll down to topic necessary
* http://www.craftycreatures.com/forferretsonly/ferret_school/ferretschool_aboutfe...
* http://www.craftycreatures.com/forferretsonly/ask_angela/index.html

Hope you find a LOT of great information in those pages that will help you decide what will make the best housing ideas for your ferret. Be sure to take into consideration the little daily things that seem harmless to us that are absolutely deadly to them (rubberbands, breadties, anything made of foam or foam rubber, rubber gloves, erasers, packing peanuts, etc., etc, etc,. So plan on the area where your ferret plays being a very well ferretproofed area or you may find yourself at the vet's office having a $1,000 surgery to remove some crazy object from your ferret's tummy.

And be sure to read up on foods - ferrets are strict carnivores - meat ONLY, nothing with sugar in it, no bubblegum, etc (keep that handbag out of reach!). Here are the best foods for your ferrets from best to worst - keep your ferret healthy for a long life:

* http://www.mdferretpaws.org/care/food_treats.html

Sincerely,

Jacquie Rodgers