Itchy Ferret

Question
Hello. I just adopted my first ferret. He is a white (not really albino because he has some dark hairs here and there) male that is supposedly a little more than a year old. I feed him zupreem ferret food. The ferret lives in a feisty ferret cage (i believe it can be bought at petsmart).

My question is, I've noticed that he scratches a whole lot like he has flees. I've checked several times and cannot find a single flee on him. I've given him a bath but it really didn't help that much if at all. There are no other animals in the house and I've never seen a flee in my house before. Any suggestions?

Answer
Hello Ty,

Welcome to the wonderful and sometimes stressful world of ferret parenting! It really is a joy to have these little creatures in our lives! As a side note to my answer for you, what you have sounds like a dark eyed white. If he has darker hairs and his eyes are a darker color and not pink, then he's not an albino! Is the feisty ferret cage the really tall one that looks a little like a Ferret Nation cage? If so, that is definitely enough space for your new little guy and I applaud your efforts as a new ferret parent!

The itchy ferret thing may seem scary, but trust me, it is a ferret trait. They are very itchy animals! Sometimes, they will get up out of a dead sleep and itch themselves and then curl up and go right back to bed! It is the silliest thing, but is a definite characteristic of these furry little creatures. You don't have a thing to worry about, but really, it is amazing that you have your eyes open so well so early into owning your first ferret! Any ferret parent will tell you that you always have to keep an eye on these little hoodlums because they are always getting into things they aren't supposed to! If you have any questions for me at all, please don't hesitate to ask! I know there is a lot of info out there to sort through, so really anything at all! No question is a stupid question! Also, you might want to check out the book Ferrets for Dummies by Kim Schilling, second edition. That is a great read for ferret parents old and new!

I hope this helps and let me know if you need anything else!

Sincerely,
Emilee Andrews