ferret harness issues

Question
My boyfriend and I got a ferret yesterday, our first. She is around two years old, just over a pound, and was a stray, so a lot of her medical information, etc, was lost, though the way she acts seems to indicate that she was owned before. She eats Totally Ferret, and seems to be completely healthy. She's been living (for the night), in a tall cage with four levels. The bottom is lined with several layers of fleece, there is a small bowl of food on the middle levels (not the bottom because it's near the litter box).

Anyway, my question is about the harnesses. She seems to be reasonable comfortable in ours (an H-shaped one connecting the two bands with mesh), but when we put the leash on, she can pull out of the harness fairly easily. We left her in just the harness, to watch her reaction, and there were no problems. But with the leash, I think she can get enough pull from us holding the leash to squeeze out. The harness has both velcro and a fastening clip that can be adjusted to size. We've put it as tight as we can, it even seemed to be a little too tight (but I could put my pinky finger between her body and the harness, so I don't think it was), but she just pulls out in the first few minutes. She gets out be going forward, pushing the harness down her body, AND by pulling backwards, so it slips over her head. The harness said it was for small ferrets, but I don't know how to make it smaller. What should we do?

By the way, she doesn't seem uncomfortable with the leash on, she doesn't squirm or act scared.

Answer
Hi Erika,

Congratulations on your new ferret! Welcome to the wacky world of ferret parenting! If you have further questions in the future, please don't hesitate to ask!

There are a few things I want to go over with leash training real quick:

Ferrets usually hate their harnesses. They will wobble and roll and act like it is the absolute end of the world when you strap them into a harness (by the way, always use an H-harness and NEVER a collar - collars allow too much ease to escape and you do not want to lose your ferret outdoors).

Ferrets need to get used to their harnesses before you can take them out for a walk. They also need to get used to their leashes. So, to start out, you are going to want to get her in the harness first. Like I said, she will wiggle and flop and look at you like she never wants anything to do with you again. This is expected. Make sure that harness is tight enough. Ferrets are little furry Houdinis. As long as you can fit your pinky in between your ferret's body and the harness then it isn't too tight. Trust me, you'll want to make it as tight as you can (while still being able to fit your pinky in between her body and the harness), otherwise, she will slip right out of it. (By the way, this training is going to take you quite a while). Keep the harness on her for a while (about ten minutes) and then take it off and give her a treat for being so good! The next day, try 12-15 minutes. Don't forget the treat! It may take upwards of a few weeks to get her fully used to her harness. Like I said, this is going to be a LONG process!

{Also, a very IMPORTANT note. please don't leave your ferret alone while she has her harness or her leash on. She could get caught on something and if you aren't around to help her, that would be extremely bad!)

After a couple (or a few) weeks, and she's used to her harness, you can start with the leash! At first, you're going to want to attach the leash to the harness, and then let her walk around while dragging the leash behind her! I cannot stress enough that you supervise your ferret during this time!! Let her do this for a few minutes every day like you did the harness training. Do this for a few sessions. Don't forget the treats! After she gets used to that, you can start holding on to the leash while she's on it, but you shouldn't try to direct her in any way! After a few sessions of this (with treats, as always), you can start to pull her **gently** away from areas you don't want her to go. Never TUG on the leash. Ever. You could scare or hurt her. After a few sessions of this, you can begin to gently guide her. After she has that down, you can start going outdoors.

I would suggest you don't go far at all the first few training sessions. I mean, just take her outside the front door for a few minutes, then go back inside. Do this for a few sessions, venturing out a little bit more each time.

Things to remember:

Limit the walks to about 15-20 minutes.
Make sure your ferret is up to date on her shots (rabies and distemper).
Bring water and offer it to your ferret frequently. Bring a pet carrier with you so if your ferret gets tired, she can ride home.
Avoid other animals, strange or friendly.
It is your job to protect your ferret while you are on a walk with her.
Check her for fleas and ticks after her walks. Also, you should speak with your vet about flea, tick and heartworm prevention before starting walks.

Also: just a reminder: lead training a ferret is fun and rewarding but your goal is not to make her heel like a dog. Ferrets don't do that. The purpose of having  your ferret on a leash outdoors is to protect her and give her time to be outside at the same time!

As for the harness problem, I'm afraid the only thing I can tell you to do is try a different harness. Or, if you can, try making the harness a little tighter. If you wanted to, I'm sure your local hardware store has velcro strips available. You could extend how tight you can make the vest. We don't take our little girl on walks because she is just too tiny and she slips right out of her harness!

Let me know if you ever have further questions or if you need clarification!

Sincerely,
Emilee Andrews