Considering buying a Ferret

Question
Hello, i have a couple questions on what type of substrate i could use for i ferret i have some ideas but im not sure how well they might work, my first idea was to use a flat cork bedding the reason being is that it does not absorb moisture much but im wondering if it will be to hard to clean, and the second was just using the store brand ferret substrate without the cedar chips and what not. Any tips or information concerning this or how to make ferret toys or sleep boxes or and other cool tips would be appreciated, thanks for your time.

Answer
Hi Jason,

I'm so glad to hear you are thinking about going into the wonderful world of ferret parenthood! It really is a great and rewarding experience and I wish you luck! If you have any further questions in the future, please let me know!

As for bedding in your ferret cage, you want to stay away from that kind of stuff. Ferrets need nice, fluffy bedding. The best thing you can line a ferret's cage with is lots and lots of blankets and/or old sweatshirts. With that, though, you need to make sure there are no holes in the fabric and you need to check it for holes periodically to make sure your ferret(s) aren't ingesting the fabric because that could cause an intestinal blockage. As for a potty, you should get a litter box (they make some that are especially made for ferrets) and then work with your ferret to get litter trained. A ferret is not like a gerbil that can just have a cage with wood chips or shredded paper or what have you and no litter box. They should really be litter trained. For litter in the litter box I would highly recommend a product called Yesterday's News, which are recycled paper pellets. It controls odor very well and is very absorbent. The litter box should be cleaned out daily and the bedding should be washed at least once a week.

Your cage needs to be at least 2 feet by 3 feet by 2 feet. That is the BARE minimum for one ferret and if you are planning to get more than one, you really need to have a cage bigger than that. I mean, really, that is the absolute bare minimum and even once ferret deserves more room than that. Ferret Nation cages are the best cages out there. They are on the expensive side but you won't be buying another ferret cage for a while! Our kids love theirs!

As for your other questions, I really suggest that you read the book called Ferrets for Dummies by Kim Schilling. It has so many ideas plus visuals that you could really benefit from. I highly suggest you pick up a copy of that book before you get a ferret because it will answer a lot of questions for you and any information that you read in there, you feel free to ask any questions you may have.

Sincerely,
Emilee Andrews



******Follow - up******

Hi again Jason,

If you do pick up a book, it should really be Ferrets for Dummies, second edition. That has so much good information in it. I would really be careful about what books you do pick up because a lot of them can have misinformation in them. Just the other day, I read a book on ferrets that said raisins were a good treat! With that, though, raisins were just found to be VERY bad for ferrets a little while ago, which leads me to reiterate : you should really pick up Ferrets for Dummies, second edition because the first does say that raisins are okay and the second edition has updates in it, such as that raisins are very bad for ferrets.

Have a safe and fun holiday and if you have further questions, don't hesitate to ask!

Sincerely,
Emilee Andrews