ferret out of cage time

Question
QUESTION: We have a ferret that we were given. I don't know anything about him (her?)or ferrets in general except what we've picked up in a ferret crash course over the last month or so! My 9 yo likes to carry Frankie around and Frankie seems to enjoy being carried for up to an hour at a time(doesn't try to get down, acts content, etc.)but I'm not sure if that counts as "play and exercise time" or if he should also get to run free. We changed him to a much bigger cage than he had when we got him, so maybe he plays in there and enjoys his social time out of the cage?
Thanks for the advice!

ANSWER: Hi Mike and Frankie,

Congratulations on the new addition to your family! How are you enjoying being a ferret parent? Is there anything else you need to know? Like, what kind of food are you feeding Frankie? Treats? Toys? If there is anything else you need to know, please let me know and I will answer your questions. I know how stressful it can be as a new ferret parent.

To answer your question, even though Frankie doesn't mind being held, he should really be able to get down and run free. That doesn't mean that you can't play with him while he's running free. We get down on our hands and knees and play with our kids when they are out of their cage. They love bonding with their humans this way and I guarantee it will be fun for you and your family to watch him run around be silly. Silly is what makes a ferret. Also, being able to run around exercises the ferret and strengthens his muscles, trims the fat, etc. That isn't to say that you can't cuddle him, but I'm sure he would benefit by being able to run around and play in a ferret proofed room and I know you will get a few laughs out of it. Do you know about ferret proofing?

Also, I know you didn't ask, but you seem unsure of the gender of your new ferret friend? If you are, just pick Frankie up and look at his tummy. If there is something there that looks like a "bellybutton", then you have a boy. If there is no "bellybutton", then you have a girl!

Please let me know if you have any unanswered questions and I will try to get them answered for you! I have ferret information coming out my ears!

Sincerely,
Emilee Andrews

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Emilee,
 Thank you so much for your response! And yes, I certainly have more questions! Firstly, we feed Frankie Marshall's food and treats. We have tried giving him (and now I'm fairly sure that's correct-thanks!) meat (people food) treats, but he doesn't seem to care for them. I suspect the previous owners fed him cat food, so we are trying to bump up the nutrition-any other suggestions?
Also, Frankie has started to grow a thick white undercoat, that I am assuming is his winter coat. Seeing as it's July, does that mean he's too cold ?
Lastly (for now) Frankie is very kind and cuddly when held by my family, but tends to nip at others who hold him. Unfortunately, that's usually other kids who want to see him. He also nips at toes when he's on the floor. It doesn't seem malicious, but no one in my family really enjoys having their toes nipped. Is there a proper way to respond to this? We are mostly concerned with the nipping of the neighbors!
Thank you again for your help,
Mike

Answer
Hi again Mike and Frankie,

I an so glad I could be of some assistance! And I would just like to say thank you for taking Frankie into your home and into your hearts. That is really a terrific thing you did.

In answer to your first question, Marshall's ferret food isn't really good for ferrets at all. I know that many people think it is good food because Marshall Farms just happens to be one of the leading distributors of pet ferrets in the U.S., but their food isn't good for ferrets. Ferrets are obligate carnivores, which means, as you have probably read, that they can only digest meat. You'll run into information that says that soft fruits, raisins, milk, and vegetables are okay in moderation. That just isn't true. They lack the necessary parts of the digestive tract to take nutrients of out grains, sugars, and plant material. Their digestive tract is made especially for digesting meat. In a lot of ferret care manuals (that are outdated), you'll notice that they say it is okay to feed raisins. That used to be "the" treat to feed ferrets. A well known ferret expert just recently conducted a study about the effects of raisins on ferrets. It turns out, as little as four or five raisins can be fatal to ferrets. They do some damage to their kidneys and can cause organ failure. Needless to say, you just gotta stick to meat! It sounds like you are doing that already though.

Anyway, I'll get back to treats in a minute. Here is a really great chart that I like to give to new ferret parents:

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

It lists the most popular foods and ranks them from one to ten. I wouldn't suggest going below a nine. Personally, our kids get Totally Ferret. They love the stuff and it was developed by a very well known ferret vet. It is listed on that chart as being ranked a nine and that is because it has by-products in it. By-products just have a little less nutrients than the foods you'll see ranked as a ten. Like I said, though, ferrets take right to this food. It is totally your decision, of course. Let me know what you decide on, if you would! On treats: again, you just want to stick with unseasoned meat treats. You can feed them raw or cooked, just with the cooked you'll want to make sure that there are no bones in it because cooked bones get brittle and can present a serious choking hazard for Frankie. Another treat ferrets just love is Ferretone. Ferretone is a vitamin A supplement that has a lot of fatty acids in it. It really makes ferret's coats shine right up and it makes them soft. It is a great treat especially when you are trimming Frankie's nails or cleaning his ears or brushing his teeth. I bet you didn't know you had to do all that, huh? Ha ha. They all sound like big jobs but they aren't bad at all. If you want some more information on grooming Frankie, don't hesitate to ask.

As for your question about the undercoat, he might be growing a new coat to accommodate the heat. He could be preparing to shed his old coat right now, as well. Have you noticed any marked change in shedding? I don't think it means he is too cold. Like I said, it could be that he is just getting ready to shed.

And your last question, ferrets have a very strong bond with their humans so that may be why he doesn't nip you. He might just be scared of unfamiliar people holding him. The way to try to teach Frankie that this behavior is unacceptable is something called the "scruff and snuggle". This technique can be used when teaching Frankie it is unacceptable to nip at your toes as well. (By the way, ferrets have a thing for feet. I don't know why, they just love feet. All our kids nip at our toes once in a while. You can use the scruff and snuggle but also I would suggest investing in some slippers or some socks just in case he doesn't get it right away :).) Anyway, the scruff and snuggle is where you gently scruff the back of Frankie's neck (he won't like it but it doesn't hurt him) and tell him "no" in a firm voice after he bites. Then, you snuggle him up close to your chest and pet him and love on him. Then, you can let him down to play. If he bites a second time, you repeat the process. If he bites a third time, you repeat the process again and then you put him in his cage or a pet carrier for a ten minute time out. This process takes some patience and you might not see changes overnight, but you should really keep with it. Our kids have all gone through this and they don't bite anyone anymore (besides the nipping feet and during play). You will see an improvement over time, but you might never see the nipping of the toes go away completely. Our youngest girl still loves to get our toes!

I hope these answers helped and if you need anything else, don't hesitate to ask. I will be going on vacation tomorrow for no more than two weeks, so I hope I have answered all the questions you have for now. If you need anything else, just let me know!

Good luck with Frankie and again, really you did a great thing by taking him in!

Sincerely,
Emilee Andrews