outside???????

Question
Hello

My question is can you keep ferrets in a hutch outside?
The hutch is very big and will be situated in the shade. The lowest temperature where i live is -1degrees celcius and the highest is roughly 30 to 34 degrees celcius.
If you can how would i go about doing so?

thankyou

Answer
Hello Steven!  My first question is why would you want to house them outdoors?  They make great indoor pets!    

Unfortunately, I do not recommend keeping ferrets outdoors.  They are not hutch animals like rabbits and need at least 3-4 hours a day of playtime and interaction with you.  They also risk infection by tick-borne diseases, heart-worm (one  worm is lethal), fleas (therefore parasites such as tapeworm and many many other diseases) as well as prey to foxes or other predators able break into the cage.  (I grew up with chickens, and no matter how safe the cage, raccoons and other carnivores will find a way).

My major concern is the temperature.  Yes, ferrets can handle cold (-1 degrees is roughly freezing), as long as they are slowly accustomed.  An indoor pet used to room temperature conditions cannot be suddenly thrown in a below freezing environment, for example.  The 30-34 degree celcius weather is not something a ferret can tolerate even in the shade. They cannot handle heat, and in fact are very prone to heat stroke.  Anything above 80 degrees can be life threatening, even with ample water.  I consider anything above room temperature (roughly 25 degrees celcius) to be too hot for them.   

I hope this information proves useful!  If you have any other questions or concerns, please let me know.  

-Cindy P.